What’s included
- Dressers, chests and wardrobes
- Bookcases and open shelving
- China and display cabinets
- TVs on stands tethered
- Anti-tip kits installed, or stronger hardware supplied
- Small holes patched if pieces are moved later
What we don’t do
- Wiring hidden inside the wall for TVs or lights; we use paintable cord channels.
- New framing or load-bearing changes.
- Custom cabinetry or new built-ins.
In Alhambra homes
About 77 percent of Alhambra’s homes were built before 1980, according to a city housing report, and many older ones have plaster walls and wide baseboards. Plaster won’t hold a screw by itself and a thick baseboard pushes furniture away from the wall, so we find the studs and set the strap high where it pulls the piece snug.
Get a quote in one text
Send photos of each piece against its wall and tell us whether it came with an anti-tip kit. Our number for photos is (310) 628-9399, and the price comes back before any work is booked.
Studs, not drywall
Straps screwed only into drywall or plaster can pull out. We fasten into framing every time.
Plaster walls
We tape and drill slowly so the plaster doesn’t crack around the hole.
TVs
A TV on a stand gets a tether to the stand or the wall so it can’t be pulled forward.
Beyond furniture
Bracing the house itself for earthquakes is retrofit work for a contractor.
In older Alhambra houses this job often turns up next to childproofing, senior home safety updates, furniture assembly, TV mounting and shelf, mirror and picture hanging, so mention those when you text and we can price them together.
Sources: City of Alhambra, housing needs report (age of housing stock).
Furniture anchoring questions from Alhambra homeowners
How do you secure a bookcase to the wall?
With a bracket or strap screwed into a stud near the top of the bookcase.
Can furniture be anchored to an old plaster wall?
Yes. We drill slowly through the plaster and fasten into the studs or lath behind it.
Is anchoring furniture worth it?
Yes, for tall or top-heavy pieces in homes with kids or anyone who might pull on a drawer.
How much does furniture anchoring cost?
It depends on the pieces and the walls. Text photos for a free estimate.
Related guide: Furniture anchoring tips from our guide to anchoring furniture.
Repair guides for this job
- Hanging heavy mirrors and art on plaster-and-lath wallsHow to hang mirrors, art and shelves on the plaster-and-lath walls in Alhambra's older homes without cracking them, plus the hardware we use.
- Mounting a TV over a Spanish Revival fireplaceWhat to check before mounting a TV over the plaster or tile fireplace in an older Alhambra home: wall structure, heat, viewing height and wire routing.
- Keeping tall furniture and TVs in place when the ground shakesHow to secure tall furniture, TVs and wall hangings in an older Alhambra home so they stay put in an earthquake, including tips for plaster walls.
- Getting new furniture built and settled in an older houseBefore flat-pack furniture arrives at an older Alhambra house: measuring doors and arches, tall pieces under coved ceilings, sloped floors and anchoring.
Looking for a handyman in Alhambra for more than one job? Send the whole list and we’ll price it together.
We serve Alhambra first, plus Monterey Park, San Gabriel and other nearby cities. Have a question? See the handyman FAQ.
