How to smooth out the edge of VJ Panel wall?

[RJ2]

After seeing many posts around the VJ Paneling, I am inspired to do a feature wall in our living area (gyprock wall) but have many questions as I am not handy with DIY and will be seeking help from a professional.

One hurdle I have is that the wall I am putting VJ Panels on is 3.7m wide while 3 VJ Panels would only cover about 3.6m in width. So my question is how do I manage the gap of the remaining wall of 100m - should I get another VJ Panel (noting that 1.1m of that will be wasted) or can someone point me to a timber skirting or something similar that can be used on the wall vertically to cover that gap?

Lastly, how would we get a smooth finish at the edge of the wall with VJ Panels? 

These are the panels that I intend to buy, but I would like to order everything in one go (including timber skirting etc) to avoid paying twice for the delivery fee.

Can any kind soul assist me with my questions so I can move forward with my project?

[MitchellMc]

Hi @RJ2,

I have concerns regarding your installation of this cabinet. As you mentioned, those brackets were supplied by the manufacturer with the intention of being mounted to masonry. My concern is that the holes might be spaced too wide for you to get all six screws into a single stud. Even if you could, unless the locations of the brackets are relocatable, I doubt all the brackets will align with studs. How wide is the bracket between the two sets of holes? 

If you are not able to have all screws driven into the studs, they will instead be into the VJ boards, and a 9mm MDF board can't bear the kind of weight as a solid stud does. When loaded with the TV, ornaments, DVDs, etc, the cabinet could weigh around 100kg. That's a large amount of weight, and if it were to fail and fall, it could result in the loss of a child's life. Crushing from cabinets is a very real risk. I'd encourage you to follow the manufacturer's directions on installation or contact them for further assistance with mounting to a plaster and stud wall.

Mitchell

[Dave-1]

Morning @RJ2 

@MitchellMc has raised an important point in fixing those brackets to the wall, I had not really given it a thought and then it was like a light bulb that the brackets width (space between the holes) is probarly wider then the stud in the wall you are fastening to. So you would only be able to secure one side which wouldnt carry the load. 

You could go down the track of securing the backplane of the floating cabinet to the studs in the wall directly as @EricL has suggested but then you will be relying on the backplane to be solid enough to hold that weight (The screws could be fanned out across the length into studs with washers) 

Apart from the tv and associated equipment if cousin Bob comes over for a party and leans on it or sits on it...These things I would factor in  thinking about how to secure the floating cabinet.

Dave

[RJ2]

Hi Mitchell,

Thanks for your advice - I have spoken with the manufacturer and they advised that if the brackets are too wide for the stud then I can either use longer screws and mount the cabinet directly (without brackets) onto the studs or a timber board can be installed (horizontally) on the stud wall to support this brackets. The support person gave me an example of how dryers are installed on the wall with this method.

How wide is the bracket between the two sets of holes?  The brackets on the cabinet are not installed - they need to be aligned and installed in accordance with how much gap we are leaving on the wall. 

BTW, are there any other types of brackets that you can recommend that may be more suitable for stud installation or does the idea of installing with the horizontal timber make sense to you? Either way, I will be getting a carpenter/handyman to instal it professionally to ensure its done correctly.

Worse case - the unit will be returned and I will get something more traditional that sits on the floor.

Thanks a lot for your input - I really appreciate that!

Edit: Just editing to update that the TV was going to be mounted separately on the wall and won't be sitting on the cabinet.

[MitchellMc · Accepted solution]

It's great to hear that you're all over it, @RJ2. Great move speaking with the manufacturer.  Mounting the unit directly to the wall with longer screws into the studs would likely provide the most secure fixing. That way, you ensure all screws are into solid timber.

The only other thing I could suggest would be to have a few angle brackets fixed into the studs at a height that matches the bottom of the unit. The top of the bracket will run behind the cabinet. The cabinet can be placed onto the brackets, which will bear its weight, and you can then secure the unit to the wall with longer screws into the studs or use the brackets. Screws can be driven up through the brackets into the bottom panel of the cabinet. Just make sure to use screws short enough, so they don't penetrate through the bottom of the cabinet. These brackets would be in addition to the fixing method recommended by the manufacturer. However, I'd consult with the carpenter/handyperson as the additional brackets might not be needed.

It sounds like you're on the right track; I just wanted to ensure that it would be secured sufficiently, as I'd hate to see someone be injured.

Mitchell

[RJ2]

Excellent suggestion Mitchell regarding the use of angle brackets, something like this might do that job? Would you also be able to recommend some longer screws that can be used to go into the stud through the cabinet?

Thanks again for your assistance.

[MitchellMc]

Oh, sorry, @RJ2. I didn't add the link to them. I'd go for something like these brackets. They are far stronger than the ones you've shown, better suited and are not as thick. You should be able to see them under the cabinet. Remember, we are not going to install them as you typically would. They'll go up behind the unit.

Mitchell

[RJ2]

Hello wonderful people of the Bunnings community - Just wanted to give you all a progress update about this project.

I had professionals help me with the VJ panels and install TV cabinets, and they did an amazing job ensuring that everything, especially the cabinet and TV, is secure. As suggested by @MitchellMc, he installed four brackets on the studs where the cabinet is sitting. To secure it further. he also installed horizontal timber on the studs. The cabinet was then flushed with the wall and screwed to both the brackets at the bottom and the horizontal timber (see the pictures). The powerpoints were also moved inside the TV cabinet drawer where the TV one connect box sits to power the TV."

The brackets were so secured that the tradesperson even demoed standing on them (I had my heart in my mouth when he did that). Now, we need to paint the wall and add some lighting to it - I will post a final picture once it's all done. 

Thank you everyone for your contribution, without that - I wouldn't have been able to achieve this amazing (and secure) result. On a side, special thanks to @ProjectPete as I took inspiration from his project. I couldn't do the recessed cabinet, but still very happy with the outcome and may consider the recessed cabinet at a later stage :).

[JacobZ]

Hi @RJ2,

Thank you for sharing the update. It's looking brilliant.

I'm a big fan of VJ and this is a great install. It gives a brilliant backdrop for the wall-mounted TV.

It's always good to know that a tradie will back their work, and standing on the floating bench is definitely a theatrical way to do it. I'm sure they'd done it before so were confident it would be fine.

I can't wait to see it after the finishing touches.

Jacob

[Dave-1]

Afternoon @RJ2 

Now that looks great and love the stress test, would def put my mind at ease tho that heart dropping momnet would have been intense!

Dave

[Nailbag]

Hi @RJ2 thats come out looking awesome, I love the clean lines look and the cabinet really is a standout feature. Looks like they used panels right to each end without any fillers, which looks great! Now to sit back and enjoy 👌

I floated a much smaller cabinet using a similar technique. But I had a very cheap cabinet that I bought and took the legs off. So no heart in mouth situation to worry about.

Nailbag