Help! What Is Going On Here?

stp57

I just installed a pair of 3330 cabinet stacked on top of a pair of 3318 cabinets in a laundry room of the ground floor of a 8 year old 2 story home. The plumbing & electrical run in the middle of the 6 foot wall in question & on the backside of the wall is the garage. The problem is, that I cannot screw down the top of only one of the upper cabinets because I hit what I presume to be a metal plate the entire 33" of the cabinet?
What in the world would would be running horizontal 2" from the top plate for a span of 3 foot that would require such a long nail plate?
Fortunately, I was able to screw down all of the other cabinets to the wall & to each other & this one cabinet at the bottom only. I can't even screw it to the ceiling because the joist runs parallel & 4" away.
Steve

neolitic

Plumber and Sparky got real busy
there?
Be grateful that they put a nail plate
there....or you'd be writing about
a whole 'nother set of problems!
I had one of those deals once.
Split level house,6' behind the
washer/dryer was either
sparky, plumber, or tinner!
1 stud in that distance, and it was
covered with nail plates.

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stp57

Thanks for the response Neolitic (aka: Stone Age man),
Do you think that I will have a problem with the upper 3330 cabinet seeing that it is attached to 2 studs only at the bottom & also attached to the other cabinets?
Steve

neolitic

If I read you right, the 30" is on
top of the 18"?
Sounds kind of scary if that's
the deal.
You know she'll load the
heck out of it with 2 gallon
detergent bottles, etc.
Wouldn't worry as much if it was
18"er sitting on top.
The one I was talking about
(and others since that weren't
as big a surprise) I had to
make a hanging rail.

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genecarp

cast iron plumbing? maybe a drain

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stp57

Yea, I thought it strange that they would want the tall cabinet on top too. I can try to toe some long screws through the top of the cabinet into the top plate or in the joist if it rests on top of the plate?
Steve

neolitic

Can't say what from here,
but I'd want something
holding the top of that one.
Time for the creative gene
to be activated!

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send_it_all

I would pull the cabinet down and search for a place to put screws. Drill a series of holes with a small drill bit until you are below the nail plate. Even if you have to cut open the drywall to see what you are dealing with. I don't think it would be out of line for you to bill the H.O. a few hours to make sure you dont do any damage. Make sure you patch and at least fire tape any penetrations being that it is a garage wall.

Jason Whipple

You might be able to attach a cleat to the ceiling using two toggle bolts and some glue. Place it off the wall just far enough so the back lip of the top part of the cabinet slips tightly behind it and the screw off the bottom of the cab.

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novicepro

Yeah just cut the drywall and see- instead of guesing. You'll figure out what to do once you see what's back there.

troubleseeker

Seems rather odd to have a pipe run that near the top plate, I lean more to electrical wires. Like stated, if it is, be glad the electrician had enough sense to protect them, many are pretty lazy about nail plates. Could also be metal framing connectors. I have come across a house where every stud/top plate junction had one of those t -shaped saddles that comes down the stud face about four inches.
I agree that the best thing is a look/see; it is going to be buried behind the cabinet, so the drywall patch doesn't have to be pretty.