Expert: maura macaluso - 10/20/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

we have oak wood wall cabinets in the kitchen, They have used drywall screws to keep them in place. The screws are visible from the inside of the cabinets. Right now they look in good shape. I heard it is better to have wood screws for kitchen cabinets. I would like to know if i can use wood screws besides these drywall screws for extra protection. This way the hassle of removing the drywall screws and replacing the wood screws is avoided.

Thanks for your suggestion

Thanks
Kals

ANSWER: Hi Kals,  You have not given enough information to adequately answer your question.  Are the drywall screws used in the construction of the cabinets or are they attaching cabinets into drywall?  if they are the screws that are used in the basic construction of the cabinets, by all means you may add to or replace the existing screws with wood screws.  I hope this helps you. thanks for the question and good luck with your project.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the reply. I hope you could answer for this too. they have used drywall screws to attach the cabinets to the wall. Do you think do i need to use wood screws to attach them to the wall. Is it worth replacing or nailing additional wood screws top attach the cabinets to the wall.

I did not look into the basic construction of the cabinets and not sure what they have used. Is it necessary for me to take a through look into it.

your answer and suggestion is most important as i am an amateur in this area.

Your help is much appreciated and  looking forward for your reply

Thanks
Kals

Thanks
Kals

Answer
Hi Kals,

I have done a bit of research on your problem and learned a few things along the way.  The first is that about 50% of contractors routinely use drywall screws to mount cabinets.  Does that mean its safe, not really. This is not due to any attempt to increase profits on their part as the cost of the screws are not terribly different but rather due to a lack of knowledge and the conveinece of using whats more commonly at hand. The problem with drywall screws as opposed to wood screws is that due to the manufacturing process used in drywall screws, they are very brittle and should not be used where weight bearing is an issue.  They are most likely adequate for mounting the cabinets but can become a problem when much weight is added into the cabinets.  The danger is not that the screw will pull out from the wall but rather that it will actually break or shear off with a sharp jolt to the cabinet or degrade over time and stress from weight bearing. I don't know what part of the country you are from but even an earthquake could bring the cabinets down. Failures are rare but they do occur enough that other contractors have experienced them, such as when heavy china dishes are stacked, filling the cabinet or when shelves are overloaded with canned goods or other weighty objects. Cabinets have even fallen on people and injured them, again a rare occurrence but it does happen. The problem is that even if you were to conclude that your cabinets will never hold a tremendous amount of weight, years will go by and you will forget about the drywall screw situation and who knows what the cabinets will be used for then.  As a way to ensure that you have no future calamity I would advise that you leave the drywall screws in place and also reinforce the mounting by adding some 2 1/2" - 3" wood screws alongside the drywall screws.  This will give you all the peace of mind you need and is much easier than removing and replacing all the drywall screws.  Make sure that you are putting the screws into the studs of the wall. you should be able to use the drywall screws as a guide to do this. Just place the wood screws on the same vertical line as the drywall screws, perhaps an inch higher or lower, if you understand that.  Studs inside a wall run from floor to ceiling in a straight line, so just make sure you are screwing into them.  The drywall screws should already be screwed into the studs.  This will be overkill but you will never need worry about the weight that the cabinets can handle. Thanks for the follow-up question and good luck with the project.

Sorry after rereading your question I will add this.  No it is not necessary to look into the actual construction of the cabinets. Wood screws should routinely have been used by the cabinet maker.  It would actually be odd if drywall screws had been used.  I think you should be fine just concerning yourself with the mounting situation.