Need a better solution for mounting stuff on plasterboard walls

youcancallmeal

I moved into a new house a few years ago and mounted various things to the plasertboard walls. I'm finding in the last year most of it has fallen out so I'm looking for a better long term solution. In pic below you can see I've used this fixing, more than once . It's same with a towel holder that required two fixings in the shower room. Did I buy the wrong fixing perhaps? I initially tried with a nylon fixing and I found the threads didn't catch properly on the wall so I got the metal ones instead.

Four Phucs Ache

I'm useless with pics but look ups " gripit" plasterboard fixings, brilliant for heavy items or handled items to plasterboard.

listermint

They're an abysmal fitting for anything remotely heavy. There are many other fittings available see gripit above . But there's lots of threads here if you search plasterboard fixing. Lots of reviews on YouTube of different fittings too

addaword

Screw in to the wood support pieces instead inside in the wall, they may be something like 40cm apart.?

rob316

Heard good things about gripit but if you can anyway possible attach to the joists.

Daveq

I haven't tried them yet, but I got these a few weeks ago to hold a TV wall bracket where I don't have a stud available. But I've heard they're good.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Toggler-25029-SnapToggler-Anchor-Silver/dp/B01MRB737D/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp?_encoding=UTF8&dchild=1&pd_rd_i=B01MRB737D&pd_rd_r=14a0dda7-1fd3-40fe-8fdc-0c18f5fb3489&pd_rd_w=mgSja&pd_rd_wg=o941G&pf_rd_p=af4cd232-4fe0-4957-898c-6e1167682d5d&pf_rd_r=8GDJMHQG66BQ5YDNAJ4K&psc=1&qid=1589481944&sr=1-1-718396de-69ac-46a0-9195-9669ab0086b2&srs=2553765031

grogi

FIscher duopower and look no more.

Doctors room ghost

The red rawl plug is the lad to use. The 6mm one is a topper

Calahonda52

express nails into the concrete, hammered flush to face of the PB and a rawplug in the express nail
anything else for heavy loads is complete....ox

youcancallmeal

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll give those gripit lads a go. Unfortunately the stuff I have in the walls is not near any joists otherwise that's what I would have done. To be fair the fixings I used initially did work for a couple of years but they just didn't handle little bits of pressure and movement on a regular basis and eventually failed

colm_mcm

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

The red rawl plug is the lad to use. The 6mm one is a topper

Into plasterboard?

Wildly Boaring

Invest in a stud finder
As above try and get anything remotely heavy into a timber

The Gripits are very good

I use the red rawlplug "uno" for a lot of stuff
https://www.topline.ie/tools-hardware/nails-screws-fixings/fixings/plugs/rawlplug/uno/red-plug-96-pack

If it's heavy and plenty big I go all out - toggle spring - rough enough
https://ie.farnell.com/duratool/tog650/spring-toggle-6-x-50mm/dp/2444298?gclid=Cj0KCQjw2PP1BRCiARIsAEqv-pSED28fXmGuUfmVjwq_HulrrRTbCSBY8hFf4rUD5li1-e0YWkTAgckaAu83EALw_wcB&gross_price=true&CMP=KNC-GIE-GEN-SHOPPING-FASTENERS-

G-Man

youcancallmeal wrote: »

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll give those gripit lads a go. Unfortunately the stuff I have in the walls is not near any joists otherwise that's what I would have done. To be fair the fixings I used initially did work for a couple of years but they just didn't handle little bits of pressure and movement on a regular basis and eventually failed

Yup thats the problem, never know when they go. ... i would only put a picture up on plasterboard now. Best is to find the joists, perhaps drill new holes and bracket in what you are mounting.. IF its a solid wall somewhere behind, checkout frame fixings.

Sometimes even just 1-2 screws in the joist is enough and the others can be in pb.

MAJJ

colm_mcm wrote: »

Into plasterboard?

Was wondering too.

For heavy items in plaster board molly/anchor bolts are great. I recently hung a TV on a cantilevered arm with no issues on a plaster board wall. I'm around a while but never great at diy, trying a lot more now but after watching a few videos (Gosforth Handyman is good) I was confident using the bolts. You don't really need an anchor tool either.

