drilling into drywall

murfilein · 05-10-2019 06:31PM #1

so i got myself a drill/impact drill/screwdriver combo machine from bosch, the psb18 li-2

now i want to put a shelf on the wall, for light stuff (modem, keys etc)

now what bit do i use to drill the holes? wood or metal bit?

how deep do i drill? do i have to use drywall anchors or will the screws/plugs that come with the shelf be enough?

fred funk }{ · 05-10-2019 06:46PM

Try get a screw into a stud. Failing that I'd use toggle bolts.

YouTube is your friend.

Lex Luthor · 05-10-2019 09:23PM

Plasterboard is soft so either bit will do
Start smaller but would use medium bolts
The packs usually have the weight rating on them

awec · 05-10-2019 10:01PM

It's unlikely the studs are going to be in the correct location for all your fixings, so you'll need to get some plasterboard fixings. Try to hit as many studs as you can.

Plasterboard is usually only a few cm thick, you'll go straight through it like a knife through butter with a drill, and you'll know when to stop because there'll be no more resistance once you're through.

Is the wall an external wall? If so, it might be insulated plasterboard which will make it a bit more complicated as the toggle fixings won't work that well.

murfilein · 05-10-2019 10:13PM

awec wrote: »

It's unlikely the studs are going to be in the correct location for all your fixings, so you'll need to get some plasterboard fixings. Try to hit as many studs as you can.

Plasterboard is usually only a few cm thick, you'll go straight through it like a knife through butter with a drill, and you'll know when to stop because there'll be no more resistance once you're through.

Is the wall an external wall? If so, it might be insulated plasterboard which will make it a bit more complicated as the toggle fixings won't work that well.

I'm only doing stuff on internal walls.

what's plasterwall fixings? those toggle bolts the user above was mentioning?

awec · 07-10-2019 08:51AM

murfilein wrote: »

I'm only doing stuff on internal walls.

what's plasterwall fixings? those toggle bolts the user above was mentioning?

By "internal", I meant is it a wall between two rooms in the house, or is it the wall between the inside and outside of the house. If it's the wall between the inside and outside of the house, the internal side of the wall may be insulated plasterboard, which is basically plasterboard with foamy stuff stuck on the back of it, so not all fixing types will work.

As for plasterboard fixings, watch the video I linked to you in your last thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIEY3E4fiDk

He shows lots of different types. You can get almost all of those in Woodies (or any other DIY shop). You can get almost all on Amazon too.

That guys channel is very good for picking things up. Here is a video showing some of those fixings and their relative strength.

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

loyatemu · 07-10-2019 09:13AM

I just put up a load of shelves in my kids' bedrooms. I used these bad boys:
https://www.ie.screwfix.com/rawlplug-intersets-m6-x-52mm-pack-of-20.html

but it's worth getting the setting tool as I found in one of the bedrooms trying to just screw them tight resulted in 50% of them rotating and cutting an even bigger hole in the plasterboard. Bought the tool before doing the other room and they worked perfectly. As the video above shows, they're more than strong enough for shelves if fitted properly.

murfilein · 07-10-2019 09:54AM

awec wrote: »

By "internal", I meant is it a wall between two rooms in the house, or is it the wall between the inside and outside of the house. If it's the wall between the inside and outside of the house, the internal side of the wall may be insulated plasterboard, which is basically plasterboard with foamy stuff stuck on the back of it, so not all fixing types will work.

As for plasterboard fixings, watch the video I linked to you in your last thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIEY3E4fiDk

He shows lots of different types. You can get almost all of those in Woodies (or any other DIY shop). You can get almost all on Amazon too.

That guys channel is very good for picking things up. Here is a video showing some of those fixings and their relative strength.

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

oh, so far only i only did stoff on internal walls then.
i will put up our TV on an external wall, from the inside - my stud-meter is showing a stud of around 8 cm width. according to the tv mounts instructions, i would be able to use the included fixings on a stud (or doublestud, as the instructions call it) of that width. by using a 10mm drill, which i still have to get.

but how do i find out if i have wood or metal studs? just by drilling?

thanks for the videos!

loyatemu wrote: »

I just put up a load of shelves in my kids' bedrooms. I used these bad boys:
https://www.ie.screwfix.com/rawlplug-intersets-m6-x-52mm-pack-of-20.html

but it's worth getting the setting tool as I found in one of the bedrooms trying to just screw them tight resulted in 50% of them rotating and cutting an even bigger hole in the plasterboard. Bought the tool before doing the other room and they worked perfectly. As the video above shows, they're more than strong enough for shelves if fitted properly.

thanks, rawlplugs look cool, i'll get a pack of them. iu just need to figure out how thick exactly the drywall in my house is.

