Fixing Skirting Board to Plasterboard problems

[Gavin Pike]

Hi,

I'm starting to replace skirting board throughout our new house. The plasterboard walls appear to have been fixed by Dot and Dab method.

I was aiming to use nylon drywall screw in fixings but when I screw them in to the plasterboard they go so far before hitting an obstacle, and start to break the up/snap.

When I drill into the area to see what's there, I'm pretty certain that it's a thin steel "sleeve/support" that the plasterboard has been fixed to, as opposed to a wooden support. There's no blockdust or wood debris from the drilling, only plaster.

In the circumstances, what is the best sort of fixing to use with screws in this situation. (I ideally want to use "no nails" with screws to pull tight on to the adhesive).

Thanks everyone,

Gavin

 

[noseall]

do you think that maybe you have metal partition walling?

how thick is the wall overall?

 

[Gavin Pike]

Hi Noseall,

We've got drywalls throughout the house, the one i was working on last is just a thin partition wall between downstairs loo and stairs - it's about 14cm thick.

The house was originally part of a Victorian pub and all the other walls have been plasterboarded over.

I've had a quick look in some DIy books in town just now and I suspect that the wall is metal framed. What's the best fixing to go through plasterboard, then metal?

Cheers, Gavin

 

[masona]

Could you not cut a small square, no higher than the height of the skirting board then self-tap the plywood to metal frame flushed to the plasterboard and screw the skirting boards to the plywood?

 

[TonyJover]

Hiya,

Get yourself some drywall screws (the same that the drywallers would have used for attaching to the metal wall framing) and use those - they'll hold tight with no pre-drilling required.

Assuming they've used 12mm plasterboard, and your skirting is 19mm, you'll be wanting 40mm screws.

If you can't find these, just get some 40mm self-tappers.

Good luck,
Tone

 

[Gavin Pike]

Thanks or the responses gents, I think the self tapping/drywall screw approach sounds the most straightforward. Fingers crossed!

Cheers, Gavin