Fixing to plasterboard.

[spookylad]

I'm moving into a new flat, with mostly plasterboard walls. Can anyone give me a bit of advice about what you can and can't hang on them, how much weight they can take, special fixings, things like that. I'd be most appreciative.

[j2buttonsw]

Plasterboard is very lightweight and can take hardly any weight (a maximum of large paintings). There are special fixings used to hang heavier thing to plasterboard including sprung clips which require you to make quite a hefty hole. However, the plasterboard is held in place by a wooden framework which can take a lot of weight (eg book shelves). Use a bradawl or small nail to locate the framing of the stud wall then attach stuff to this using standard wood nails.

[skelly]

You can get plasterboard fixings which are like big thick screws. You just screw them into the wall and then screw a screw into the middle of them. (if you get what I mean!) I've used them all over my house and use them at work as well, they're really good and can take a reasonable amount of weight. Pictures, small shelves, mirrors, that sort of thing will be fine. Anything heavier, eg, tv wall bracket, heavy shelving, then looking for the wooden frame behind is a good idea. P.S. The spring clips are useless, I really wouldn't recomend them.

[cucumbers]

most of the weght applied to fixings in plasterboard is vertical so the screw in type fixings are great when used in abundance ( as in vertical adjustable shelving support uprights. ) To give a good substantial fixing, you can always fix a timber batten to the wall with these fixings along with a good dollop of PVA wood glue ( the white evo stuff out of a bottle ) ( buy the cheapest cos its all pretty much the same ) on the back of it when you fix it. Once its dry you could hang pretty much any thing off it.( trust me I am a joiner ! ) If you own a new or newish property then i bet the timber battens the curtain rails are fixed to are glued and fixed with nails knocked in at an angle into the plasterboard walls. They won`t fall off in a hurry !

[paulz]

Spookylad - you can also buy [for around a tenner] a gadget called a stud finder, most DiY stores stock them. It's similar to the ones that detect cables & pipes. You run it across the wall & it should indicate where the timber framework is. You can also try tapping the wall, and you should notice a difference in the sound when you are over the timber as opposed to a void.