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I have a consumer unit that is perfectly flush in the corner of my hallway, and I am wanting to build some kind of full height storage cupboard around it from 18mm melamine chipboard.

I was initially thinking about building a backless unit for a bit extra space given the space it will fit in is not the deepest, but with the consumer unit where it is, I will have to make a cutout to which I would be concerned that a backless unit would be not structurally sound.

enter image description here

I plan on having some shelves via shelf pins so they won't add any rigidity.

Assuming that the current idea isn't structurally sound, what would be the best route to ensure it is?

  • I could consider using a 6mm ply/mdf backing with its own cutout
  • I could to 2 stretchers from the same 18mm board, one above and one below.

Looking for some advice :-)

Full space dimensions (click to enlarge)

enter image description here

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    Some additional information here would be helpful. 1) some dimensions (W, H, & exposed depth of the Unit). 2) You mention shelves, but it is not clear where they fit and what loads they would carry. 3) you mention the depth of the space, but it is not clear how that applies to the sketch. 4) what is the construction of the wall it will mount to? (this might affect how best to mount the enclosure to the wall)
    – Ashlar ♦
    Commented May 6, 2023 at 20:15
  • It's not clear yet exactly what you're building here but I don't think backless is an issue if you're actually attaching the thing to the wall — once you attach an open-backed box to a wall (multiple points of attachment), essentially all concerns about racking go away. That said, you could add a back and do a cutout, why not?
    – Graphus
    Commented May 7, 2023 at 5:03
  • Now all this may be irrelevant, is it actually permitted by regs that you can cover a consumer unit with a cupboard made from combustible materials? It certainly wouldn't be in the UK or the EU.
    – Graphus
    Commented May 7, 2023 at 5:07
  • I have added an image with dimensions of the full space available. All the way to the right is the start of the stairs. We currently have a shop-bought unit, an L shaped thing for storing shoes and hanging coats that will be replaced that starts next to the consumer unit and extends to about 1300mm from the wall, and I think the Mrs will be wanting something similar - Cupboard with door and a shoe bench attached etc. The tall part will likely be full height, 800mm wide and approx 340 deep. The surrounding walls are plaster board so anchors into that at multiple points to prevent movement.
    – physicsboy
    Commented May 7, 2023 at 8:42
  • @Ashlar dimensions of the space attached. Shelves would be placed in the tall part of the unit (approx 800 wide) periodically, maybe 4 or 5 shelves, nothing too weighty on them, just cleaning products, etc.
    – physicsboy
    Commented May 7, 2023 at 8:44

1 Answer 1

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Referring to the discussion in the Comments, assuming it is legal, and therefore safe, for you to continue.....

Backless with cutouts possible?

Well a coutout, yes, absolutely.

Because of the proposed installation location, one side of the cabinet (the one that will have the cutout) is hard up against the return wall. So your side can be screwed directly to that wall, using as many fasteners as you personally feel are needed1. Once this side becomes a fixed element, most of the normal reason for having a back immediately goes away, even with the amount of space the back takes up being very modest2 a back is just not needed here.

You do need to think about how you will hang the other side of cabinet since this isn't a conventional installation. While I suppose theoretically you could use keyhole hangers I'm not sure about how fiddly this would be in practice given the other cabinet side. So I propose you use L-shaped steel brackets which are utilitarian, but strong and cheap.

They do take up some space though, figure you'll lose max 3mm from the back and side where each is located. But since they don't need to be placed anywhere in particular, and in keeping with the theme of maximising internal storage, site them where they're most unlikely to interfere with items placed on any shelf — up high, just under the cabinet top and right below one shelf.

1 Given destructive testing data (from manufacturers and from comparative testing done on YouTube channels such as Gosforth Hanyman), I would be happy to use only two, but feel free to triple that number if you need to in order to feel confident. One rarely has cause to regret going stronger on a build!

2 Since you would be using 6mm MDF if you did fit a back you'd lose at most 10mm of internal space front to back, which doesn't seem excessive. Although perhaps you're very tight for space with the proposed contents, where every millimetre counts (I think we've all been there).

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  • Cheers for going into more detail. I think you just confirmed what I'd been thinking. With regards to the box, I'll most likely do some kind of plinth base for it so it's not sat on the carpet directly, so it can be fastened to that as well as perhaps an L bracket on the top and into the back wall to stop it potentially being ragged off the wall forwards.
    – physicsboy
    Commented May 9, 2023 at 9:19

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