Putting shelves up on crumbling walls

Its the brick behind the plaster you need to drill. ;-) Any plaster that falls out you fill with polyfilla.

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

It seems like there's no brick in the wall, it all crumbles away. It's an internal wall if that makes any difference. The house is a good 40-50 years old and the wall seems solid enough - with the paper on - lol.

Haymish

Jesus! 40/50 years old and it falling down. The one I'm in is 100 years.

Drill the holes slam some polyfilla in the holes, push wall plugs in and let poly set before fixing shelves up then hope for the best. ;-)

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

Or fit floor-to-ceiling battens and hang the shelves on them.

Is it a solid wall or lath and plaster?

It's a solid wall

As someone else said you need to drill in to the brick ...........and use plugs and screws of the appropriate size.....

Stuart

pmsl, thought you said it was falling to bits?

-- Sir Benjamin Middlethwaite

|Richard Conway wrote: |> Haymish wrote: |>> The3rd Earl Of Derby wrote: |>>> Haymish wrote: |>>>> Hi all |>>>>

|>>>> My sister wants me to put up some shelves but when I drilled a hole |>>>> in her wall all the plaster near the hole turned to sand leaving a |>>>> huge hole and making it impossible to hand anything. |>>>>

|>>>> I thought saw something in the FAQ about this but can't seem to |>>>> find it now - could someone point me in the right direction, |>>>> thanks. Haymish |>>> Its the brick behind the plaster you need to drill. ;-) |>>> Any plaster that falls out you fill with polyfilla. |>>

|>> It seems like there's no brick in the wall, it all crumbles away. |>> It's an internal wall if that makes any difference. The house is a |>> good 40-50 years old and the wall seems solid enough - with the |>> paper on - lol. Haymish |>

|> Is it a solid wall or lath and plaster? | |It's a solid wall

Is the wall made of breeze block, which is a dark gray colour? This is surprisingly strong.

Then drill deep holes, and use the biggest fattest fasteners you can find

Did you only drill one hole? If so then you may have been unlucky and hit the mortar between the bricks. In which case you have two options: ~ FIll the hole with 'no more nails', stuff a rawl plug in and let set then proceed with further holes ~ Drill holes offset from your first hole and hope you hit brick the second time.

You need to drill the full depth of the rawl plug into the brick. So if the plug is 30mm and the plaster is 20mm drill to at least 50mm then bang the plug right into the hole as far as it will go.

Not too deep if its a single skin internal wall! Made that mistake and still have the hole in the wall halfway up the stairs to prove it! SWMBO was awfully upset about it.