Plaster Plugs coming out of the wall

space2ground1

Hoping for some tips here. I was trying to put up an ikea floating shelf onto a plasterboard wall yesterday. I bought the metal screw in plaster plugs and although they chip the paint like mad, they seemed solid. I put the screw in and set the floating shelf onto those. All was well until I pushed the shelf down gently to fully click it onto the screws.

Cue the whole lot just falling out of the wall. It seemed like the plaster was crumbly and the plugs dragged fibreglass with them.

Question is.. should I have done anything differently or is the plaster just too soft?

Spocker

Put up some pictures of the plugs you used, and of the resulting holes

I would skip the plasterboard plugs. Screw directly into the timber wall joists. Or drill deeper to hit the concrete. Depends on wall construction.

zg3409

I find these types work best on plasterboard.

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/easyfix-self-drill-plasterboard-fixings-metal-32mm-100-pack/2422h

If the wall you are fixing to is an outside wall of house it likely there is brick behind the plasterboard and ideally a long brick fixing should be used as plasterboard is basically blackboard chalk and paper.

Another one I like is this

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/easyfix-spring-toggles-3-x-50mm-20-pack/7978x

You need to match the screw length to length needed and the first suggestion you need to check if fixing will be visible.

For plastic plug type it's essential correct hole size is used or they pull right out.

embracingLife

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119614607#Comment_119614607

The top one you posted is more likely the type Op used.

Op it's very common that the metal type you used pulled out of the wall, happens all the time.

Op you'll have to get stronger plaster board plugs, usually made of plastic which are longer than the ones you used. There's several types of plastic rawlplugs in hardware shops etc which are very solid once fitted.

GalwayMan74

Tip for using the top ones is to hold the fixing with a pliers and drive a screw through it before putting it in the wall (remove the screw obviously )

I've seem so many of them getting over torqued by accident because the screw meets some resistance, turns the fixing and weakens the plaster.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119614607#Comment_119614607

loyatemu

those screw-in fixings are a disaster in my experience - they chew up the plasterboard and frequently pull out, leaving you with a big gnarly hole.

My go-to fixings are hollow wall anchors like these

and I find they work best if you set them with the setting tool

I've hung a lot of shelves and other items with these and they're rock solid when installed correctly. The only issue is if you don't have sufficient space behind the plasterboard to set them, then you need to have another option available.

more generally, watch CharlieDIYte's video where he compares the various options:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdu9RId7m90

AndyBoBandy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119616710#Comment_119616710

+1 for the hollow wall anchors... I'll never use anything other than these now. And a setting tool is essential in my opinion. I've a box with all various sizes and they are so useful for any and every purpose.

I've hung a 40" & 55" TV with these, and they are solid as fcuk.

Plenty of kits available on Amazon for reasonable money...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/72PC-Anchors-Setting-Everything-Instructions/dp/B07KGM3YSK/ref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa?crid=23A1HRJH1EZR5&keywords=wall+anchor+setting+tool&qid=1663154925&sprefix=wall+anchor+setting+tool%2Caps%2C53&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&smid=A29XBGKIV844W9&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFaRUZKRUlBTUJFVjMmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAyMjMwMDkyOThLRlYyR1IzQzE1JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3NTYxNTYyMVk4T0IyU1ZKTzc1JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I've yet to have an issue using standard wall plugs & screws on plasterboard walls.

I would tend to drill a slightly smaller hole than recommended (say 5mm or 5.5mm instead of 6mm) and that keeps it nice & secure in the plasterboard.

That said, all things equal I would just screw through the plasterboard and directly into the battens when practicable. And upstairs is all double-slabbed half inch plasterboard in near perfect condition, so there's a lot more for the wall plug to grab onto than (say) 9mm single-slabbed plasterboard which has been subjected to damp & resulting deterioration over time.

spaceHopper

I gave up on the screw in wall plugs too and switched to brolly anchors, the problem with them is that they are more or less permanent, you can't take them out and fill the hole.

GalwayMan74

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119616828#Comment_119616828

I use this method for most things.

space2ground1

Thanks for all the tips! It was the metal screw in plugs that I used but noticed that there was only a single layer of plasterboard. Loads of options for future jobs here so I’ll be sure to look back at the thread. I don’t have pics of the holes because I put brackets under the shelves and used small standard plugs drilled tight to keep them up. I still wouldn’t be putting much weight on it but it’s only for a plant pot or something light enough.

Tree

Buddy of mine recommended the Rawlplug Tap-it fixings to me a few years back. Curtain rail into the ceiling in the bay window is stll doing great. The rail is pretty secure given the stupid curtain roller things keep jamming.

Bash the outer part in with a hammer then screw into them and they splay open and stay fixed.