Fixing things to rubbishy walls

[lindsayg]

The plaster in my house is pretty knackered, and every time I try to fix something to it the proces takes frustrating hours as the shelves - or whatever - gradually slide back off again, leaving a big hole, and I have to start from scratch.

All very funny no doubt...

The problem is that any hole I drill gets enormous. I've tried that blue putty that you squish between your fingers. It just falls out. I've tried filling the hole with filler, and with Power Grab. That just falls out. I've tried with and without rawl plugs. Everything just falls out.

Is there a kind of screw / fixing / anything that I haven't heard about, but which was designed for this exact scenario?

Please!

Lindsay

 

[big-all]

heeelllooo lyndsay

are your walls standard brick and plaster construction!!!!!!!!!

have you tried drilling the hole an extra 12mm deep use plugs withough a collar moulded at the end knock into the wall put a screw in a couple of turns bang in 12mm below the surface
you will of course need 12mm longer screws

it may just be the plaster is so shot that you may have to replaster
try tapping to see if it sound hollow

 

[masona]

Not plasterboard or plaster & lath is it ??

 

[lindsayg]

thanks for the tips.

No, it's not plasterboard, it's just very very old plaster. It crumbles to a grey dust when I try and drill it, and bits just trickle out of the holes.

I can't afford to replaster. Completely out of the question.

Whenever I try drilling deeper - into the masonry - it doesn't seem to work either. Can the drill bit be not good enough??

I suspect that when I do get a screw to grip (on the nth attempt, anywhere from third to seventh) I've hit mortar by pure luck...

Sigh...

ps: this thread was originally called 'fixing things to crappy walls' but the mod changed it to rubishy (sic)! Is 'crappy' swearing??

 

[big-all]

please do not take offence at this comment have you
[ a ]got the drill on fast speed and hammer
using a silver masonary bit with tungsten tipp
again sorry for asking

 

[lindsayg]

yep, I am using the right drill bit and setting. it's still very difficult to get purchase into the bricks though.

they're still censoring that very mild word that rhymes with 'happy' by the way. I just wish they'd replace it with something spelt correctly. Makes me look illiterate...

 

[masona]

What colour is the brickwork dusts, is it black ? I don't mean the plaster dusts.