Why should you anchor furniture to the wall?

Why anchor furniture to the wall

The Consumer Product Safety Office (CPSO) says unstable furniture and TVs are a serious tip-over risk, especially for young children. A furniture tip over can happen when a child climbs the drawers or shelves, or pulls on a door or a TV. Anchoring holds the piece against the wall when that happens.

CPSO also suggests thinking about stability before you buy. Choose sturdy furniture and test it in the shop, for example by pulling out the top drawers and applying a little pressure. Look for dressers with drawer stops, and for furniture that comes with safety devices such as restraint kits to anchor it to the wall.

What to anchor and with what

CPSO advises anchoring cabinets, bookcases and dressers with anti-tipping restraint kits, such as wall brackets, braces or straps. If none came with the furniture, ask the retailer or buy a suitable one. For flat-screen TVs, CPSO says to mount or strap them to the wall, or use a suitable stand as the manufacturer recommends. Its installation and maintenance tips add that furniture and bulky appliances such as TVs should be properly positioned and secured.

For a wardrobe anti tip kit, start with the one in the box. IKEA says to use the tip-over restraint provided with its furniture and the right hardware for your wall type. It says the hardware depends on the wall material, and if your wall is not listed, you should consult a local hardware retailer. That is IKEA's advice for its own products. For other brands, follow the manual or ask the maker.

If you would like a TV fixed to the wall rather than kept on a stand, the directory lists companies that offer TV mounting.

How to anchor it

Your furniture's own instructions come first. These steps are general guidance.

1. Read the instructions. Find the furniture's assembly instructions and its restraint kit. Note where the bracket or strap goes on the furniture.
2. Check the wall. Find out what the wall is made of and choose fixings that match it. For IKEA furniture, IKEA says the right hardware depends on the wall material.
3. Check for pipes and wiring. Look for concealed pipes and wiring before you drill. HDB says to take precautions when drilling in flats with concealed water pipes, and its concealed pipe layout plans are a guide only.
4. Fix the bracket. Fix the bracket or strap to the wall and to the furniture as the instructions say, in the positions they show.
5. Test it. Tug the furniture gently to check that it holds. If it moves or a fixing feels loose, stop and get help.

HDB says ramsets, nails and screws must not exceed 6mm in diameter and 40mm in penetration depth. Check your screws and wall plugs against these limits before you drill. For more on drilling in a flat, read the guide to HDB drilling rules.

Habits that cut the risk

Anchoring is one layer of protection. CPSO also suggests these habits:

• Keep heavy items on low shelves and in low drawers.
• Never overload bookcases.
• Do not open more than one drawer at a time.
• Do not place toys, treats or TV remote controls on top of TV sets and dressers.
• Teach children never to stand inside, climb into or hang onto drawers, shelves or cabinet doors.
• Inspect furniture regularly to make sure all bolts and nuts are secured.

For other ways to make a home safer for young children, see the childproofing checklist.

What a handyman charges

If you would rather not drill yourself, a handyman can fit the restraint kit for you. These are the published drilling and mounting rates in the directory.

FROM THE HOMEZYPRO DIRECTORY

Published drilling and mounting rates

For the most common unit (per job), the lowest published drilling and mounting rates from 3 companies run from S$40 to S$120 per job (middle rate S$60), to mount one item. The middle figure is a real published rate, not an average. Each figure is one company's own advertised rate with its conditions, not a quote.

See 4 published drilling and mounting rates and sources

Lowest matching advertised rate per company, in SGD as published. "From" marks a starting price and ranges are shown in full. Check the source for minimums, GST and inclusions.

Company	Service as listed	Rate	Source
Wefix4U	Drilling	From S$10 per hole	wefix4u.sg
FixMove	TV, mirror, shelf, picture or cabinet mounting	From S$40 per job	fixmove.sg
Repairhome.sg	Installation (TV brackets, mirrors, shelves, lights, curtain hardware)	From S$60 per job	repairhome.sg
Handy King	TV wall mounting	From S$120 per job	handyking.sg

4 companies publish a drilling and mounting line. 3 of them price it per job: their lowest published rates run from S$40 to S$120 per job, with S$60 per job in the middle. That middle figure is one company's own published rate. As printed, these per-job lines are to mount one item. The fourth company prices drilling from S$10 per hole.

Before you book, ask what the price includes, such as whether the handyman brings fixings for your wall type. If you also need flat-pack furniture built, see furniture assembly and the guide to furniture assembly cost.

When to call a professional

Call a handyman if:

• you are not sure what the wall is made of
• the wall may hold concealed pipes or wiring
• the item is very heavy or very tall
• the wall is in the household shelter

HDB says drilling into the household shelter's internal walls is limited to 50mm deep for non-metallic inserts and removable screws, and fixtures there must be removable within 48 hours when notified. Read about drilling into the household shelter before you fix anything there. To compare costs, check handyman rates or browse handyman companies.

Questions