wal mount cabinets on plaster walls

[oldnewhouse]

Hi all,
We're starting to think about a new set of cabinets and I'm pretty stuck on how to keep the things on the walls. My house is 100 years old and brick all the way through. the interior walls are plaster on the brick. I'm not even considering framing inside until it's absolutely proven that there is no other way. For one the kitchen is already little and for another that completely screws up the windows and doors.
The cabinets we want have a metal rail that they hang from. Can someone suggest the method you'd use to get that rail and subsequently the cabinets on the wall in such a way that they can be loaded full of dishes and remain on the wall into the future?

thanks!
Mark

[mdshunk]

If these are unfired brick, and they likely are, you can screw right into them without a pilot hole. It will hold just like a screw does in wood. If they are harder brick, a long TapCon will do a fine job.

[oldnewhouse]

near as i can tell, the interior brick (we have two layers) is unfired. it's infinately esier to drill through with the masonry bit than the exterior. is there a way to guage how long of a screw is needed? how do i keep the brick from breaking?
gracias

[iain]

I have faced the same problem in a customers house we drilled the wall where our scews were to go ( have to find exact location first) then drilled 1" hole about 4" deep used a product called Hilti Hotshot you will find it at any industrial supply outlet the gun you can rent or they will give it to you when you buy the product
I cut 7/8' dowels into 3 1/2' lenghts and injected the epoxy then the dowel. Screwed cabinet into dowels. epoxy will keep dowels from rotting.
Customer was happy and 22' x 5' of suspended book shelf is still on the wall.

[JeffeVerde]

If you can make it work with the cabinets you're using, I'd look at mounting a ribbon board to the wall and your cabinets to that. Saves you a lot of work trying to match the cabinets to holes you've drilled in the wall.

Since you can't easily put up a ledger board to aid in the install, I'd put together some sort of scaffolding to set the cabinets on, to ensure they're installed in a straight and level line. Then it's just a matter of putting a couple screws through the back into your ribbons, and shimming the boxes plumb. Otherwise, good luck trying to get them to line up.

[screwexpert]

Working on an unfired brick would be a lot easier. Check if screws could be enough to hold your project.

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[Wgoodrich]

Before you start with those cabinets I suggest you take a straight edge such as a 4' level and check to see how flat and level these walls are. This type home construction was notrorious not to be plumb and straight. You may find if far enough off flat and level you may want to install a backer board against the wall then mount the cabinets to that backer board screwed to the brick leaving say a 1 1/2" gap then trim around the cabinets obsorbing the uneven walls. If you don't do something like that you may very well find gaps between the wall and cabinet you can stick your finger too and have non level cabinets making things want to roll out of the cabinets and drawers to open by themselves.

Just a suggestion.

Wg