Coat hanger help

[Sally27]

One two many coats from the kids and now this has happened. Any help please on what to do and the correct plasterboard plugs I should be using?

thank you.

 

[Burnerman]

Horrible things, those self cutting fixings.....is the wall hollow? If so, google 'hollow wall fixings' - if it's solid, drill a hole (maybe 8mm) into the brickwork and insert a 8mm plastic plug.
Use 4.5 or 5mm gauge screws with these ones.
John

 

[JohnD]

fixing into plaster is not much good as it has little strength

It looks to me like your wall is plastered blockwork, in which case a screw and plasplug, as @Burnerman suggests, will be a hundred times better.

but if, when you drill your hole, you find that there is an airspace, and the plasterboard is attched to wooden studs, you can use one of your coathangers to find where the studs are, and put screws right into the woodwok. Which will be fifty times better.

 

[blup]

Something like these will hold 20 or 30 kgs, the constant pulling on the coat hooks would probably weaken the plasterboard before the fixing gives way. Fitting one in the middle as well as at each end will help. The thickness of the plasterboard and the gap is relevant in deciding which size/length fixing to get

Rawlplug Hollow Wall Anchors M6 x 52mm 20 Pack | Hollow Wall Anchors | Screwfix.com

This video explains the principles behind the fixing and how to fix them

How to use hollow wall anchors - YouTube

Blup

 

[Burnerman]

Wasteful maybe, but the setting tool is worth the expense to get things right if this is a first time try.
John

 

[JohnD]

but is it a hollow plasterboard wall?

to me it looks like plastered blockwork.

 

[blup]

As a first timer I managed without the setting tool, a bit fiddly though.

blup

 

[conny]

For hollow walls I prefer these to those metal ones blup recommends. I'm not saying they are the wrong ones, just that I prefer these.

Easyfix Spring Toggles 6 x 80mm 20 Pack | Spring Toggle | Screwfix.com

 

[Sally27]

So I don't know if this is plaster board, my screw driver goes pretty deep into the wall. If I use a drill to make a pilot hole for the plug how do I know how far to stop drilling as it just keeps going.

 

[blup]

Thats plasterboard, bend a piece of wire and push it round the side of the hole to give you an idea of the plasterboard’s thickness. Using a straight piece push it through until there is resistance, measure it, and subtract from the thickness if the wall. That will tell you what the gap is.

Blup

 

[Burnerman]

With that sort of gap you can get by with either conny's or blup's fixing choices.
Better still if you can locate a timber stud nearby which will give greater strength - however your original fixings lasted reasonably well. We all know that plasterboard isn't the best fixing medium but it's done all right so far!
John

 

[Burnerman]

I like the setting tool for the hollow wall fixings if the barb on the fixing doesn't grab the surface of the plasterboard too well.
John

 

[bernardgreen]

If there is a void or soft insulation between plaster board and the wall then using a spacer as in the sketch below will provide a secure fixing to the solid wall without putting pressure on the plaster board. The blue is a wall plug and the screw could have been drawn a bit longer

 

[JohnD]

Bend your coat hanger into a curve so you can put it through the hole and push sideways until it meets the wooden stud. They will probably be somewhere between 400mm and 600mm apart.

Lay the coathanger on the face of the wall and mark the position.

Drill a fine pilot hole to check

Or a skilled eye or fingertip or magnet can detect the pattern of nails where the plasterboard was nailed to the studs

Once you have found the studs you can screw your hanger board directly to them.

This will be much better than relying on the plasterboard.

 

[jackeeeyyy]

I've hung a coat hanger in our new build (plasterboard)

I used the hollow wall anchors as suggested above and invest in a setting tool (which will expand the anchors in situ and make a solid grip)

I generally use the hollow wall anchors regularly around the house as it gives me peace of mind and a solid fixing.