Plasterboard plugs for large heavy mirror

ando

Hey,

I have a large 2.5 meter x 1 meter mirror to hang off plasterboard. What plugs would you recommend from your own personal experiences to hang safely a mirror of this size off a plasterboard? I'm going to try find a stud if possible, but if not I'm looking for other options!

I know there are plenty of special plaster plugs out there of varying design, but I dont have any experience of those, only the Ikea ones (that aren't great) or standard plaster plugs for picture frames and smaller mirrors.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058336164/plasterboard-plugs-for-large-heavy-mirror

Buy a stud finder, useful thing to have. Something like this but I have no idea if this one is any good. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stud-Finder-Wall-Scanner-Detection/dp/B0BNGXPBL1

geographica

I've used these in the past and found them excellent, try screwfix or Amazon to check prices - https://www.gripitfixings.co.uk/

loyatemu

if there isn't a stud where you want to hang it, consider running a baton between 2 studs and hanging the mirror from that.

awec

How heavy are we talking here?

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121767702#Comment_121767702

An 8ft x 3ft mirror would be fairly heavy! I would rather find the studs to be safe.

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121767727#Comment_121767727

Unless it's made with a large solid timber frame or a metal frame it's probably not that heavy.

kirving

I've put up a TV with GripIt fixtures, and they're very good, but they assume perfect plasterboard, and a perfectly vertical force downward, right against the wall.

For such a large glass mirror, I'd be erring on the side of caution and finding a stud, and ensuring that its held in at least 3-4 positions, because glassing that size falling on someone could be fatal.

ando

Hi again,

Sorry for delay getting back.

This is the actual mirror I'm trying to put up. Its smaller than I guessed and weights 20Kg. https://www.michaelmurphy.ie/mirrors/jennifer-arched-mirror-brass-170x80cm/?_sgm_campaign=product&_sgm_source=250699&_sgm_action=search&_sgm_term=mirror&_sgm_pinned=false

At the weekend I had a go at putting it up. It didnt line up with any studs so I had a go with four large Ikea plasterboard plugs (which I've put up heavy bathroom cabinets before and have been fine for six years now), however when trying to lift the mirror up onto the screws, one of the plugs came out of the wall, like it melted.... I couldn't believe my eyes, how easy it just popped out. I've abandoned these plugs for this project and am thinking of these instead, more of an anchor style:

https://www.diy.ie/departments/fischer-steel-hollow-wall-anchor-l-52mm-pack-of-4/1161798_BQ.prd

I really don't know about the GripIt fixtures. Would four of them be suitable for this mirror? I am so nervous of this mirror coming down 

ando

Or actually these would probably be better, the 40KG ones. I think I have to get a special tool aswell for these to clamp them in.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CB4FJJY9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&th=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CB4GNGNV/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&th=1

Hooked

Just spotted this on the home page...

if it were me - I wouldn't trust any plasterboard anchors with a mirror that size!

Assuming your wall is timber studded - I'd be doing as another poster suggested... find 2 studs - run a batten between them (your mirror is 1m wide - studs are usually 16 inches apart) and fix it to the timber batten.

What are the fixings points like at the back of the mirror? Could your batten be a french cleat? Could you add another at the back of the mirror?

Bluefoam

I moved into a new house a couple of years ago & had the same question... I came across Fisker red/grey plugs.

I now have a full tool case filled with various sizes of them & appropriate screws... They haven't let me down yet & would in a whole variety of different wall types.

https://www.screwfix.ie/c/screws-nails-fixings/wall-plugs/cat840026?brand=fischer

ando

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121788883#Comment_121788883

Its a good idea, but if I put two battens up that are screwed into the studs then I'll be left with a gap (the thickness of the wooden batten) between the plasterboard and the back of the mirror if you get me? The back of the mirror wont be flush with the wall?

The fixing points at the back of the mirror are literally just holes in the steel that you fit an m5 screw into. There are four fixing points located at the top half of the mirror at the edges

tobottherobot

I was in the same predicament as you as I had to hang 3 heavy mirrors (approx 2000x800mm) over the weekend and the studs didnt align to allow me to centre the mirrors.

