Will plasterboard walls support floating wood beam?

birdie89

hi there,

I had my living room walls insulated last year as follows:

Insulation on the external wall with 50mm insulation and 12.5 mm board Kingspan K17.

All internal walls have an extra 1/2"plaster board with 1 wall 8.64sq meters having 25mm insulation and 12.5mm Kingspan k17.

I would like to attach a floating wood beam mantle to the wall which weighs around 15kg. Would the wall support this?

Any help much appreciated as I haven't a breeze!!

Calahonda52

What fixing bracket comes with the mantle?
which wall is it being attached to?
Are the walls block or TF?

birdie89

thanks for the reply. This the link to the website selling the mantle which shows a picture of the bracket:

https://www.etsy.com/ie/listing/182313202/floating-mantel-shelf-made-from-chunky?ref=shop_home_feat_2&bes=1 #

It is being attached to a wall which previously had a backboiler inside. I will post a few pictures now

listermint

You will fit it fine but not with those fittings. You will need longer fixings to reach the brickwork, through whatever depth the insulation and plasterboard is.

birdie89

Pics

Muahahaha

Cant answer your query but know there are faux wood beams available, think they are made of polystyrene so they would be pretty light. They're probably more for ceiling use than over a fireplace though I think they are available for fireplaces.

garv123

https://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/products/8697826?cm_mmc=IE-PLA-DS3A-_-google-_-PLA_IE_EN_Fasteners_And_Fixings-_-Wall_Plugs_And_Anchors_And_Fixings_And_Kits%7CPlasterboard_And_Cavity_Anchors_And_Fixings-_-PRODUCT_GROUP&matchtype=&pla-394347870455&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjfSRoaq35AIVSeR3Ch1CcwU3EAQYAyABEgK1JvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

They'll hold alot more than 15kgs..

birdie89

Thanks a mill everyone - I'm going to go ahead and order it so

GreeBo

garv123 wrote: »

https://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/products/8697826?cm_mmc=IE-PLA-DS3A-_-google-_-PLA_IE_EN_Fasteners_And_Fixings-_-Wall_Plugs_And_Anchors_And_Fixings_And_Kits%7CPlasterboard_And_Cavity_Anchors_And_Fixings-_-PRODUCT_GROUP&matchtype=&pla-394347870455&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjfSRoaq35AIVSeR3Ch1CcwU3EAQYAyABEgK1JvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

They'll hold alot more than 15kgs..

Depends on what they are doing.
Shear wise, sure they hold lots, but a mantlepiece is a cantilever installation so you need to watch out for depth of mantle, weight of mantle and then any additional weight.

garv123

GreeBo wrote: »

Depends on what they are doing.
Shear wise, sure they hold lots, but a mantlepiece is a cantilever installation so you need to watch out for depth of mantle, weight of mantle and then any additional weight.

True, but the mantle the op posted is 10cm deep and 15cm thick, not going to be much of a cantilever

DvB

garv123 wrote: »

True, but the mantle the op posted is 10cm deep and 15cm thick, not going to be much of a cantilever

Probably not an issue, but self load is one thing, If acting as a mantlepiece I'd be allowing for an imposed load also, after all if its cantilevered is there a risk of someone leaning on it or if kids are around hanging from it?

GreeBo

From the specs, 150mm cantilever the safe weight is 12KG down from 25KG for 50mm so its significant...

birdie89

So am I good to go lads?

Thanks for everyone's help

Calahonda52

birdie89 wrote: »

So am I good to go lads?

Thanks for everyone's help

IMO you need cup head screws and use the compress nail solution that is widely explained on this site: I would use 100/120mm long/ depending on how much insulation is on the wall, 10/12mm diameter with 75mm cup head screws into raw plugs in the compress nail

hots

garv123 wrote: »

https://ie.rs-online.com/web/p/products/8697826?cm_mmc=IE-PLA-DS3A-_-google-_-PLA_IE_EN_Fasteners_And_Fixings-_-Wall_Plugs_And_Anchors_And_Fixings_And_Kits%7CPlasterboard_And_Cavity_Anchors_And_Fixings-_-PRODUCT_GROUP&matchtype=&pla-394347870455&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjfSRoaq35AIVSeR3Ch1CcwU3EAQYAyABEgK1JvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

They'll hold alot more than 15kgs..

Are these any use? Having a difficult time hanging curtains at the moment and these look like they could do the job?

garv123

hots wrote: »

Are these any use? Having a difficult time hanging curtains at the moment and these look like they could do the job?

You'll probably have to knock the wall and add a few rsj's to hang the curtains from.. if this thread is anything to go by...

They'll be perfect.

hots

garv123 wrote: »

You'll probably have to knock the wall and add a few rsj's to hang the curtains from.. if this thread is anything to go by...

They'll be perfect.

there's a chance of me knocking a wall accidentally at the best of times, those things look relatively idiot proof.

the_pen_turner

hots wrote: »

there's a chance of me knocking a wall accidentally at the best of times, those things look relatively idiot proof.

actually they are fairly easy to screw up. they are not the best plasterboard fixing . i would never use or reconment them unless no other option was availible

loyatemu

pretty comprehensive test of plasterboard fixings here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHb-Tcvkn7M

as expected, the more surface area gripped on the rear of the board, the stronger the fixing (and also the bigger hole when it fails). Pretty much all of them work well assuming your plasterboard is sound, you install them properly and use enough of them.

I have guitars, TVs and curtain rails installed with the cavity-anchor style fixings and they're rock solid. The screw-in type I don't like so much as they have a tendency to chew up the plaster. It's a good idea to drill a small pilot hole to see what's behind the board - often I've started work only to find a stud, or lathe or whatever. If you've a very narrow cavity, you won't be able to install the anchor or toggle style fittings.