These are average quality but good enough
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07J476MTV/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_9LAVEbZGM7QFY

colm_mcm

colm_mcm wrote: »

Into plasterboard?

Yep,
You make a round hole by twisting a small screwdriver into the board.
If you push hard you'll burst out the back of the board so you rotate the driver till the hole is just big enough for a red plug.
The you tap the plug in square with a a hammer till it's flush.
Use a normal 3.5/4mm screw and you get a great fixing.

The op has used a good fixing but the wrong screw. Those worms have a special screw and they are thread matched and the right length.
If you use a wood screw like the op you are basically cross threading the fitting and it'll spin busting up it's grip on the plasterboard.
You can see the screw is so longs it's poked out he end and broken the worm.

If you don't have the right screw in future.
Hold the worm with a pliars and drive the screw in BEFORE fitting the worm.
Then take it out and fit the worm ,it now has your new thread .

BohsCeltic

I found plaster board anchors the best as they spread the load better.

Ideally it would be better to fix to the stud. I had to put a tv cabinet up for my Sister and it had a wall mount for a tv.

I used some small batons to attach to the studs as the distance wasn't right to attach accurately and it worked a treat.

L1011

The fitting in the picture in the OP (the link is not loading) is suitable for a very low load, mirrors and the like. The load on towel rails is a hell of a lot higher than you think - a sharp pull against a caught towel could be 30kg or more of load.

I've used the diverging anchor fittings for similar in a previous house; and a very light TV (3kg if even, but constant rather than instantaneous load) currently with no issues.

youcancallmeal

BrownFinger wrote: »

Yep,
You make a round hole by twisting a small screwdriver into the board.
If you push hard you'll burst out the back of the board so you rotate the driver till the hole is just big enough for a red plug.
The you tap the plug in square with a a hammer till it's flush.
Use a normal 3.5/4mm screw and you get a great fixing.

The op has used a good fixing but the wrong screw. Those worms have a special screw and they are thread matched and the right length.
If you use a wood screw like the op you are basically cross threading the fitting and it'll spin busting up it's grip on the plasterboard.
You can see the screw is so longs it's poked out he end and broken the worm.

If you don't have the right screw in future.
Hold the worm with a pliars and drive the screw in BEFORE fitting the worm.
Then take it out and fit the worm ,it now has your new thread .

I get what you mean but that is actually the screw it comes with

awec

For anything really heavy I use either the spring toggles or the snap toggles. They require a 13mm hole so you may need to buy a drill bit when getting them.



For medium stuff I use these ones:



You can hang some pretty heavy stuff on plasterboard, you just need to use the right fixing. They all have different ratings.

MrMusician18

Don't waste your time with anything other than spring toggles. The plasterboard will fail before the fixing.

dok_golf

awec wrote: »

For anything really heavy I use either the spring toggles or the snap toggles. They require a 13mm hole so you may need to buy a drill bit when getting them.



For medium stuff I use these ones:



You can hang some pretty heavy stuff on plasterboard, you just need to use the right fixing. They all have different ratings.

This

okidoki987

Bear in mind that spring toggles can only be used once as it will fall into the cavity if you have to remove it but they are good for heavy loads.
Also you will need to make sure there is enough room between the plasterboard and whatever wall is behind it so the toggle can open fully.

okidoki987

Have a look here, he's got all of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIEY3E4fiDk

grogi

okidoki987 wrote: »

Have a look here, he's got all of them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIEY3E4fiDk

If we're onto youtube comparisons, this is good as well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHb-Tcvkn7M

the_syco

Would advise you find the joints, and drill into them.

chooseusername

the_syco wrote: »

Would advise you find the joints, and drill into them.

That made me laugh Syco,
until I realised it was a typo.
Or was it?

seannash

I dont understand everyone telling her to drill into joists, if the towel rail is centered on a wall an the predetermined screwholes in the towel rail are not falling on joist she cant move the whole towel rail to where the holes fall on a joist as it'll be off centre.

Some good options already suggested

unklerosco

Been using these myself for years and never once had an issue, I've a 65" Tv hung on a plasterboard wall for the past three years with them.

I've used the gripit fixing before, they're fairly fidly.. the little screw heads to adjust the wings can break easy enough. They're ok for insulated board but I ended up just going back to the fixings above as they work in insulated board also.

hesker

okidoki987 wrote: »

Bear in mind that spring toggles can only be used once as it will fall into the cavity if you have to remove it but they are good for heavy loads.

