Fixing curtain rail onto plaster board

tfarre256

I'am very new to (bad at diy) so sorry if question is obvious, but here goes.
I'm trying to put up a new curtain rail, however the wall is plaster board which is fixed onto metal studs. I have tried various plasterboard rawl plugs but they don't hold.
I was wondering is it possible to somehow fix the rail to the outside blockwork via some kind of long screw/rawl plug and if so where would I get such a thing.

Thanks

Thomas

Borzoi

You're on the right track. Assuming there's a half inch plasterboard, with a half inch gap, then block, you'll need a 2 inch screw (the same diameter as the ones supplied with the rail though)

Drill board, and keep drilling into the block - about an inch, use a similar length rawl plug, and drive it into the hole in the block. Now use the 2" screw in the curtain rail fitting, and screw though the p'board hole into the rawl plug in the block.

Any DIY shop, though my personal favourite is B&Q, should have the necessary bits

Lex Luthor

have you tried the heavy duty rawlplugs that screw into the plasterboard and then you screw into them making the plug go in even better? I've used these straight into plasterboard (about 5-6) for a bracket to hold a portable TV and its still on the wall 7 yrs later. You can hang out of these puppies. Available in plastic or metal. For the curtain rail, the plastic ones should be efficient. You will have to drill a small (5-6mm) hole first and then just simply screw them in. Available in all the DIY stores.

RicardoSmith

I have the same problem. The quality of the plasterboard in my house (4 yrs old) is dire aswell. There should be a wooden baton behind the plasterboard for you to fix the curtain rail to. But sometimes the builder doesn't put it in. 2 out of 3 of the rails I fitted in my house I managed to find the baton. The third one I used metal plasterboard fittings I got from B&Q. The plastic ones, even the heavy duty ones, sometimes pull through our plasterboard. I was wondering was the plasterboard thinner than in older houses or maybe it got damp before it was fixed. I used to work in building and I've never seen plasterboard so soft ever before.

pipers

try togglebolts

Fabritzo

No nails glue! then just don't ever touch it

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Fabritzo
No nails glue! then just don't ever touch it

Thats not going to work with the weight of curtains

Fabritzo

Curtains, who said anything about curtains?:p



sorry about ruining your thread : /

RicardoSmith

Originally posted by Fabritzo
Curtains, who said anything about curtains?:p

True...:D

slave1

idea,

the curtain rail bit that screws to the wall is probably about 3" in diameter with feck all room for a number of fixing points so why not attach a larger piece of 1" thick wood to the wall say, 6" square or circular.
Using some no nails and say, 9 screws together should give you a reliable base to attach the curtain rain itself.
You can fill in the 9 screw holes and paint over.
If you have a router you can make a feature of the "base"

RicardoSmith

Sounds awful. The wooden base you see on curtain rails hides a metal plate. This is whats screwed to the wall. You don't need any thing bigger.

legalmillie

Hi,
We bought rawlplugs to fix into plasterboard so we can put a mirror on the wall. How do we use them? I can't tell from the directions on the back.

Do we make a hole in the wall, then insert the plastic bit and then insert the screw?

Thanks!

baza1976

legalmillie wrote: »

Hi,
We bought rawlplugs to fix into plasterboard so we can put a mirror on the wall. How do we use them? I can't tell from the directions on the back.

Do we make a hole in the wall, then insert the plastic bit and then insert the screw?

Thanks!

Hi Millie,

Do you have a picture or a link so that i can see what these ones lok like??? there are so many types.

antoinolachtnai

I would use something like this:

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/27238/Fixings/Cavity-Fixings/Fischer-Metal-50mm-Self-Drill-Pack-Of-100

you can get these in the diy store. I prefer the plastic (nylon) versions myself.

A lot obviously depends on the weight of the curtains you want to put in.

Also, a problem is often that if you've put in plugs, and they haven't 'taken', you can't really drill that part of the plasterboard again and expect it to to take a further plug.

If this is an issue, and especially if the curtains have a bit of weight in them, I would suggest fixing a thin piece of board to the parts of the wall where the curtain fixings go, and painting it. An offcut of laminate flooring is ideal, if you happen to have it around. but any piece of wood that will be capable of taking the screw of the fixing should be fine.

One possible problem with drilling and fixing into the concrete - if there is a lintel there, there may be steel in it and the concrete will be difficult.

baza1976

I've used them around the house and I have lost faith in them. I hav started using different type. will try and post a pic before night is out

baza1976

hi,

see attached link http://www.plasplugs.com/fixings_hollow.html

Cavity Anchor Plasterboard Hollow Wall Fixing is the one i used aftr trying other mentioned here. These are true heavy duty. I use one for each bracket holding curtain pole.
These can be got most genuine hardware stores.

irelandhouse

there a product :

http://www.expandet.com/

I have nothing to do with this company. however I have sued them in the house to hang two quiet heavy curtain poles that are used everyday and they are excellent. all in norm 12.5mm plasterboard.