I am trying to place shelves on plasterboard wall the plugs just sink into the wall what am I doing wrong?
Question:I am placing the plasterboard plugs into the wall and they just sink into the hollow wall :-(! This is my first Attempt at DIY and I really want to do it successfully. Bit of background I want to put a series of shelves up to hold towels and bed Linen etc. Should I be using wall brackets and not the adjustable shelving strips? Can shelving be placed on Plasterboards walls? What the weight limit? What size hold do I drill... I am novice so it would help if you could provide as much info as possible - I do hope someone can help! Thank in advance!
Answers:
you need plasterboard fixings, these are spiral metal fixings that you can screw into and should hold as long as you don`t overload your shelves. you can pick them up from B&Q and are only a couple of quid a pack.
ps. make a small hole with a small screwdriver first so they dont wreck your plasterboard.
pps. listen to john s below, and use the studs, far more secure. The metal fixings would probably work themselves out eventually.
you need special screw fixings for plasterboard ask at your diy centre
You should be using adjustable shelving strips. You need to screw them into the studs. If you can't find the studs by knocking on the wall, you'll need a studfinder (available at DIY stores like Home Depot).
If you have any questions, email me.
I've built 2 of the 4 houses I've lived in.
rawl plugs usually show drill size on back and you will prob need plasterboard plugs which lock when inserted good luck
you can do as above or better still as you are holding heavy weights try this:
knock on the wall yea i know sounds daft but you will notice a difference between the sound of hollow wall and wood that the plasterboard is secured to
once you notice the difference push a thin nail through the wall till you locate either side of the wooden joist should be a difference of roughly 2inches (width of the joist / noggin ) joists go up and down noggins are in between going across
locating these shouldnt take too long or be too messy as long as you are carefull.
then the work can begin
the timber is MUCH stronger than the plasterboard and can hold quite a lot of weight no plasterboard plugs are needed
just use a pilot drill(small drill bit) to go through the plasterboard and screw straight into the wood for fixings
i would suggest using adjustable shelving strips as i can asume they are the slotted variety that you put the brackets into?? and just fasten these to the joists making sure you line the bracket points up between the joists so the shelves are straight!!
good luck
any probs contact us.
f.
To do this on drywall where there is no stud present or backing in the wall, simply use lead drywall anchors, the kind that screw in with a spax screw. The man at the hardware store will know what this means. If there is a stud or backing present, just use the spax screw alone. Be careful to NOT try to screw one of these lead anchors in where there is a stud or backing, because it will damage the drywall. If you are not sure about if there is a stud where you wand to put an anchor, try a spax screw there first.
Have a look at this link. just the picture.
http://www.acefixings.com/products/id/43...
DIY stores sell these fixings. Be aware that you MUST get the board thickness correct, or it will not grip. The comments under the picture ...
"Hole diameter 7 mm Wall / board size 3 - 13 mm Max. fixture thickness with screws supplied 20 mm "
give you the answers.
The size of hole is on the packet, for a plasterboard wall you will not need to use hammer, or a masonary drill.
I have used these fixings on 'lathe & plaster' in 17th century cottage.. they worked.
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