Help me build a new desk

[agnes]

Right, first off, here is the layout of my room where I want the desk:

The desk has a 50" plasma on it, what I want to do, is rid of that desk, and buy a 'worktop' that will span from wall to wall. Note though, that little box in the right corner, it has our gas meter in it, so I cant simply have a work surface with 4 corner legs... But in order to squeeze my 24" monitor by the side of my plasma, I need to have a desk from wall to wall...

What are my options, I can't fix anything more than a few KG to the walls as they are plasterboard...

What sort of material should I go for for the desk and what should I make the legs out of? Due to it needing to hold in excess of 45kg's of weight.

Any help would be much appreciated!

ags

 

[Neodite]

Keep the desk. Mount the TV on the wall above the gas meter.

 

[agnes]

Keep the desk. Mount the TV on the wall above the gas meter.

Can't mount it on the wall chap, it's plasterboard...

The tv exceeds the maximum weight for the heavy duty plasterboard plugs from B&Q, already looked into this

ags

 

[utajoker]

buy a worktop.

buy a length of wood for a baton.

buy 3 legs.

fix the baton to the rear wall.

fix the 3 legs to the worktop evenly spaced.

rest the worktop on the baton and screw together.

hey presto a desk.

if you want, add a 4th leg at the rear of the desk under were the tv will be for some extra support.

 

[freak2002]

Legs on the left (of drawing) and then on the right have a leg at the front and rest it on the box at the back??

 

[GSXRMovistar]

Can't mount it on the wall chap, it's plasterboard...

The tv exceeds the maximum weight for the heavy duty plasterboard plugs from B&Q, already looked into this

ags

What is the plasterboard on, is it a timber framework?

Can you not fix a screen bracket to the timber struts?

 

[decoy]

What is the plasterboard on, is it a timber framework?

Can you not fix a screen bracket to the timber struts?

Either that or mount some wood with more fittings spreading the load out, then mount the tv bracket to that.

 

[Kiyoshi]

If it's an external wall you could fix through the plasterboard into the block work.

 

[laiman]

Any chance of some rough measurements?

Width of the room mostly but also the height.

 

[Albo]

If you wanted to mount the tv to the wall you can do it. Just get at least a couple of screws into the studs and use hollow wall anchor fixing into the plasterboard. That's how I mounted my 42". http://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nails-fixings/hollow-wall-anchors/cat840108

For the desk - batten along the back wall and sides screwed into stud or brick behind and 2-3 legs on the front. Maybe use a kitchen worktop.

 

[Clav]

I'm lazy and a poor diy'er at best. I'd get a desk that was the width of the room, preferably one that had seperate screw on legs like the IKEA ones. Then just use 3 legs and prop it up with a pile of books or something over the gas meter box.

 

[laiman]

Did a few quick sketch-ups of the baton screwed to the wall idea. The panel in the middle is just some cheap conti board/mdf for a bit of extra support and you can use several of them if you think you need to. The baton along the front edge is just to give it some more rigidity.

Baton is 28x44mm, desk is 760mm (to the underside) and 600mm deep just for your info, you may feel other sizes are more appropriate.

1

2

Edit; I removed the front and side batons for this one, but it would do no harm to leave them in place.
3

 

[rexehuk]

You could use steel box to reinforce it. I grabbed 2M 25x25x3 off the bay for £10-15.

Currently in the process of building my desk too, just waiting for cable tidy ports now .

Good luck!

 

[laiman]

Just occurred to me that you might have trouble getting the 'worktop' in because its already the full width of the room, something to consider anyway.