Microwave Crashing Down

I would not have thought a microwave (or anything heavy like that) would be attached to wood with screws. That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. I just assumed anything that was screw in like that (cabinets, TV's, appliances) would be screwed into the aluminum or steel frame. I know I took out my over head big heavy TV and there was nothing in there attached to wood. It was all attached to steel frame members.

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a thick sheet of sheet metal that will fit the area above the microwave (something about 30" x 10". Glue and screw it many times to the roof. Then replace your original piece of angle iron, screw it 4-5 times through the sheet metal. The sheet metal gives you a larger area to attach to and is used with thin walls.

You will want to install something like the MOLY bolts or the WING BOLTS type anchors...

These fit through a small hole and opens up behind the plyboard. Of course your install will be the most pull down weight you can have being mounted to the ceiling. If the mounts were through the vertical wall it the weight distribution is greatly reduced.

I too think you may need to determine if the plyboard is water damaged first.

If you could install anchors both in the ceiling as well on the back wall would help out big time.

These are photos of the MOLY and SPRING WING NUT anchors available from LOWES...



The WING SPRING NUT will probably hold up more weight due to the large WING spring nut size behind the plyboard and large washers on the front side. The problem with the spring-nut is it is a one time use assy. If you remove the screw the spring nut will drop behind the wall.

The MOLY bolt can be used over and over again once it is installed. You can remove the the bolt and reuse it again.


I would double up on the MOLY BOLTS if that is what you are going to use. You can see how the original anchor folded up behind the ceiling and pulled thru the hole.

If you end up removing the ceiling to repair water damage I would install a metal backing when I replaced the ceiling plyboard.

I have used the MOLY BOLTS on several vertical thin walls of the RV's hanging back boards for HDTV LCD TV installations.

These vertical wall back board installs would look like this...


Let us all know what you find...

Roy Ken

wildtoad wrote:
Looks like some water damage, rust on one end of the bracket. Have you searched for a leak?

X2 the ceiling on the far right hole from the picture looks like some water has gotten in there.

I would redrill new holes and put some new screws also to re-enforce I'd put some metal straps attached to the new screws and screw the other end of the straps towards the back wall beam. I can only say I would do but I can tell without being there and seeing it for myself.

Looks like some water damage, rust on one end of the bracket. Have you searched for a leak?