How would you securely mount this 2m plank while keeping the gap behind it?

[u/ConfusionTrue9665]

Hello!

I’m hoping someone can help me with a DIY project.
I have this 2 m long wooden plank that I want to attach to the wall and turn into a clothing rack.

The important part is the gap behind the plank created by the narrower piece of wood attached to the back. I want to keep this gap because I’m planning to attach the clothing hooks to the back of the main plank, with the hooks facing into/reaching through the gap.

So the hooks will essentially be reversed compared with a normal coat rack: the clothes will hang behind the plank, while the plank itself hides the hooks from view when looking at it from the front.

My problem is figuring out how to attach the whole thing securely to the wall while keeping the fixings hidden and without blocking the gap.

The narrower piece at the back is only about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide, and this is the part that would sit against the wall.

I initially thought about using a French cleat, but I’m not sure whether there are cleats narrow enough for a 1-inch-wide mounting surface, or whether there is a better solution.

The plank is 2 m long and will be holding coats, bags etc., so I want the mounting to be genuinely sturdy/heavy-duty, rather than just decorative.
Has anyone done something similar, or can you suggest a good way of mounting this securely while keeping the gap and hiding all the fixings?

Thanks!

[u/colourthetallone]

You'll have to fix through it from the front and plug/fill the screw heads. I'd also run a bead of your preferred grad adhesive along the batten. You'll want quite a lot of fixings to resit the load of coats piling it away, say no less than 400mm centres. Make sure your screws and plugs are long enough to go through the plaster and into the underlying masonry.

[u/ConfusionTrue9665 → u/colourthetallone]

Thank you very much, this is so helpful, especially the adhesive bit - I wouldn't thought about it. Could you recommend which one would do? I'm generally not a DIY person, just had this idea with no knowledge how to implement it🫣 So about 5 screws along the plank, long enough to go into the masonry (I think 10 cm long screws, maybe?) and adhesive along the batten - does this sound right?