A french cleat is a batten with a bevelled, or angle-sawn, edge onto which a second, oppositely bevelled batten fits; interlocking the two bevels creates a strong, concealed hanging joint.
Characteristics
The system is a pair of matching battens, each cut with a sloping edge, usually at around 45 degrees.
- One batten is fixed to the wall, bevel facing up and back toward the wall.
- The other is fixed to the item to be hung, with its bevel facing down and inward.
- Lowered into place, the two bevels slide together and lock.
The genius of the joint is that gravity does the holding: the weight of the hung item pulls the two sloping faces tightly together and draws the object back against the wall. Because both battens are hidden behind the item, the fixing is completely concealed.
Application
French cleats are widely used to hang cabinets, panels and wall-mounted furniture, both in the home and in the workshop. They make heavy items easy to lift on and off, which is useful for tool storage walls where boards and holders are rearranged often. Because the load is spread along the length of the cleat rather than concentrated on a few screws, the connection is both strong and secure.
Related terms
- Cleat
- Wall mounting
- Bracket
- Batten
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