Help!!! trying to put floating units up and it keeps falling

hammertime · 26 Sep 2005

Can somebody please show me the light!

I've spend all weekend putting a series of floating units (bit like kitchen units) in my alcoves and found some beginning to sag and one actually fallen off...

I used rawplugs (metal ones) and long screws...

I did notice the plaster was very easy to drill into...could this be a factor as the house is over 150 years old ? ...

Please help !!!...please! (Took me a year to save enough money to buy these and now the dream is truning into a nightmare!!!!)

breezer · 26 Sep 2005

it sounds like your fixings are too short for the material you are fixing into. you need to fix into something solid

hammertime · 27 Sep 2005

Thanks for the reply mate....

I live in a terraced house and the wall I am trying to fix the units to is the one joining my neighbours house....so if I use a long enough drill and screw...will I get a hold on something solid and not damage my neighbours wall??

I really am lost as what to do....

Thanks!

JayS · 27 Sep 2005

Metal rawplug? Never seen those...what do they look like?

I guess you got brick wall so you should be using red or brown plastic plugs. Depends how think the plaster is, red plugs should be enough, brown will surely be...

nstreet · 27 Sep 2005

Sounds like you've purchased 'sinking' units instead.

I've always used hammer fixings for this type of job, never gone through to the neighbours yet.

If you co-ordinate your fixings with the neighbours they could hang their shelves/units on the bits that stick through, if they're are too long.

masona · 27 Sep 2005

hammertime said:
I used rawplugs (metal ones)

Not these type is it?

nstreet · 27 Sep 2005

masona said:
hammertime said:

I used rawplugs (metal ones)

Click to expand...

Not these type is it?

I hope not, they're meant for fixing into plasterboard, wont hold anything substantial though. ( I'm sure you knew that though Masona).

Could it be these

?

hammertime · 27 Sep 2005

Thanks everyone!!!

Masona...yes it does look a bit like that...I read the instructions on the packet and it said it was could be used for heavy duty?.....but as Nstreet says maybe I'm using the wrong type....

So I should be using red or brown rawplugs and should be long enough to hit the brick wall right??

My God this is confusing and I feel like a complete idiot!!

nstreet · 27 Sep 2005

If the units are heavy, I would go for the brown and matching screws. Are your brick walls clad in platerboard then? You really need to go through this and fix into the brick. The fixing you have is designed for a hollow stud wall.

masona · 27 Sep 2005

hammertime said:
I did notice the plaster was very easy to drill into...could this be a factor as the house is over 150 years old ? ...

As nstreet pointed out but I'm guessing now that you have lath & plaster????

stebed · 28 Sep 2005

if you are joining to the party wall it will not be lath and plaster. The wall (brick) will be at least 9 inches plus the tickness of the plaster. You may have up to 2 inches of plaster if it has had a skim over the years. I think you are not drilling into the brickwork. You need to drill about 4 inches depth, that will get you through the plaster and into the brick. A brown rawl plug will be best but you must push the plug through the plaster and into the brick.

I hope this helps.

hammertime · 29 Sep 2005

THANKS EVERYONE!
GOING TO HAVE A GO THIS WEEKEND ....

WISH ME LUCK!

________________________
moderator

please note 6 which is here

Gary0 · 4 Oct 2005

hammertime said:
My God this is confusing and I feel like a complete idiot!!

I take comfort in the fact that unless I feel an idiot during the DIY I can't be learning anything

diynot

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Help!!! trying to put floating units up and it keeps falling

breezer

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