Fixing to plasterboard wall

Hi

We have a plasterboard wall which is hollow, then another piece of plasterboard 2 inches behind it. We had a towel rack fitted to the wall with rawl plugs and screws but it came lose. I decided to put it up again using some special plasterboard fittings ( a circle of metal you screwed into the plasterboard which had a thread in the middle to take the supplied screw.) Needless to say it lasted a week and now I am left with big holes.

The rail needs to be fitted to the same location or the holes will be visible and the wall is decorated with wallpaper and we have none spare. The hole is too big for rawl plugs so I'm not sure how to proceed. I was thinking of spraying some expandable foam into the hole and pushing in a rawl plug, any other ideas on how I can fix the bracket would be appreciated.

regards

P
Reply to
Jack Sprat
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I use spring fixings for things that need to take weight - and they need a big hole to get them in anyway!

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Reply to
Angela

Problem is high loading on the towel rail and the very low strength of plasterboard.

Judging by the 2" thickness I'd guess the wall is built with metal struts rather than timber. Fairly new build?

If the wall were timber framed it might be possible to screw into the studs, although the spacing is unlikely to be right.

Best solution IMO is to fix a timber batten to the wall & screw the towel rail to that. A few of these

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and some No Nails should prove strong enough.

Batten could be painted to match the decor.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

Car body filler. Stuff in newspaper below to support it, then fill the holes and the cavity with that. It sticks like shit to everything. When 'rubbery' sand flush and mount the rail It will sperad the load over a wide area.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

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These are what I use for high loads direct on plasterboard. They spread the load across the back of the board quite well. They do need a large hole but maybe the hole that now exists will be suitable if it's not too messy and crumbly around the edges.

They do come in different diameters match the fixing to the existing hole such that it is a snug fit.

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

I'm with Angela. Toggle fixings, with body filler to close the hole up. If you can't easily get paper or something to stay in place, stick a scrap of wood through the hole with a screw in the middle and use the screw to pull the wood tight against the back of the hole while the filler goes off. Stand there like a lemon for five minutes, remove screw, and you have a new surface to drill into.

Reply to
Stuart Noble

Isn't it going to be difficult to stop large amounts disappearing into the cavity? Personally, I'd go with TMH and a nice piece of wood (could even be ply or MDF) using no more nails for shear strength and perhaps three toggle fittings to hold it to the plasterboard while it sets (and left behind afterwards). Then screw rail to the wood / plywood.

Reply to
newshound

Who is angela?

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

How should I know?

Reply to
Stuart Noble

| > I'm with Angela. | | Who is angela?

That would be me!

Reply to
Angela

Err what the hell are you doing, using the towel rail for pull-ups? I've hung dozens of radiators using those screw-in plasterboard fixings and they are absolutely fine. If you're abusing the fittings to that extend you'd be better off cutting a hole in the plasterboard then fitting a wooden load-bearing plate behind the plasterboard then making good before re-fitting the towel rail.

Reply to
Steve Firth

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