Fit a fold-down breakfast bar to a metal stud wall — HomeGraft

Fit a fold-down breakfast bar securely to a metal stud wall, with fixings and steps for other wall types too.

BB-01Plan the job and check what your wall is made ofA fold-down breakfast bar pulls away from the wall every time you lower it, so it needs a stronger fixing than a static shelf. Tap the wall for a hollow sound over studs, run a magnet or stud detector along a vertical line, and look for a line of screw or nail heads. Drill a 3mm pilot hole in an inconspicuous spot: fine pale dust means a timber stud, grey dust with a hard solid feel means brick or block, and bright metallic swarf means a metal stud.

1 each · Stud and cable detector

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1 each · 3mm drill bit

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BB-02Find your stopcock and check for cables and pipes before drillingBefore you drill anywhere, find your stopcock - usually under the kitchen sink - and check it turns freely, so you can shut off the water fast if you hit a pipe. Run a detector along every line you plan to drill, but don't trust it completely: detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed plasterboard, or outside the normal safe zones, and a metal stud frame confuses cheap detectors even more. If you have any doubt, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before you drill, and be ready to turn off the water at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry a pipe.

BB-03Choose the right fixing for your wall typeThe fixing you need depends entirely on what's behind the wall covering, and a fold-down bar's pulling action makes this more important than for a static shelf. Into solid brick or block, use a 10mm masonry plug with a screw or coach screw driven at least 50mm into the masonry. Into plasterboard on timber studs, screw straight into the centre of a stud with a wood screw at least 50mm long, adding a noggin if the fixing falls between studs. Into plasterboard on metal studs, a plain screw or plastic plug strips straight through 0.5mm steel, so you need a plywood pattress screwed into the studs with self-drilling metal stud screws - ordinary hollow-wall toggles will pull out over time under a fold-down load. Into dot-and-dab plasterboard, use a fixing long enough to pass through the dab and the 25-40mm air gap and reach the masonry behind, usually 75-90mm total. Into lath and plaster, fix into the timber stud or joist behind the laths, never into the plaster alone, as fixings pull the brittle laths away from the wall.

6 each · 10mm masonry plugs

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4 each · Coach screws 75mm

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6 each · Wood screws 50mm

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BB-04Mark out the bar height and bracket positionsDecide the height that suits how you'll use the bar - a common seated height is 900-1000mm from the floor to the top of the folded-down bar. Hold the bracket or bar frame against the wall and mark the fixing hole centres with a pencil, then check they're level with a spirit level before marking the exact drill points.

1 each · Spirit level 600mm

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1 each · Tape measure

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BB-05Fit a plywood pattress across the metal studsThis is the key step for a metal stud wall: cut a piece of 18mm plywood at least 300mm wide and long enough to span three studs, since metal studs are usually spaced 300mm or 600mm apart. Hold it against the wall over your marked bracket positions and fix it to each stud with self-drilling metal stud screws, at least two per stud. This spreads the load across the frame so the bracket has a solid base to bite into, rather than relying on the plasterboard alone. Skip this step entirely if your wall is brick, block, or timber stud with a noggin already in place - go straight to fitting the brackets.

1 each · 18mm plywood offcut 300x600mm

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8 each · Self-drilling metal stud screws 25mm

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1 each · Cordless drill/driver

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BB-06Drill and fit the wall bracketsDrill at your marked points using the correct bit for your fixing: an 8mm masonry bit for brick or block plugs, or a pilot bit matching your screw for timber studs or the plywood pattress. For masonry, drill 5mm deeper than the plug length and blow out the dust before inserting the plug. Fit the brackets with the appropriate screws or coach screws, tightening evenly so each bracket sits flat and doesn't twist against the wall.

1 each · 8mm masonry drill bit

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1 set · HSS drill bit set

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BB-07Attach the breakfast bar to the bracketsLift the bar into place - get someone to help if it's heavy or awkward - and locate the hinge or bracket arms onto the fixed brackets, following the kit's instructions. Fit the retaining screws or pins that lock the bar to the bracket, then check every fixing is tight before letting go.

1 kit · Fold-down breakfast bar bracket kit

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1 each · Screwdriver

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BB-08Check the fold-down action and adjustFold the bar down and back up a few times to check it moves smoothly and any support leg or brace deploys correctly. Check the bar is level when folded down using a spirit level, and adjust the support leg or add packing shims if it rocks.

2 each · Packing shims

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BB-09Tidy up and do a final safety checkVacuum up drilling dust and offcuts, and wipe down the wall and worktop. Give the folded-down bar a firm push test with everyday weight before loading it properly, and re-tighten any fixings that have loosened during testing.

1 each · Vacuum cleaner

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1 each · Cleaning cloth

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