Fixing to dot & dab walls

I've had a Plasterer use dot & dab to true up some walls in our bathroom after removing all the old soft plaster.

I now want to fix some radiators and bathroom furniture to the walls and am wondering what the best fixing solution will be.

Having drilled an exploratory hole, the cavity between plasterboard and original brickwork looks like about 8 to 10mm max. in some places it's probably touching as the walls were very rough. So I don't think I can use traditional cavity type fixings.

My thoughts are to use longer screws and push the wall plugs through the plasterboard and into the brickwork behind.

Is this sensible or will the fitting when tightened, start to pull the plasterboard toward the brickwork and crack.

Or is there a super-duper fixing that I've not come across that does the job perfectly & doesn't cost an arm & a leg!!

Richard

RichD1 said:

is there a super-duper fixing that I've not come across that does the job perfectly

Click to expand...

Yes, rigifix...

Thanks for the link, shame they don't do M5 versions.

Richard

RichD1 said:

shame they don't do M5 versions

Click to expand...

I was just looking at the dimensions also, if it's an internal wall, you pretty much can't use them, with even the smaller size needing a 100mm deep hole. I personally have fitted many things to dot n dab walls, without needing them(even TV's, NOT on a cantilever bracket though). I've never had any problems with this method...

• Drill a 2½ inch deep, 6mm hole (because two red plugs end to end are 2½ inches long)
• Push one red plug in and partially hand thread in a 2½ inch no8 screw.
• Hammer it in until the plug reaches the bottom of the hole and remove the screw.
• Tap a second red plug in until it is flush with the surface.
• Attach your bracket/whatever with the 2½ screw and screw it in BY HAND SCREWDRIVER ONLY, not a drill.
  
• DO NO OVERTIGHTEN the screw at all, it doesn't need it, just stop when the bracket clenches up to the wall, otherwise you will crack the plasterboard.

With that method, the second red plug isn't doing much holding at all, but it is keeping the screw's shank centred in the hole in the plasterboard. That way it can't sag down a few millimetres in the 6mm hole, under the downward (shear) load.

Gaz

Hi Gaz, you've described exactly what I thought might work but I was going to use brown wallplugs for a No. 10 screw but I guess the principle is the same.

Richard

Hi I used Rawl-4-All plugs for a similar situation, but after drilling enlarged the hole in the plasterboard and pushed them through.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-rawl-4-all-mixed-wall-plugs-blue-200-pcs/8467g

I use dryline pro. Hung all my kitchen units and rads to D&D walls perfectly. They are quite expensive (about £32 for 50 plugs with screws and drill bit) but well worth it in my opinion.