Help with ID of screws in kitchen cabinets

[Denray]

I made all the cabinets for my house way before I became an HI or even knew Jack. All hung with drywall screws. I could stand on them and they didn't move. If they are sucked up tight then there is a lot of friction to overcome to get the shear going. They're still there, 20 years later.

[Les]

I have done a fair amount of work on fastener issues and have learned that the term "drywall" screw is quite vague. in fact my work has found most screws described as drywall screws are not, especially when used for something different than fastening gypsum board.

Fastening cabinets with a general purpose course thread brittle screw is not going to win you a prize. I have seen cabinets fastened with course thread black screws pulling away from wall. I suppose I have seen thousands of cabinets fastened that way that are still doing just fine 'tho.

I write it when I know it.

Denny, you built your cabinets and likely they are well built and fastened according to the framework.

[kurt]

I agree with Denny. There's lots of forces working to keep well installed cabinets in place, not the least of which is friction.

Nicely installed cabinets stay there forever, even with nails. I still see old site built cabinets fastened with nails doing fine after 60+ years. I'm not advocating for nails, but there's more to installing cabinets than the fastener. A lot more.

Poorly installed cabinets fall down. Excuse me...they depart from the wall. Doesn't matter what the fastener is.

The key is focusing on retardation of the departure. Restricting exodus of the cabinet from the bulwark. Taking action to avoid plummeting from the partition. Making sure there's no disengagement from the vertical supporting panel.

That sort of thing....

[gtblum]

I agree with Denny. There's lots of forces working to keep well installed cabinets in place, not the least of which is friction.

Nicely installed cabinets stay there forever, even with nails. I still see old site built cabinets fastened with nails doing fine after 60+ years. I'm not advocating for nails, but there's more to installing cabinets than the fastener. A lot more.

Poorly installed cabinets fall down. Excuse me...they depart from the wall. Doesn't matter what the fastener is.

The key is focusing on retardation of the departure. Restricting exodus of the cabinet from the bulwark. Taking action to avoid plummeting from the partition. Making sure there's no disengagement from the vertical supporting panel.

That sort of thing....

I agree with that, too.

Once you have a bank of lightweight residential uppers locked together as one unit and secured in place, you should be in pretty good shape.

Commercial grade cabinets and school teachers are a completely different ball game.