Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Yes!! Take your time…. check you have the correct tools to hand, the right fixings for the right wall type and item you want to hang – don’t forget to use our “wall wizard” to find the correct fixing. Then check you have the correct drill bit and have made sure you have some way of drilling to the correct depth. Check and measure everything twice, drill your hole once, tap in your fixing once and attach your fixture once – it doesn’t need to be stressful if you set things up correctly!
Before starting work it is important to check for things like electric cables and water pipes. These are often hidden and so it can be difficult to tell. You can look for clues such as a light switch and socket nearby – even a radiator may be a tell-tale sign that pipes are in that area.
To be on the safe side, we recommend you use something like a wall scanner (sometimes called a stud detector or wire locator) to help you identify hidden pipes and cables.
A fastener joins together two existing elements or parts, and a fixing attaches a moveable element to a fixed one. This is only a general rule and there are many exceptions, with the two terms often being used interchangeably. For example, a wood screw is a fastener but is often used as a fixing.
The Safe Working Load, commonly abbreviated to SWL, dictates the weight that the particular fixing can support safely. The SWL is calculated through extensive testing and is much less than the failure load, this gives a degree of comfort (or factor of safety), for instance a coat hook with a SWL of 10kg is likely to support more than 20kg before failing. Choosing a fixing with the correct Safe Working Load (SWL) for a particular application is critical.
If you’re lucky, the item that you are wishing to hang or fix to the wall (such as your new flat screen TV) will tell you what the item weighs within their manufacturers’ guide and product information and this can help you to understand what Safe Working Load you need the fixing to support.
Use a heavy duty plasterboard fixing if there simply aren’t any timber studs to attach to. Mounting a TV on plasterboard without attaching it to a timber stud is still a viable option if you use a heavy duty fixing – don’t forget to use our “wall wizard” to find the correct fixing.
This is where the item to be attached to the wall is usually on some form of arm – a good example is a TV on extension arm. Note that the load rating required for cantilever installations is considerably more than direct mounting to the wall.
A cavity wall fixing is a method of attaching or supporting something to a wall when the wall is hollow, or has a space behind it. … These types of walls are often called dot and dab walls, plasterboard over block, because of the dabs of adhesive commonly used to secure the plasterboard, this then creates a ‘weak’ void between board and the solid wall behind.
Wood Drill Bits: These can be identified by a small, pointed tip at the very end. If you look closely, you can see spurs on each side. These grab wood and carve it away.
Masonry Drill Bits: These bits have a gently sloping tip. Sometimes, the tip of masonry bits is coated in carbide, which prolongs their sharpness.
Metal Drill Bits: These have a wide-angled point at the end, and they may also be painted black.
No. Wood screws directly fixed into a timber stud are generally many times stronger than plasterboard fixings that rely on the board alone. When you can locate and use a timber stud, use a wood screw. When you are just attaching to the plasterboard, use a plasterboard fixing with the correct load rating for your fixture.
A normal wood screw will not securely stay in plasterboard or masonry without a wall plug. A Rawl Plug or wall plug securely grips the sides of the hole you have drilled and will hold the screw in place without rotating or damaging your walls.
If you need to hang heavy objects or ensure the object is secure on a masonry wall, use a masonry fixing. Drill the correct size hole using the correct type of drill bit, in this case a masonry bit. Simply attach your fixing in accordance with the manufacturers installation instructions and you will have a secure fixing that will last – don’t forget to use our “wall wizard” to find the correct fixing.
The answer is simply: Very important. Drilling the correct diameter hole stops the fixing from either rotating in the hole and producing a loose fixing, whilst a hole that’s too small will crush the fixing as you try and hammer it in – this will potentially damage the fixing making it ineffective.
The majority of the fixings supplied by Wall Wizard will be supplied with the correct screws or bolts, if this isn’t the case please ensure you refer to the packaging and purchase the correct screw or bolt. Please use our live chat function with any questions you might have regarding screw size.
Corefix is specifically designed for the job but other fixings if you aren’t hanging too much weight could also be considered – don’t forget to use our “wall wizard” to find the correct fixing.
Standard length screws/bolts are supplied with every Gripit. You can use a longer one if necessary for the job, however the screw should not touch any solid material behind the plasterboard. Do not use a screw shorter than the below recommendations.
Yellow - Wood screw (4mm diameter, min. 25mm length).
Red - Wood screw (5mm diameter, min. 30mm length).
Brown - Bolt (M6 diameter, min. 25mm length).
Blue - Bolt (M8 diameter, min. 25mm length).
Yes. The Gripit Undercutting Tool is specially designed to create a recess for the Gripit wings to unfold if installing on top of a dab of plasterboard adhesive.
Yes. Each GeeFix wall anchor is supplied with three necessary screws and these are suitable for fixing to all types of plasterboard, including insulated. GeeFix is compatible with materials as thin as 3mm and up to a maximum thickness of 75mm.
An electric or manual drill with a 25mm bit or hole cutter and a screwdriver. That’s it!
Yes. Just make sure that you use a stop on your drill to prevent damage and perforation of the plastic barrier. Don’t use screws that are longer than you need. Drillstop is ideal for this to avoid drilling too deep.
The FlipToggle is a single-strap hollow-wall anchor. Its unique design securely holds the toggle for easy insertion into the predrilled hole. Once inserted, the spring tab flips the toggle into the right position so that when the collar is tightened the anchor is ready for the bolt.
Nearly all plasterboard fixings claim to have superior holding power. Some will tell you they support up to 180kg, but that is a straight down pull and not a cantilever install. Whatever manufacturers may claim, the pull out on a plasterboard fixing is determined by the strength and integrity of the plasterboard.
Yes, Rawl plugs for plasterboard are designed to expand or pull back from the other side of the hollow substrate when the screw is inserted to help distribute your hanging load. Having a variety of sizes and packs of plasterboard Rawl plugs to hand will help with small and large projects both at home and the workplace.
If you want to hang anything heavier than 6kg from your ceiling, you’ll need to attach it to a timber ceiling joist.
Plastic versions such as the Cobra TripleGrip can hold medium loads up to 20kg on plasterboard walls and up to an incredible 90kg when fixing into solid masonry. Here you can see how important it is to know your wall type and how this changes load ratings for the same fixing. Please click here for further help with identifying your wall type!
It could be that you are trying to hang too much weight on the fixing. Plasterboard was not designed to carry heavy loads, so applying too much weight to a single point will cause the wall anchor / wall fixing to come loose. You may also run into trouble if the item you are attaching to the wall is too thick.