Cadovius Wall Unit - Buying Guide  

ahhhh! so I was the...
ahhhh! so I was the successful bidder for this unit.
Hopefully it will look good. It weighs 100kg apparently. Can that be right? Seems awfully heavy.
See link below.
http://picasaweb.google.com/berdstromberg/CadoviusRegalwand?pli=1&gsessi...

It has five sections, 4...
It has five sections, 4 cabinets, a magazine rack and also a fold out table. It's huge. Hard to tell from the pictures I know.

royal system
So the royal system came in teak only and is coloured accoding to the age with the younger systems being more orange in colour than the older slightly darker.
Weigth can quickly get up to 100kg as you have 4 cabinets each weighing around 15kg add to that all the shelves and bits.
The only system that came from CADO in other woods is the CADO system with differnet fixtures than yours.
That system came in (order of popularity)
Brazilian roseood and later indonesian rosewood
Teak
Light oak
Walnut
I trust this helps
Regards
Simon

installing cadovius
Hi Simon,
Thanks very much -- very helpful indeed!
So I guess it is one of the older ones.
One last question if I may. GIven it is so heavy, how can the wood battens be securely installed in drywall? Do you think 5 or 6 cm screws with plastic anchors will be enough to hold all that weight or is something else needed?
Thank you again!

you need to
find the bearing structure of the studd wall and screw into them if possible.
Alternative would be to get some very strong fixtures in metal rather than plastic.
Speak to your local hardware store or handyman for tips as the last thing you want is to be woken by the sytem pulling out opf the wall.
that said they are designed to carry excellent weight.
When CADO was first installed (1964-65) in Heal's London the team from denmark who installed it asked the staff to watch and when completely installed a Danish joiner climbed up the shelves!!

Drywall fastener data
I found the linked website helpful for data on using fasteners in drywall.
Many people will vehemently insist that one should never mount anything into drywall except for perhaps wall art. But the fact is that drywall can support some weighty loads so long as it is done correctly. With that said, if you *can* use studs, do!
http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/drywallfastenerstrengths.htm

.
Extremely heavy as you will soon find out.
A smart system and well built.
The wall standards that you attach to the wall have pre-drilled
holes for your anchors. Each standard will have multiple anchors.
Shear strength refers to the vertical load. Not tension load.
Just take a pick of a similar unit with you when you go anchor
shopping. Do a google image search to study various
configurations. Helps to see what other have done.
Your unit is not compatible with the other Royal systems.
I have this one with the different brackets. Also Royal.
In walnut. I have also seen them in Mahogany and oak.
The legs to your table are oak i think. Nice unit and swell to have
the table if it is useful for you.
http://www.google.com/search?q=cado+wall+unit&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en...

.
Note the variation in wood tone in the brackets.
Different units will have variation in tonality just because of
aging of patina over time, exposure to sunlight, etc.
Both bracket styles are desirable but i believe the wood bracket
units bring a bit more money if you really care. I like them
both. And a bit easier to locate extra cabinet and shelves.
If you are missing any hardware you can find it here.
Very nice people. Got back to my question within hours.
In the DA radar...
http://www.designaddict.com/design_radar/index.cfm/fuseaction/design_rad...

Rockland,
are the units sized so that some or all of the brackets will coincide with studs @ 16" o.c. ? I can't imagine wanting to hang this kind of thing just from sheetrock -- no matter the fasteners ! Am I nuts ? There is shear (down force) + withdrawal (overturning, away from the wall) imposed on the brackets . . .

.
Yes, designed to hit studs at 32".
I do have one of my three units on sheetrock.
I don't recommend it, but i know how to make it safe.
Very nice fasteners available now. Don't do it. Use a secure
stud. What i really meant above is a proper fastener is needed
in any situation including a stud attachment.
Considering cantilevered load beyond just the cabinet or shelf.
Weight of objects planned to be placed on and in.
One problem i often see is the standards not reaching the
bottom of the very heavy cabinets. Not the best example,
but i have noticed some cabinets hanging lower on the standard
resulting in failure of the hardware on the cabinet itself.
Ripping out of the cabinet itself as it cantilevers forward.
Rather than start over, i just recommend adding a same thickness
padding strip stained to match.
http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/drywallfastenerstrengths.htm

Thanks all for the...
Thanks all for the responses.
The unit has finally arrived from Germany, E. Coli free, and I'm psyched to put it up!
I first had assumed my wall was drywall, but I think it is actually plaster (it doesn't seem hollow, and is a turn of the century flat in Holland). I will try to find the studs but what if they dont match up exactly to the spacing between the battens?
In that case, I assume I'd have to use some kind of metal anchor, like a molly bolt?
Finally I had one other question for Rockland. You wrote,
"one problem i often see is the standards not reaching the
bottom of the very heavy cabinets," resulting in failure of the hardware on the cabinet itself."
I didn't understand what you meant by the "standards" and how to avoid this problem? Where would you add the "padded strip" you recommended?
Many thanks!

standards defined
The standards are the long pieces of wood attached to the wall vertically, which all the cabinets and shelves are hung from?i hope this helps?