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Weight capacity at long lengths of T1DBLINDCORNER*V2 and W2D
Good morning,
I am building out a plan with your cabinets and have a couple questions.
- T1DBLINDCORNERRIGHTV2 and T1DBLINDCORNERLEFTV2: I am dealing with a small kitchen that needs a ton of storage space. I am considering doing these 49″ L x 26″ D x 72″ H. My concern is the ability for the shelf to hold a substantial amount of weight for a 49″ span. What is the weight capacity for the shelf at that length? Is it possible to reinforce the shelf vertically at that length? Think about storing heavy cans and flour and stuff.
- T1DBLINDCORNERRIGHTV2 and T1DBLINDCORNERLEFTV2: One more question about these. Just so I am clear, the entire span of the shelf is usable, correct? I want to be able to use the entire 49″ shelf space, even if I have to reach pretty far back to do so. I ask because the specs on the website show that it is, but the model in Chief Architect shows that the shelf is cut off at the blind length.
- W2D:Similar question to the above, but for these. I would need to purchase two of these at 49″ L x 26″ D x 46″ H. My concern is the ability for the shelf to hold a substantial amount of weight for a 49″ span. What is the weight capacity for the shelf at that length? Is it possible to reinforce the shelf vertically at that length? Think about storing heavy cans and flour and stuff.
I am working within some pretty significant restrictions, which is why I’m considering this.
TIA!
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5 Replies
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1. A 49-inch shelf is fairly wide, but the shelves are 3/4-inch-thick plywood and, at a 26-inch depth, they should still be solid and sturdy. I do not have one available to test, but there are several ways to reinforce the shelves if they begin to sag over time.
The City plywood is extremely dense. The shelves would not be at any realistic risk of breaking unless you were storing something exceptionally heavy, but some gradual sagging could still occur.
Here are a few reinforcement options:
First, you could add a support block to the back of the blank panel at the front of the shelf. The blank panel is also made from 3/4-inch plywood, so a removable wood block could provide support exactly where it is needed. The screws would be installed from the inside and near the corners, so this would not affect the appearance of the cabinet face.
Another option is to install a shelf stiffener along the front edge of the 3/4-inch plywood shelf. This is fairly straightforward, although you may need to reduce the shelf depth slightly to allow the stiffener to fit. A web search for “shelf stiffener” will show several available options.
You could also double the shelf thickness. This would require adding extra shelves through a custom order note, so there would be an additional charge. I do not particularly recommend this option, though, because installing doubled shelves can be awkward and makes adjusting the shelf height more difficult.
Lastly, you could simply flip the shelves periodically to help counteract any gradual sagging.
2. Yes, our tall blind cabinets provide full access to the interior. Please see the wireframe image for reference. Chief Architect has some limitations when accurately displaying the internal cabinet construction.
3. A W2D cannot be ordered at 49 inches wide because the cabinet back would exceed 48 inches, which is the maximum width we can cut from the plywood sheets used for the cabinet cases.
You would need to use two separate W1D cabinets installed side by side instead. This would also eliminate the concern about adjustable shelf sag, so it may be the better solution overall.
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Thank you @Chad, I appreciate the thorough response.
Can you tell me more about the structural integrity of T1DBLINDCORNERRIGHTV2 and T1DBLINDCORNERLEFTV2 cabinets? Due to some significant sizing restraints in our kitchen, I am going to use a T1DBLINDCORNERRIGHTV2 and T1DBLINDCORNERLEFTV2 as a base for a pantry wall. I know they are 3/4 plywood, quality materials, Barker/City quality, etc. Even so, 49″ in length is a __really__ long span, even for a beefy and well built cabinet like this. Because these are the base of the wall, it will be used for all the heavy cans, flour bags, etc, while also supporting the weight of the entire pantry wall structure.
I worry that even for well built cabinets like this, this is pushing it too far. I would feel better if I could request the T1DBLINDCORNERRIGHTV2 and T1DBLINDCORNERLEFTV2 in smaller widths, but I’m dealing with two 26″ blind corners in a tight space. Going smaller means the doors get small really quickly.
In short, even though both T1DBLINDCORNERRIGHTV2 and T1DBLINDCORNERLEFTV2 are built extremely well, I still worry that I’m pushing them farther than what they can take.
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A 49″ total width is very wide. That is maxed out for a single door tall pantry cabinet, and the shelves can sag over time, as mentioned before.
If it were me, I would break this up into smaller-width cabinets as much as possible. This usually makes installation much easier, since installing massive cabinets in a small area can be extremely frustrating.
Using smaller-width cabinets, then stacking smaller cabinets on top, may cost a bit more in material, but everything will install faster and be more rigid overall.
This gets more into a closet-style design, where you break things up on a per-cabinet, per-use basis. Each cabinet is smaller in total width, but has a more dedicated purpose for storage.
Yes, 3/4″ plywood is strong, but heavy bags on 49″ wide shelves will almost certainly sag over time unless steps are taken to make the shelves stiffer. Ordering smaller cabinet widths is the safest option.