Cerco · 07-10-2019 10:45AM

Check if your stud detector has a wood detector option.

awec · 07-10-2019 11:14AM

Your studs are 8cm, but what’s the gap between the studs?

Can you hit the middle of a stud with every hole you have to drill?

murfilein · 07-10-2019 11:53AM

awec wrote: »

Your studs are 8cm, but what’s the gap between the studs?

Can you hit the middle of a stud with every hole you have to drill?

i dont think the holes would be perfectly centered, no. the tv holder i have has i believe 4 or 6 holes that are supposed to go in the wall, 2 columns of 2 or 3 holes. and they want full 10mm wholes which is quite big. i think they would be more towards edges of the stud if the bracket is centered over the stud.

the gap i forgot right now, 30-40 cm or something like that.

should i get one of those wall-brackets i put over both studs, so the holder goes over the bracket/wall? my tv is really not big or heavy, 27" at 4.7 kg, but will eventually be replaced with a bigger one.

awec · 07-10-2019 11:57AM

You need to avoid hitting the edge of the stud, if you split the stud at the edge the fixing will not be that strong.

What sort of fixing comes with the bracket that requires a 10mm hole?

murfilein · 07-10-2019 12:06PM

awec wrote: »

You need to avoid hitting the edge of the stud, if you split the stud at the edge the fixing will not be that strong.

What sort of fixing comes with the bracket that requires a 10mm hole?

i can post picture this evening as i'm at work right now, but it comes with screws and regular looking wall plugs. like one of those:
https://i.imgur.com/zAzpCtu.png

the instructions say that if i cant use studs, i will need specialist fixings, but if i can use studs on a drywall, i can use the supplied hardware...

awec · 07-10-2019 12:31PM

You shouldn't use wallplugs if hitting studs directly. It would be weird to put plugs into wood, screws should just go directly into the wood.

Are you sure the plugs aren't for use if you're mounting on a block wall?

Check your instructions again carefully!

my3cents · 07-10-2019 09:36PM

If you need to find the edge of the stud with minimum mess then drill where you think it is and where you are going to put a screw in with a 1mm drill. That will let you see if you have found the stud. Just to check you are not on the edge work out how much area around the screw the fixture will cover and then drill another 1mm hole to the left and then the right of the first one within that area. If you find you are on the edge of the stud and have to move the fixture over at worst all you should leave showing is a single 1mm hole.

murfilein · 08-10-2019 09:51AM

ok so this is the hardware supplied with the tv holder:
https://i.imgur.com/XLdFJxi.png

and this is what the instructions say regarding stud mounting:
https://i.imgur.com/TGkdZ3x.png

page 5 to 7 say to drill a hole, put in the plugs and then put the long screws from the plastic bag in...!?

loyatemu · 08-10-2019 10:11AM

murfilein wrote: »

ok so this is the hardware supplied with the tv holder:
https://i.imgur.com/XLdFJxi.png

and this is what the instructions say regarding stud mounting:
https://i.imgur.com/TGkdZ3x.png

page 5 to 7 say to drill a hole, put in the plugs and then put the long screws from the plastic bag in...!?

those plugs are for masonry walls only (concrete or brick).

murfilein · 08-10-2019 10:13AM

loyatemu wrote: »

those plugs are for masonry walls only (concrete or brick).

will the long screws from the plastic bag go into wooden studs or should i get an equivalent wood screw? if the studs are wooden, that is...

08-10-2019 10:15AM

murfilein wrote: »

will the long screws from the plastic bag go into wooden studs or should i get an equivalent wood screw? if the studs are wooden, that is...

