Why am I so inept with wall plugs?

[Mander]

Seems like every time I go to put something on the wall I have trouble. Either the plugs are too long, the holes turn out too big, I can't seem to drill into the wall properly, or everything comes out crooked even though I measure and check everything with a level.

Tonight I tried to install a toilet roll holder and it came out really crooked even though I lined everything up using a level before I drilled the holes. I got frustrated and yanked the plugs back out and measured the holes again and they seem ok so I am confused. The holder is not crooked though.

What trick am I missing? My walls are plaster on brick or dot and dab on brick.

 

[conny]

Measure the length of the plug, transfer this length, plus 5mm, to the amount of drill bit projecting out of the chuck. This will ensure you get the depth right. Start with a small drill, say 3mm or 4mm, to drill a pilot hole. Smaller drills tend to drill straighter. Then move up in stages to the correct size for your chosen plug, (most plugs, and certainly the packaging, will tell you what size drill you need). So, if you need a 7mm drill start with a 3mm, next 5mm and finally 7mm. Each time making sure you have the plug length plus 5mm projecting outside the chuck.
When you start drilling, don't have hammer action on until you hit the brickwork. Starting with hammer may cause it to jump about.

 

[Mander]

The only thing of that I didn't do was start with a smaller bit. I did the plasterboard with a regular wood bit, no hammer, and then switched when I got to the brick. Next time I'll try stepping up.

 

[foxhole]

You don’t need the to switch bits masonry but will pass straight thru plasterboard .
What type of drill do you have?

 

[Notch7]

Plaster on brick: use dewalt extreme masonry bits and drill with 4mm first. Make sure you your final hole is correct for plug, usually it’s 6mm 7mm or 8mm. Sometimes with really soft bricks drill undersize, try the plug if too tight, go in and out a few times to enlarge the hole and get rid of dust



plasterboard you could do with a normal bit, just drill very gently do you don’t enlarge hole

 

[Mander]

It's plasterboard over brick, dot and dab so there's a gap.

I used a corded impact drill from Wilko. Cheap but does the job for occasional DIY stuff.

 

[Ollyfp]

Yep, masonry drill bits are famously inaccurate. The tip isn't that sharp, so they go walkabout. I tend to drill a pilot hole with a long 3mm blue multi bit (Bosch or Erbauer). I drill a little deeper than necessary and I always use Rawl branded plugs. Hope that helps!

 

[foxhole]

It's plasterboard over brick, dot and dab so there's a gap.

I used a corded impact drill from Wilko. Cheap but does the job for occasional DIY stuff.

Explains why you struggle .

 

[Justin Passing]

First and important thing is to draw a cross on the wall where you want the hole centred. Best way to get it accurate is to make a dot in the middle first then draw out from it with 4 arms. Then when you've started drilling you can still see where you should be.
Wall plugs in plasterboard are almost useless, so I assume you're aiming to drill and fix into whatever's behind.
As above, start with the smallest drill bit you have, hammer off to begin with. If you don't have a 4mm masonry bit, buy a couple. You'll be glad you did.
Drill bits tend to make a slightly bigger hole than their actual size, so use about half a mm under, to finish.
The nearer your final drill size is to the pilot hole size, the more accurate it'll be.

YOu ay have trouble getting the plug into the hole though the plasterboard because you can't push it directly. You can use a longer screw, twist in a little by hand then push the plug with the screw in it through the PB and into the block/brick. Then you can unscrew the "placing" screw easily. YOu can tap it in.

If you have soft block behind the PB you'll need a deeper hole, a tight plug, and a screw at the skinny end of the range the plug is designed to take.

Expensive, nylon wall plugs, with wings or some other grippy mechanism, always give you a better chance. Fischer are good. Even their plastic ones aren't bad. Take note of whether the plug has a ring at the open end which is designed to stop it sinking in.

ALl depends on your brick too. If you hit a mortar line, usually it's justtoo soft so don't bother, make another hole. If you really have to put it there, you'll have to use one of the resin type fillers, or mess about with things like a wooden wedge hammered in - a pita.

 

[robinbanks]

Show us a picture of the toilet roll holder so we can advise you on how you can modify it so that it can be adjusted to be straight even if the holes/plugs have gone wonky

 

[Diver Fred]

Whilst I'll agree with most of the above you need to understand the plug needs to grip on the Brick not in plaster or plasterboard.
So firstly determine how far from the surface the Brick is, add that to the length of the plug plus the 5mm dust clearance gap - that is depth you should drill to.
Once the hole is clear push and tap the plug into the hole and tap home. Yes the head of the plug shall be below the face of the plaster. Then using a screw of the length of plug plus plaster face plus thickness of material you are fixing to wall.

Plugs and screws supplied with items are never long enough to be effective.

 

[big-all]

screw or nail several taps with a hammer wont stop it wandering but will start in the correct place

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Mark a cross on the wall, large enough to be seen, once you have begun to drill - a dot will be invisible once you attack the wall with the drill. The cross will then allow you to steer the bit a little, once you have started drilling, to ensure it is accurate/ where you intended to drill it.

Always drill deep enough, so that the entire plug can be pushed below the plaster/entirely into the brick.

Swap your hammer drill, for a cheap SDS+ drill plus bits, they are much easier/quicker.

 

[blup]

Use nylon plugs not plastic, drill initially on rotation only, and slowly at first, it avoids making the hole to big. Measure the depth from where the plaster ends and the brick/block starts so you get a good fixing substrate. If the plug is too short snip the head off another one and put two in line. Screwfix slowly, using a screwdriver or drill driver on low speed to prevent the plug spinning.

 

[Mr Sparkle]

IMO Poor quality tools and parts are often the cause of a poor job.

Back in the day, I would use tools and parts aimed at the DIYer. However, when I invested in quality tools and parts, the difference is night and day.

Invest in a quality SDS, combi, impact driver, drill bits, spirit level and plugs (duopower). If things are still going wrong after this, then it is the user at fault.