New build stud wall fixing query

[CazDIY]

Hello,

I’m just looking for a bit of advice regarding fixing a toilet roll holder to a new build stud wall.

The plasterboard is 15mm thick. I used a wire/pipe detector and thought I’d found a good spot (in hindsight this might have clipped a stud). It was pretty tricky to find a spot where the sensor didn’t detect anything.

I attempted it today using M4 38mm hollow wall anchors. I’ve used these before in our old house in a similar situation and they worked fine.

One hole worked well and the plasterboard was hollow behind. The claw on the wall anchor deployed well and was secure.

For the other two holes, the masonry drill bit drilled through the plasterboard ok then hit something. I shone a torch in and it seemed like wood, so possibly a stud. I then drilled with a wood drill bit a bit deeper and only some sawdust came out but then it went hollow again after not much distance (maybe 1cm). The hollow wall anchors wouldn’t work for these two holes but as it stands they’re still in the wall, but wobbly.

Any ideas why the wood could have only been thin that I drilled through and then it seemed hollow again? There’s not any plug sockets near by, but there is a shaver socket a couple of feet to one side, but higher up on the windowsill level.

Just hoping the wood didn’t go hollow because it does have some kind of cabling/piping behind it, like the stud has been drilled into already? The cable detector is a fairly good one, Bosch blue professional model, but was still a bit misleading and also might not be able to detect past the stud if anything is inside it.

I think the wall anchors didn’t work here as they’re only suitable for plasterboard up to 17mm thick and with the wood behind would make it thicker than this.

Kind of not sure of next steps for the two remaining holes. Potentially could just start again in a different spot all together, but ideally I’m wondering what could have happened here as it might crop up again in the future.

I’ve got Fischer Duopower fixings and could attempt to remove the two hollow wall anchors and replace with these in the same spot.

I’ve also got the M5 72mm hollow wall anchors that I could upgrade the two M4 anchors to, but not sure if they still wouldn’t work.

Any ideas greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[foxhole]

If there's timber don't drill it fix to it.

 

[CazDIY]

Thanks. In hindsight that’s what I should have done. It was only thin timber, seemed like a few mm, then it went hollow and some insulation came out. It potentially could have been a timber board but not sure why that would have been there.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Pattress to fix something like a radiator, towel rail or handrail? Pattress for some service to be fixed to such as water or gas pipe? Batten used to screw plasterboard repair patch in place? All possibilities

As Foxhole says, though, if there is timber there (or if there is metal stud for that matter), just screw into it

 

[CazDIY]

Thanks. There is a towel rail quite near by, a pattress of some kind would make sense.

I’m hoping I’ve not hit any services, I didn’t see any metal or plastic dust from the drilling, just plasterboard and wood dust. The wood dust looked more like chipboard than actual sawdust. Should I be worried?

I’m thinking to remove the fixings and start again elsewhere now. Perhaps just using the Fischer Duopower.

 

[Deleted member 292770]

will 2 screws not do. How big is your bog roll?

 

[CazDIY]

Yeah, good point! I was going to only use two but the bracket had three so used all three!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The wood dust looked more like chipboard than actual sawdust. Should I be worried?

OSB is often used as pattressing

 

[CazDIY]

Thanks, I’ve just had a look online at OSB and it could well have been this.

Assuming that it is this, how would something like a towel rail have been attached to this? Just with small wood screws as it’s not too thick?

Actually wondering if what I’ve done is salvageable by potentially using a small Grip-it type fixing once I’ve taken the wall anchors out. The wings might expand behind the plasterboard but before the pattressing allowing a good hold?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

OSB is often used in new builds for pattressing as it is reputedly stronger than chipboard whilst being cheaper. The dry liners I have worked with in recent times have used 11mm, which TBH seems the minimum you can get away with. Connection to it is made with standard wood screws

 

[CazDIY]

Perfect, thanks