I'd have no problem using them but you should drill a pilot hole for them because they are thick and the threads coarse.

murfilein · 08-10-2019 10:31AM

BrownFinger wrote: »

I'd have no problem using them but you should drill a pilot hole for them because they are thick and the threads coarse.

this is very exciting, haha, lets see how it plays out... oh boy. i just dont want to ruin the stud or drywall xD

murfilein · 08-10-2019 01:26PM

by the way, would anyone know, the stud i want to use is around 8 cm in width according to my stud meter. i was told studs are much narrower, 1.5 inches or a little less than 4 cm. could it be a double stud? should i avoid using the center of it? the tv bracket wont go in the center anyway, but i'm just wondering for future projects...

/edit:

i found this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td7te24daWQ

looks very straight forward and the screws he is using in the studs looks similar to the one i have, albeit with a slightly coarser thread.
how do i find out if my studs are metal or wood? like, unscrew a power socket and look behind it? the tv is going to be mounted on an external wall (inside living room, outside towards the garden)

awec · 08-10-2019 02:01PM

If your stud detector is picking it up it's probably wooden. You can also ask the builder what they used.

You can also take a very small nail and hammer it in. You'll know if it's metal if you can't hammer the nail in.

If it's a double stud I'd avoid using the middle yes.

my3cents · 08-10-2019 02:12PM

awec wrote: »

If your stud detector is picking it up it's probably wooden. You can also ask the builder what they used.

You can also take a very small nail and hammer it in. You'll know if it's metal if you can't hammer the nail in.

If it's a double stud I'd avoid using the middle yes.

I use a one millimeter drill instead of a nail. You need to drill very slowly so you can see what comes out. Hitting metal then suddenly hitting air behind it is fairly obvious.

I can see your point with the middle of a double stud but it might also be a double stud turned through 90 degrees particularity if a wall comes off it behind or even a join in the plasterboard made good with some scrap wood behind it.

Up Donegal · 11-10-2019 11:35AM

murfilein wrote: »

so i got myself a drill/impact drill/screwdriver combo machine from bosch, the psb18 li-2

now i want to put a shelf on the wall, for light stuff (modem, keys etc)

now what bit do i use to drill the holes? wood or metal bit?

how deep do i drill? do i have to use drywall anchors or will the screws/plugs that come with the shelf be enough?

You should be able to push a hole through with a screwdriver.

murfilein · 11-10-2019 12:39PM

Up Donegal wrote: »

You should be able to push a hole through with a screwdriver.

i need a 6-8 mm hole if i put in the screw without the plug, i'm not jamming a screwdriver in it to do that lol, i dont have a screwdriver with 6-8 mm diameter.

awec · 11-10-2019 01:13PM

murfilein wrote: »

i need a 6-8 mm hole if i put in the screw without the plug, i'm not jamming a screwdriver in it to do that lol, i dont have a screwdriver with 6-8 mm diameter.

No you don't, you don't need any hole. Don't drill a 6mm hole and then try put a screw in it, it won't hold.

If you want, you can drill a 1mm hole to act as a pilot hole.

my3cents · 11-10-2019 01:54PM

awec wrote: »

No you don't, you don't need any hole. Don't drill a 6mm hole and then try put a screw in it, it won't hold.

If you want, you can drill a 1mm hole to act as a pilot hole.

If you look a the hardware supplied in the link above you'll see its coach bolts not screws the OP has so a pilot hole into the wood would be a good idea.

awec · 11-10-2019 03:00PM

my3cents wrote: »

If you look a the hardware supplied in the link above you'll see its coach bolts not screws the OP has so a pilot hole into the wood would be a good idea.

Yea you're right, but still he wants a pilot hole, not a hole thats the same size as the bolt like you'd do for a plug.

murfilein · 11-10-2019 04:05PM

oh yes i will make a pilot hole!

dodzy · 12-10-2019 05:48PM

murfilein wrote: »

oh yes i will make a pilot hole!

And toss them coach bolts in the bin while you're at it. Total overkill for what you are doing. Regular woodscrews will be fine.

my3cents · 12-10-2019 07:28PM

dodzy wrote: »

And toss them coach bolts in the bin while you're at it. Total overkill for what you are doing. Regular woodscrews will be fine.

I've put up a lot of screen mounts for 40 inch flat screens (for advertising) and the reason you need the coach screws is that the holes in the mounts are too big for most wood screws. Without the coach screws you'll need washers under the screw heads.

drilling into drywall

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