Radiator on dry-lined wall

[jgh]

I've just had a 120+year-old wall replastered. The plaster was only held together by load-bearing wallpaper, so had to be done. I removed a radiator and measured and noted where the backets were to rehang it, then stripped it back to the stonework (well, let it fall off really).

I've been to rehang the radiator, and on the first hole find the wall completely hollow. I did say to the plasterer that the radiator needed to go on that wall, and it was obvious from the pipes he had to work around. Poking in shows there's four inches of plasterboard plus backing insulation before I get to the underlying stonework.

How do I rehang my radiator? It was previously hung with 2" screws through about 3/4" plaster and into stonework.

jgh

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Don't go for the plastic ones.

[Bob Minchin]

In these sort of situations I've chemically bonded a length of M6 or M8 studding into the firm substrate - stone in your case using wooden battens to hold them in the correct spacing whilst the stuff sets. Then take a piece of thick wall tube to exactly fit the space between the stone surface and the wall surface. Tighten the brackets against those for a firm hold.

Bob

[harry]

Good solution. I've used loose bolt rawlbolts. Throw the bolt away and use a bit of threaded rod and three nuts.

[jgh]

Sounds a good idea. If I'd thought ahead I'd have bolted some timber to the wall in the right places before the plastering started.

[newshound]

I've done both those methods in the past. Another option is to hack off a rectangle slightly larger than that defined by the brackets, attach a piece of 18 mm plywood to the wall, selecting screw locations to go into good stone. Pack out with batten as required to get the plywood more or less level with the plasterboard, fill and paint.

[John Rumm]

What size of rad?

Small to medium size will hang from plasterboard sleeve anchors ok.

[Andy Burns]

I've got 1100mm double panel rads mounted with hollow wall anchors onto paramount board.

[John Rumm]

In fact, I probably meant hollow wall anchors rather than sleeve anchors anyway - since those are meant for masonry ;-)

This kind of thing:

(best if you have the setting tool for them as well)

[Tim+]

I've not found those particularly good in plasterboard. I have hung radiators from these though which, so far, have stayed secure. They seem less inclined to loosen or tear out than those wall anchors. I have used four per support bracket though to spread the load as much as possible.

Tim

[Andy Burns]

With the setting tool? I must admit I prefer the real rawlplug ones, the TS ones I find the pressed steel at the "nose" can slightly open up, leading to the screw pulling through rather than setting them.

Have used those too, with no problems, not for radiators though.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , John Rumm escribió:

What does the tool do?

[John Rumm]

Expands the back of the device and locks it in place in the board before you drive the screw. It seems to do a better job that just tightening the screw to set it.

[Tricky Dicky]

I have always sworn by hollow wall anchors, recently I have had a few probl ems mainly my mistake for not checking the PB thickness and using ones rate d for 9 - 12mm on thicker 15mm board. The result is they do not open correc tly behind the board even with a setting tool and tend to pull through as y ou tighten up the screw during fixing. A setting tool is a must for hollow wall anchors and not usually that dear.

Richard

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , John Rumm escribió:

Got it, thank you. It's not obvious from looking at the pic.

[Brian Reay]

It 'spreads' the 'back' of the fixing. I'm not sure I would 'hang' a radiator on such a fixing. Even empty, radiators are quite heavy.

I'd use a stud finder and either mount the brackets to the studs, if the studs where not in the 'right place' either fix a couple of batterns across them and mount the brackets on these or use a couple of metal straps (the type used to join joists etc- 1/4" zinc plated steel) and bolt the brackets to these. They would be hidden by the radiator.

[Adrian Caspersz]

I remember this thing from Dragon's Den.

[Tim Watts]

Wickes sell them - and yes, they are bloody good. I have a radiator that hanging by them (single panel, not huge). Essentially it is as strong as the plasterboard is. Those will not pull out.

They also make great repair fixings when another type pulls out leaving a 10mm or so hole. Drill it up to the right size and shove one of those in.

[rick]

Do NOT as suggested use plasterboard fixings ... - they are rubbish for dead weights .. and a full rad will be heavy.

You could use resin fixing and resin in some threaded stud to the stone work ... cut it off just long enough to poke through radiator bracket .... allowing for washer and nut ........ nice and neat.

Or if you are worried you can't get it neat enough ... use resin fixings .. and fix some 100x50 pse to the wall (2 horizontal lengths then hang your rad off that ...

[John Rumm]

The saving grace is that the majority of the load is in shear - so even PB fixings are quite strong like that.

Yup that works better for larger ones. You can even cut away the PB to inset the batten if you want a low profile fitting.