Plasterboard fixings

BlazingSaddler

Hi all. Sorry about the basic diy knowledge that I possess! I am trying to put up an Ikea floating shelf onto a plasterboard wall. I am using standard Plasterboard hollow wall fixings (plasplugs), the plug is supplied as is the no.8 screw, it tells me to use a 7mm drill which I have. The trouble is I cannot get the screw to tighten! What am I doing wrong? Thanks

Davy

The supplied plugs and screws are for a solid wall, which you don't have. You would need to find the timber uprights and fix to that. Depending on the design of the shelf it may not hold much weight.

BlazingSaddler

Davy wrote: »

The supplied plugs and screws are for a solid wall, which you don't have. You would need to find the timber uprights and fix to that. Depending on the design of the shelf it may not hold much weight.

The supplied plugs are for hollow walls

jake is right

You need to get fixings specifically for hollow walls, such as "butterfly bolts".

BlazingSaddler

jake is right wrote: »

You need to get fixings specifically for hollow walls, such as "butterfly bolts".

Thank you but these are specifically for hollow walls!, bought from woodies you get the screws and plugs in the same pack 'standard hollow wall plasterboard fixings'

Bruthal

mattb74 wrote: »

Thank you but these are specifically for hollow walls!, bought from woodies you get the screws and plugs in the same pack 'standard hollow wall plasterboard fixings'

Them plugs are not great for plasterboard walls. If it said use a 7mm bit, then its likely they were intended for a solid wall as others said. Plasterbard walls need a hole such that plugs will be tight in the hole before the screw goes near it.

For shelfs, the butterfly bolts suggested, or plasterboard fixing bolts where the part they screw into spreads out behind the plasterboard, is whats needed.

harry21

mattb74 wrote: »

Thank you but these are specifically for hollow walls!, bought from woodies you get the screws and plugs in the same pack 'standard hollow wall plasterboard fixings'

Does it matter? they don't work. Whats going on the shelf. You may need to find te stud.

If the load is not too heavy you could use worms. There pretty good for light loads.

Prenderb

Is the plug turning aswell when you turn the screw in it? If so I'd suggest that the hole you've made is too big.

Does the screw pass through a plate, or

If you can't even get the screw into the rawlplug, then pictures might help us?

Al Capwned

Perhaps somethig like this



or this

Bruthal

alproctor wrote: »

Perhaps somethig like this


or this

Yea the second one is the type I was talking about a couple of posts ago. They work well.

Many who use a drill on plaster lined walls, or even bore the whole with a screwdriver use too much pressure, and burst half the depth of the plaster away at the back of the slab which is not seen from the room side. This leaves very little for plugs to grip.

DublinDilbert

Them floating shelves, due to their very nature, put large stresses on what ever anchors fix them to the wall. Its basically the law of the leaver, wanting to pull the fittings out.

Plaster board is just cardboard + chalk, so won't take much stress at all.

If there's wooden/metal studs in the wall, find these and a nice long screw into them. You might not be able to place the shelves exactly where you want them. If there's brick concrete behind the plaster board, drill a nice deep hole and use a frame fixing.

Bruthal

Yea floating shelves will pull fixings out of a slab fairly easily alright.