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Background

I bought a dresser and it came with this chain for anchoring the dresser to the wall. It did not come with the hardware that attaches to the stud.

The dresser weighs maybe 125 lbs with the drawers out. Also, it came with two of these chains for anchoring, but I just showed one in the photo.

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Ideas

I was thinking either a D Ring or an eyehook

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Question

Is one type of hardware better than the other for anchoring purposes ? I like the idea of a D hook because it has two screws that would have to fail vs. the one eye hook screw. Does the screw thickness make a difference ?

Walter Stabosz
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1 Answers1

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Much more important than the hardware is what it is attached to.

The best protection against tipping furniture is attachment to a framing member in the wall. That generally means a stud (wood behind the finish sheet rock, plaster or paneling).

Studs can be found using a stud finder, and are generally on 16" centers, but sometimes 24". A hook-eye that goes through the finish material and 1" or more into a wooden stud is a good hedge against tipping. One centered high on the furniture piece, or better, one on each end will usually suffice.

A D-ring is okay, but the holes tend to be smaller and the screws attaching it are therefore smaller as well, with less holding power. The screw thickness does make a difference. The gripping power of a larger screw is greater than that of a small thin screw. Also the D-ring itself can be prone to failure with the wire leg pulling out from behind the mounting plate if there is a very heavy load.

If it is impossible to attach to a stud, a strong toggle is the next best attachment mechanism. I favor the pivoting bar type over the spring loaded version. These spread the load over a larger area of the finish material and the attachment bolt can be removed and reinserted easily.

I strongly urge against plastic type anchors when the load tends to pull outward rather than downward.

You may wish to reveiw this discussion of anchor types.

An exception is masonry construction, such as concrete, concrete blocks or tile blocks. These need special masonry anchors and matching screws or bolts.

Occasionally you may find steel studs, which need a finer threaded screw for attachment, and do not seem to hold as well as wooden studs.

Community
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bib
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  • Considering that such anchoring is used to prevent the furniture from reaching the topple-over point, the forces are likely to be small. Either the eyebolt or D-ring with strap will provide sufficient strength. With this specific example, one would have to have more than one drawer open, with a heavy payload within. Additionally, the higher drawers would have greater leverage than the lower ones. It's unfortunate that our species has become so litigious that this hardware is required. If one is not smart enough... think of it as evolution in action. – fred_dot_u Aug 21 '16 at 15:44
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    The biggest risk is kids climbing (and mine have). The restraints are also used on dressers with heavy mirrors and on bookcases that can have much heavier loads once (if) they reach tip point. Also, the scenario of a kid pulling out a top drawer and then swinging by her arms from it is not far fetched. That would put a dynamic strain on a simple wall anchor. – bib Aug 21 '16 at 15:53
  • No rug rats in my house means I've overlooked that aspect, although it does fall into the evolution category, sub-category parenting. I can support my weight on a 1/4" eyebolt screwed into a stud without fear, so such a mount would be suited for the circumstances you suggest. – fred_dot_u Aug 21 '16 at 15:59
  • @fred_dot_u But remember that pulling down on an eye bolt is mostly shear/compression pressure, while pullout restrains are mostly tension. Both wood and wallboard are stronger on the former than on the latter. But I agree that, in a stud, 1/4" eyebolt should do fine. – bib Aug 21 '16 at 16:05
  • Great answer and great comments. In my instance, I'm anchoring because I have kids. I opted for 2 eye hooks rated for 175lbs each. Here is a resource for how to anchor furniature and TVs http://www.anchorit.gov/how-to-anchor-it/ , and here are some stats on tipover injuries http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education/Neighborhood-Safety-Network/Posters/1-Child-Dies-Every-Two-Weeks/ (TLDR: 1 child dies every 2 weeks, most vunerable are 1-5 y/o) – Walter Stabosz Aug 21 '16 at 17:38