Plasterboard Nightmare

[Marakith]

Hello

I've just moved into a new place, built in 1924.

I need to mount some IKEA floating shelves onto a plasterboard wall. Due to the required positioning of the shelves, I can't use the studs and so I have had to use special fixings for the plasterboard.

I picked this type of fixing:



All was going well - I'd marked out everything. I'd drilled 3mm pilot holes. Then the plugs just self tap in with a screwdriver. Some kept on turning once flush with the wall, which was very worrying. Then, when screwing the floating shelf bracket to the fixing, the wall site just crumbled: the fixings kept on tapping into the wall.

Now I have no confidence that the fixings are secure and I don't want to mount the shelf. I also have a wall that looks awful. Any idea what I've done wrong?

Thanks!

 

[Adam_151]

Hello
l. Any idea what I've done wrong?

Thanks!

Those arn't really suitable for where there is going to be much of a load, there are other types of fixing that are more suitable. As to the whirlybird screwing itself further into the wall when you fix into it, that can happen when the plasterboard is crumbly i.e. if its old, damp or close to the edge. You say the place was built in 1924, is this an original wall? because plasterboard wansn't round back then, and if its lath and plaster the fixings above are definatly not suitable

 

[Marakith]

Those arn't really suitable for where there is going to be much of a load, there are other types of fixing that are more suitable. As to the whirlybird screwing itself further into the wall when you fix into it, that can happen when the plasterboard is crumbly i.e. if its old, damp or close to the edge. You say the place was built in 1924, is this an original wall? because plasterboard wansn't round back then, and if its lath and plaster the fixings above are definatly not suitable

Thanks for coming back so fast.

Ah. That's the problem, then. I'm pretty sure it's the original wall.

I think I'll repair the site somehow: repaint and forget the whole idea - what do you think?

 

[Street]

GripIt fixings have worked well for me! They spread the load a bit more behind the plasterboard. I've got a 20s house too and all the walls are a bit rubbish but these seem to work fine.

 

[acake]

try this type of fixings have same shelves and more hung with them and there not a bad price up to others http://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-hollow-wall-anchors-8-16mm-m5-x-52mm-10-pack/12229

 

[FlyingFish]

GripIt fixings have worked well for me! They spread the load a bit more behind the plasterboard. I've got a 20s house too and all the walls are a bit rubbish but these seem to work fine.

I'd say this would be your best option. If the first lot of fixings have made a messy hole, then the gripit fixings might be better ,as they use a larger diameter hole.

 

[Danthus]

I use these..
http://www.fischer.co.uk/Home/tabid...tegory-1001133770/usetemplate-productdetails/

 

[mikedigitales]

I'd check the weight of the shelves, and what you're going to put on there, without the studs or anything blocky to drill into you'll find your safe weight will be quite low with plasterboard fixings.

 

[Marakith]

Thanks for the replies, all. Yep - prior to the job I compared the various fixing available. Gripit looked really good but the holes I have to drill for the shelf bracket are too close together.

For info the fixings I used were these: http://www.fischer.co.uk/Home/tabid...tegory-1001002082/usetemplate-productdetails/

I've decided to undo the mistake entirely - I'm filling the holes right now. It's my toddler's room and I don't want an unstable shelf in the room.

Perhaps when we renovate the bathroom (the room next door), we'll put a solid wall in. For now we'll use it as a mural space!

 

[silverblack]

One option would be to use a piece of MDF and screw that to the joists then attach the floating board to that.
You could paint the MDF the same colour as the wall to blend in.

 

[Adam_151]

Perhaps when we renovate the bathroom (the room next door), we'll put a solid wall in. For now we'll use it as a mural space!

The best thing you can do if you are having a stud wall and know you are going to be fixing stuff to it, is to board it with something like ply or OSB, and then plasterboard. This is what I did in my kitchen where I knew I was hanging cupboards, 18mm OSB ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriented_strand_board ) then 12.5mm plasterboard in top, the result is you can get a fixing anywhere with just a woodscrew. If you only have access to the other side of the wall like it sounds like you will have when you renovate the adjacent bathroom, you can do a variation on it which takes longer and cut the OSB to the size of the spacings between the timbers then push them in and tight against the plasterboard on the otherside (might be more tricky with lath as it would have to sit against the 'snots' of plaster ( https://www.unionhoteldayton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/lath-back-1024x618.jpg ), and you'd just have to use longer screws and care not to overtighten whien fixing into it - no not try and remove the snots!). then fix the OSB in with battens fixed into the timber .... this takes time to do and is normally only done in the areas where you know there is going to be something fixed. Its always good on sites when you can get the joiner to do this as it saves a lot of messing around later on, its not always possible to get them to do so though!!

 

[Marakith]

Great insights! Thanks!

 

[SquirrelMadness]

Check out 6:30 and 8:30 of the video. Those are the ones you want.