I've used a lot of the plasterboard fixings in the past (Fischer incl.) and while they have never failed me, I just wanted something a bit more solid and so I got these:

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/bullfix-universal-plasterboard-fixings-24mm-x-44mm-24-pack/924ja

They are solid as a rock and quite easy to install!

Tefral

I use Gripit fixings for most things in plasterboard.

I stuck a 2m x 1.5m mirror to a plasterbaord wall in my bathroom using nothing but this: https://tec7.com/en-BE/products/mount-seal/x-tack

Hasnt moved in 5 years.

No fixings needed.

Shoog

I second the Bullfix recommendation. Bulletproof, I have used them extensively.

ando

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121789125#Comment_121789125

Thanks for the tip I'll keep these in mind as another option! It was between them and these anchors that support 40Kg each that I ended up going with:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CB4FJJY9?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CB4GNGNV?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

monseiur

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058336164/plasterboard-plugs-for-large-heavy-mirror

A mirror that size would weigh roughly 35 kgs. You must have very high ceilings in your gaff😊 How many screw holes are in this mirror? Is it framed or frame less ?

GreeBo

is it going on an internal or external wall?

ando

IMG_0195.jpeg

Well she’s up! Thanks for the help all. I ended up getting the metal plasterboard anchors which look to be working well. I’ve tugged and pulled the mirror and she hasn’t budged a millimetre.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CB4FJJY9?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I did look at the long brick plugs/screws discussed earlier but I found there was 8cm between the front of the plasterboard and the brick wall, so the gap between the board and brick was too big to anchor into the brick wall as those plugs are designed for dot and dab walls. The wooden studs were also not in the right position to hang the mirror so that was a no go and due to the mirror flush design I couldn’t create a wooden bar joining onto the studs.

I tell ya Ive learned a lot from putting this guy up on the wall!

TheSunIsShining

I used these previously as a bridge into the solid wall - I.e. I used a 150mm one which spanned the gap and went well into the concrete block. I then used one of the hammer in fittings in the hollow tube.

https://totaldiy.ie/product/express-anchors-m8-x-150mm-100pk/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnv-vBhBdEiwABCYQAzdaTdcJDyQXGgvNo72Mg42vq7cQ6hCN2bn15d7Vm4CdJYRkm2E6qRoCjdMQAvD_BwE

https://www.chadwicks.ie/all-products/hardware-1/screws-nails-fixings/frame-hammer-fixings/nylon-frame-fixing-10-x-135-40994.html

ando

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121932977#Comment_121932977

Ahhhh, I’ve learned something new again! Thanks for that tip. My preference was to go into the brick but I didn’t know about these. Just thought it was a no go. But good to know for the next project that’s handed to me 👍

TheSunIsShining

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121933103#Comment_121933103

It's not ideal, I assume, in terms of thermal bridging, but I had something very heavy to hang. With holes in the fitting that weren't big. So it was the best solution I could come up at the time - but open to being better informed by others here!

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121932977#Comment_121932977

I have done similar, especially with insulated plasterboard, get one long enough to go past the insulation and into the block, should never moves with it

Cyrus

Not sure I'd mentioned before and you are sorted now but for future ref these are the gold standard geefix

https://amzn.eu/d/3hzPEec

ando

So just to confirm, you drill a hole through the plasterboard and into the brick and then hammer these nail anchors through the plasterboard and into the brick. Then on the plasterboard side you hammer a standard wall plug into the nail anchor and then put in your screw as normal?

GreeBo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121789021#Comment_121789021

Make a square frame from the batten to hide the gap.

GreeBo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121789080#Comment_121789080

Usually the mirrors would be wider than 2 studs so you can put the mirrors pretty much where you want by using a batten across 2 studs.

If not, and the mirror is hung from a steel cable, use the nearest stud to hold the mirror up and use any plasterboard fixing to "pull" the cable so that it hangs where you want it to.