Attach a chest of drawers to the wall for safety.
A chest of drawers can be a bit unstable, especially if the unit is on carpet. Tethering the unit to the wall will keep it from accidentally tipping over. Most manufacturers now include a tether kits with dressers and bookshelves. Tether kits also are available at hardware stores and home improvement centers. They usually consist of a strip of plastic or fabric that has a hole on each end and is secured to a bolt in the wall. Tethering a chest of drawers to a wall is a straightforward process. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Pull the drawers out of the chest and set them aside. Locate the center of the unit's width and make a pencil mark on the wall. Pull the chest of drawers away from the wall.
2. Measure six inches down from the mark on the wall with a tape measure. Mark the spot with a pencil. Run a stud finder over the mark to find the nearest wall stud. If there is no wall stud within 12 inches of your mark, a plastic sleeve anchor is necessary.
3. Drill a pilot hole, using a drill bit that's slightly smaller than the screw you will be installing in the wall stud. If there is no stud, drill a hole with a bit that's the same diameter as the plastic wall anchor you're using.
4. Measure six inches down from the top center of the chest of drawers, on the back of the unit. Drill a 1/4-inch hole through the back of the unit at the mark if the back is solid wood. If the back is not solid, find the closest solid bracing for the back and drill six inches from the top.
5. Place a washer over the screw that came with the tether kit. Insert the screw and washer through one end of the fabric strap. Screw the strap into the wall stud with a Phillips-head screwdriver.
If you're using a plastic anchor instead, insert the anchor into the hole in the wall. Place the screw and washer through one end strap and into the wall anchor. Tighten the screw with the screwdriver.
6. Maneuver the chest of drawers near the wall. Place a washer over the threads of the 1/4-inch bolt from the tether kit. Insert the bolt through the hole on the end of the tether, then through the hole you drilled in the back of the unit. Thread the nut onto the bolt threads from inside the chest of drawers. Tighten the nut with a wrench.
7. Place the chest of drawers back against the wall. Put the drawers back into the unit.
Tags: chest drawers, wall stud, back unit, drawers back, back solid, chest drawers, chest drawers back
