Which wall fixing

It has a spring-operated toggle bar which folds flat so you can insert it, and which then opens inside the cavity. As you tighten the screw, the bar is pulled tight against wall.

The toggle will be lost in the cavity if you take the screw out. This has a coarse thread designed to cut through plasterboard, which makes it ideal for using with screws and hanging a range of household items. This has a coarse thread on the outside, and a sharp point that cuts its own hole in plasterboard. This gives it a secure hold in the wall. Expanding masonry bolt This is an extremely strong fixing for attaching heavy items like fence posts to masonry walls.

Frame fixings These long plastic or metal fittings are ideal for attaching wood, metal or plastic window and door frames to your wall. Chipboard fastener This nylon plug has a thread on the outside which grips the board to make a secure fixing for woodscrews - so anything secured to the wall won't fall down. Tee nut The projecting prongs of this metal nut grip into the wood. Screw socket This is a threaded metal plug into which a screw is fitted.

Cross dowel A cross dowel consists of steel dowel with a hole drilled through it, and a screw which fits through the dowel. Block joints These fittings are plastic blocks that come in two sections. Metal anchor This has metal segments that open out in the hollow wall. Plastic anchor This includes a plastic anchor with segments that open out when it's in the hollow wall.

Nylon petal plug anchor This has nylon wings that open out like petals to grip the back of the plasterboard.

The Corefix has a steel core that is inserted into the wall plug which supports the screw:. If you understand how, and particularly, why you are fixing to a different type of wall you are more likely to make the right choice of fixing. We have covered all the common types of wall that you might find, from solid masonry to internal partition stud walls, be they plasterboard or lath and plaster.

Getting a good solid fixing on internal walls can be a real challenge, but with the right technique and using the right fixings you should not have too much trouble.

All project content written and produced by Mike Edwards , founder of DIY Doctor and industry expert in building technology. Find a tradesman now! We love feedback on our DIY tutorials it helps us to make them the best they possibly can be so if you have any comments you would like to share with us, click the button below and let us know.

Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Skip to footer Main navigation. Search this website. Blog DIY Competitions. Twitter Facebook Pin It Buffer. Project Page Menu. Different Types of Internal Wall to Fix to There is only a relatively limited range of walls that you are likely to have to fix to, and we have a whole section on walls for more details on these.

The type of walls below the plaster that you are likely to have to make a fix to include the following: Masonry walls Lath and plaster walls Stud walls Dot and Dab walls sometimes called Drylined There are different techniques for fixing to each type and we will explain them in detail.

Fixing to an Internal Masonry and Plaster Wall This is where there is a stone, brick or other type of masonry wall directly under the plaster. There are a few things to watch out for: The Mortar Joints — These are weak points where the fixing and plug are likely to work loose. Ideally you should avoid these where possible, however sometimes you are forced to making a fixing here; care should be taken not to enlarge the fixing hole in the soft material too much Fixing to an internal masonry wall using masonry or wall plugs and screws Blocks With Variable Hardness — Some blocks, stone and brick walls have variations in hardness or harder materials with in them.

This is not a problem to fix to, however this can mean that it is hard to drill where you want to. The harder part can knock the drill bit off line so you end up with the hole out of line. If necessary fix a wooden batten to the wall, and then fix to this as it will be much easier to line up the holes for fixing your bracket, or whatever you are attaching to your wall Using a wooden batten fixed to the internal wall to fix to Soft Blocks — There are lightweight blocks that are very soft.

They are used as they are easier to build with and offer better insulation thermalite is a common name. The downside is that they are soft and can crumble when a traditional wall or masonry plug is used. There are special fixings that can be used for these types of block, and we cover this in much more detail in our project on fixing to lightweight and thermalite blocks Fixing to Lath and Plaster Walls Lath and plaster wall where used before plaster board was invented.

Fixing through a lath and plaster wall into the wooden studs Finding the studs is probably the hardest part of this process, however care should be take not to crack the plaster that is squeezed through the laths as it can easily fall off. Fixing to Plasterboard or Stud Internal Walls Stud walls or internal partition walls are wall that at made of timber and do not carry the weight of any structure above them.

Fix to the wooden stud behind the plasterboard How to Fix to a Dot and Dab or Drylined Wall The final type of wall that will commonly be found is what is called Dot and Dab something referred to as drylining too, which we feel has a broader definition. The reason it is so difficult to fix to Dot and Dab walls The screw, even it is gets a firm fix into the wall, is unsupported from the wall as the plasterboard is too weak to offer any real support. There are only really two solutions to this: Fix to Battens Behind where you need to fix, you can cut away the plasterboard and fix a wooden batten to the blocks of the wall, ideally with screws and an adhesive.

Fixing to a dot and dab wall using wooden battens — method 1, fixing through bracket into the wall Fixing to a dot and dab wall using wooden battens — method 2, fixing batten to wall and then fixing into the batten You should try to ensure that the area cut away is smaller than the surface of the item you a fixing to it, or it will be able to be seen.

Specialist Dot and Dab Fixings There are specialist fixings that are designed for dot and dab walls. The Corefix has a steel core that is inserted into the wall plug which supports the screw: Using a Corefix fixing to fix into a dot and dab wall If you understand how, and particularly, why you are fixing to a different type of wall you are more likely to make the right choice of fixing.

Back to the Top. Find a Reliable Local Tradesman. Our examples pulled out in the range 5kg to 15kg. The very best stud wall fixing will be stronger than the plasterboard which then becomes the limiting factor. This hollow wall anchor failed at 30kg when the plasterboard ruptured. Some of the walls in older properties will be hollow internal non load bearing walls.

These are probably made of lath and plaster. Lath and plaster walls were made by nailing thin horizontal strips of wood to both sides of strong vertical timbers. These walls can be tricky to fix to unless its possible to find the strong uprights in which case a conventional woodscrew will work well. You may get away with using a spring toggle type of fixing or any one of the many fixings designed to open out behind plasterboard on the hollow bits of wall.

Do not be tempted to overload such attachments or the whole lathe and plaster structure might disintegrate. Houses built between the wars will probably have a cavity between two layers of brick for the main wall. The inner brick wall was then plastered. Use rawl plugs to fix to this type of wall. Get DrylinePro delivered to your door Order. Email us. Dryline Pro Limited is a company registered in England and Wales. Wall Types and Fixings There are many types of wall found in houses and choosing the correct fixing is vital if you want to safely hang something on it.

Dry Lined Walls Dry Lined Walls Present The load bearing walls of most houses built in the UK within the last twenty or so years have been built using a construction method known as dry lining or more commonly called, 'dot and dab' in the trade. View Details. Block Work, Plastering and Stud Walls The post World War 2 housing boom produced a revolution in the construction industry with the widespread use of both concrete block and the advent of plasterboard.

Hollow Wall Anchor The hollow wall anchor requires a 9 mm hole, and is quite easy to use. Spring Toggle Fixing The spring toggle requires a 14mm hole, and is not particularly easy to use fixture needs to be attached prior to fitting the toggle through the hole.

Self Drive Plug The metal self drive plug screws into the plasterboard rather than fitting through a hole and holding on the back face. Plasterboard Rupture The very best stud wall fixing will be stronger than the plasterboard which then becomes the limiting factor.