Heavy Radiator

I would be tempted using something like:

I would make the sleeve contact the bracket and then tighten, so the bracket is on the surface of the plasterboard.

By whatever means you should fix to the breeze. *Through* the plasterboard, but *to* the breeze.

Bill

yes

washers would bridge the gap, or

There are a couple of specific fixings available for dot & dab drywall. Rigifix is the one I think is the best, expensive compared to other fixings but what price do you put on peace of mind when it comes to hanging heavy and expensive equipment on a wall.

Similar product to rigifix is Corefix which I have used for fixing kitchen cabinets and a large TV to dot/dab walls (where I could get to the breezeblock behind).

you really need to spread the load better than a fastener like that will. If it goes into the wall behind, all well and good. That has to be the plan, that or remove the plasterboard and reinforce it before putting it back .

For example, I have no qualms about mounting off tiled plasterboard - the tiles act as load spreaders.

It rather depends on how heavy but plasterboard can carry a lot of weight in shear so with suitable battens to spread the load and suitable plasterboard fixings to secure the battens I would be happy to hang a radiator on plasterboard.

Tim

I would be tempted to use Rigifix anchors

Have used these loads of times and they do what they say on the can!

IME vertical radiators are much heavier for the same output as conventional radiators and of course this weight is spread over much less width. The water adds to this. I have two, one is fine, the other needed some help by adding rawlbolts through to brick to take the weight underneath. Partly this was due to the fixings into the brick being poor as installed, and not wanting to remove the radiator.

I wouldn't rule out using the floor for added support - a couple of lengths of 2x2 timber mounted vertically at either side and painted the same as the radiator could look deliberate and give peace of mind. I didn't do this as there's a floating floor under ours, otherwise it would have been much easier than the rawlbolts.

Agreed. I think perhaps I would use a hole saw to make, say, two inch holes in the plasterboard at the screw sites. Then, I would cut some two inch circles of 18mm ply with the same saw so that they can "pack out" the space completely. Then fix the brackets to the wall in the usual way, but with all the load going through the spacers.

The other dot & dab fixing I am familiar with is the Dryline Pro all these fixings mentioned fix into the underlying block exerting no force on the PB. On the Rigifix you are actually tightening against the inner metal sleeve and I presume the Corefix is similar.

Richard

Get a hole saw, remove plasterboad "plugs", fill hole with fresh plasterboard adhesive and squidge plasterboard disks back into the holes.

Once adhesive has gone off nice and hard you'll have solid fixing points to screw into. No problem, safe and sound.

Rawlbolts and spacer washers. You might have to buy longer bolts for the Rawlbolts, though.

Rigifix will do exactly what you need. All the load goes into the wall and not the plasterboard. The substantial metal core stops the plasterboard from being crushed as you tighten up. But you do need a drill driver with plenty of clout, the metal core is *very* tight to screw into the plug.

There's a demo at

When mounting steel slotted uprights to the walls in my mates shop, I drilled a pilot hole though the bracket [1], plasterboard, void and into the block wall first, then removed the upright and re-drilled to take (Fischer) framing screws (the one where the plug is as long as the screw).

I thing injected a good plug of the full fat Gripfill into each hole in the plasterboard so it formed a donut between board and wall, then pushed the plug though, upright on, screws in and *just* nipped up.

We then left it over the weekend and then pulled the screws up a bit more, before fitting the shelves (made from T&G floorboard, glued together as it was both cheap, strong and wouldn't sag over time).

They have now been there 15+ years and none seem to show any signs of moving. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

I don't think so much about the weight as the radiator getting knocked into, typically by someone moving furniture, or by kids ramming around. But if the place is more civilised than here I guess your solution would be OK!

Bill

I'd expect a rad to take the full weight of an adult using it as a handrail etc.

Having just been reading about AM radio transmission I was momentarily confused by that!

Bill

agreed...

When I take delivery of a brand new radiator, when I look at the fixings that come with it, I just laugh at them in disbelief..... come on, 4

The screws go straight in the bin and I use Rigifix or Frame anchors instead.