There was a version of them available a few years ago which had a light wire spring between the two ends. This allowed you to take the bolt out fully and refit it afterwards which was really handy when painting.

You could even fully remove them and reuse once or twice before the spring became deformed.

Don't seem to be available anymore, sadly.

macnug

youcancallmeal wrote: »

I moved into a new house a few years ago and mounted various things to the plasertboard walls. I'm finding in the last year most of it has fallen out so I'm looking for a better long term solution. In pic below you can see I've used this fixing, more than once . It's same with a towel holder that required two fixings in the shower room. Did I buy the wrong fixing perhaps? I initially tried with a nylon fixing and I found the threads didn't catch properly on the wall so I got the metal ones instead.

Op I used these for a lot of applications around the house when the load is low/medium or when a stud cannot be found including mirrors and tv's and after 5 years there fine. I think the screw your using, or the length of it, may be the reason there failing. I see in your picture the screw has pierced the end which suggest its is too long and from my experience with them when you do that it puts strain on the plasterboard between the thread of the fixing.

All of the other advice is very valid, just an observation on the fixing itself.

LenWoods

Four Phucs Ache wrote: »

I'm useless with pics but look ups " gripit" plasterboard fixings, brilliant for heavy items or handled items to plasterboard.

+1
I've used Grip it fixings to secure 32" Televisions and brackets to plasterboard walls upstairs in my house as shown here:
the creator of Gripit even got in contact to say thanks
Link: https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/80864-living-room-project/?do=findComment&comment=715111

also for those with insulated plasterboard fitted on a solid wall; I highly recomment using RIGFIX fixings which are steel bolts with a wall plug that goes in to the concrete wall using an allen key,
the internal cavity of the bolt is threaded which then accepts a 6mm or 8mm bolt depending on the size of RIGFIX purchased

youcancallmeal

LenWoods wrote: »

+1
I've used Grip it fixings to secure 32" Televisions and brackets to plasterboard walls upstairs in my house as shown here:
the creator of Gripit even got in contact to say thanks
Link: https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/80864-living-room-project/?do=findComment&comment=715111

also for those with insulated plasterboard fitted on a solid wall; I highly recomment using RIGFIX fixings which are steel bolts with a wall plug that goes in to the concrete wall using an allen key,
the internal cavity of the bolt is threaded which then accepts a 6mm or 8mm bolt depending on the size of RIGFIX purchased

I'm all set to order the yellow gripits but I'm finding it hard to find anywhere that has a 15mm flat drill bit which I understand you need for drilling the right size hole. Is there any alternative or just wait until I can find one?

Lumen

youcancallmeal wrote: »

I'm all set to order the yellow gripits but I'm finding it hard to find anywhere that has a 15mm flat drill bit which I understand you need for drilling the right size hole. Is there any alternative or just wait until I can find one?

Like this?

https://www.goodwins.ie/products/flat-wood-bit-15mm.html

(not sure whether the picture is wrong or the description!)

Four Phucs Ache

Do you have any files?, it's only plasterboard.

My diy head would stuff the hole with something and use a compass and pencil for your 15mm hole ?

The just file back to the line.

But granted from the 18th just go to a hardware place and get a 15mm bit just like lumen posted.

unklerosco

youcancallmeal wrote: »

I'm all set to order the yellow gripits but I'm finding it hard to find anywhere that has a 15mm flat drill bit which I understand you need for drilling the right size hole. Is there any alternative or just wait until I can find one?

B&Q used to do a gripfix multipack which came with drill bits included for the different sizes. That's where I got them.

Turbulent Bill

Molly fittings are fantastic for plasterboard, neater and a lot more reliable than anything else I've found. You can install them just with a screwdriver, but there's a compression tool that's even better (see (https://www.woodies.ie/molly-8-x-25mm-fixings-multi-kit-1097889) as it eliminates the risk of them spinning as they're installed.

The only caveat is to pick the right fitting for your plasterboard thickness, just common sense.

LenWoods

How many do you need ?
I have a good few here which came in the kit I purchased; I never needed the yellow,
The kit also came with the specific sized drill bit;
If you want to message me I can send them to you tomorrow via post