Reassure me about guitar wall hangers on plasterboard walls

thecolourbox

Hi all,

As part of a house tidy up and declutter (small house that feels ever smaller due to working at home) I've thought about guitar wall hangers, so I can put an electric and an acoustic up on the walls so they aren't out of reach, but aren't just on the floor waiting to be knocked over.

Our internal room walls are that hollow plasterboard type of wall, ie sound hollow in the middle of the walls. We hung curtain poles up on the outside facing walls by way of attaching a batten (no nails and drilled holes for rawl type screws etc) across the wall then drilling holes into/through that and in to the wall, for to attach the curtain poles to. However as they are the walls towards the outside they seem to have larger amounts of "not hollow" wall, this would be on an internal wall.

There are two walls on which I could aim to hang them - one is the wall between us and next door, the other opposite wall has the bathroom the other side, ie tiles on the other side. I'd prefer them on the bathroom side, but there's also a radiator below (which is never on!) and a light switch and plug further down. I'm also a bit concerned when I drill through I might drill too far and accidentally go through to the tiles....

But, hoping you lot who are more practical with DIY type things, might be able to reassure me that by putting up a batten then applying guitar hangers on to that, I'll be ok?

Also, I assume guitar hangers are ok? Safe? Not likely to drop the instruments etc? I might also either varnish or paint the batten for something to do.

Thanks
Matt

Funkfingers

The plasterboard sheets should be supported on wooden uprights. Screw into those. 

hessodreamy

Best to screw into the wood if you can. If just going into hollow wall I’d say don’t rely on normal plugs - there are more hardcore things like this: https://www.diy.com/departments/diall-steel-hollow-wall-anchor-l-33mm-pack-of-4/1585041_BQ.prd  I’ve got those holding up a heavy bookcase. There are a bunch of similar hardcore things at b & q and which one to use may depend on how much space you have in the hollow. 

rlw

These work if you are accurate and careful.

https://www.toolstation.com/fischer-nylon-plasterboard-plug/p89407

Danny1969

I've got guitars on hangers straight into plasterboard, if you use the fixing that cuts into the plasterboard and comes with it's own screw it's a pretty good fix. Been up years

Plasterboard is 900 x 600 or 2400 x 1200 so use that to find  the joint on the stud to make a strong fix. In a modern house though that could be a tin C section stud so have to use self drilling screw or pilot a hole first  

HAL9000

We had a plasterer in recently for something unrelated but the subject of hanging things on plasterboard walls came up. His take was essentially don't do it. He'd lost count of the number of houses he'd been to where the owner's brand new flat screen TV or bathroom cabinet was lying broken on the floor. According to him it's now common practice for plasterers to remove a square of plasterboard, replace it with plywood, and only then hang the TV, cabinet, or whatever. He also reckoned that in several countries plasterboard is either falling out of favour, or is no longer used at all.

boogieman

I have five guitars hanging from a plasterboard wall, including a Les Paul. Been up there for a couple of years without any problems. Just make sure you use decent fixings designed for plasterboard and you’ll be fine. 

sev112

Bass, jumbo, dreadnought, Uke, 2 electrics all hanging from plasterboard.
not even on timber battens, as I think we have the “dab” plasterboard 

use either “gripit” fixings which are a bit expensive, or the metal plasterboard ones which you keep screwing in and they retract and grip onto the back on the plasterboard.  

I normally go for the latter, because I bought  hundred if them for less than a tenner, and the found out that most of our plasterboard walls are that “dab” for,, and the cavity is tiny, so I bit the bullet and use the gripit ones  

BluesLover

As per boogieman, I've got a strat and a gs mini on hercules hangers on plasterboard wall. Been there 4 years or so with no problems. Use the right fixings and you'll be fine.

skullfunkerry

I've got my guitars on hangers on plasterboard; they've been up for a couple of years without any problems

Majorscale

5 electric guitars in plasterboard. No issues whatsoever, and they’ve been up for ten years now! As others said above, use specialist plasterboard heavy duty rawlplugs/fixings and long screws, not the feeble fixings that come with the hangers and you’ll be fine.

P.S. I don’t like the fat threaded cutting types, I find they chew up the plaster too easily. I prefer the metal expanding types.

TINMAN82

I’ve got a couple of Hercules hangers up with the all metal Fischer HM series fixings. On one side of the room I got into the wooden stud but on the other I didn’t manage. Both have been fine for around 2 years. That said I’d only put up my lighter guitars/acoustic on the non stud side. Definitely not the R8!

mark123

If is dot and dab use 100mm screws and good quality plugs ..If its studwork then you have to  find the uprights..
So buy extra strong Neodymium magnets (£3 off e bay) and just stroke the magnet along the wall and it will attach to a nail or screw head in the upright and bang there's your timber , measure 16 to 18 inches away stroke magnet about and you should hit your next one ..saves loads of minature holes going across a wall where you've knocked a nail in and nothing behind .

If you dont know if its dot or dab or studwork ,knock a 4" nail in,
 it will go through pasterboard and either stop sharp because its hit brick or breeze block so its dot and dab ( in which case use 4" screws and plugs) or it will hit fresh air ( so its studwork)so get the magnet out and find your uprights and screw to them.

underdog

The best plasterboard fixings (imo) are the metal ones that come with a fixing tool. I have had TVs and radiators hung with these for years and years, a few guitars won't be a problem.

 https://images.app.goo.gl/gB5zfWB2gujtyaHp7

fastonebaz

I find these ficher real plugs work really well in plaster board,  I do another of DIY and these work great.   Plus I rarely drill, instead use a phillips screwdriver to pierce the wall and worry it so its just a bit smaller than the rawlplug, the gently hammer in the rawlplug so it is really nice and right.   Works a treat. 

freakboy1610

I would go with the wall adjoining the neighbours and use Dryline Pro which should penetrate the brick/blockwork behind the plasterboard. I have 5 guitars hanging this way with no problem at all.

Wazmeister

fastonebaz said:

I find these ficher real plugs work really well in plaster board,  I do another of DIY and these work great.   Plus I rarely drill, instead use a phillips screwdriver to pierce the wall and worry it so its just a bit smaller than the rawlplug, the gently hammer in the rawlplug so it is really nice and right.   Works a treat. 

Spot on.

I used some similar metal equivalentsof these, but im sure the results are similar. Rock solid.

joetele

Funkfingers said:

The plasterboard sheets should be supported on wooden uprights. Screw into those. 

This is the correct answer. 

usedtobe

Never had any problem hanging guitars from plasterboard, using appropriate fixings.

fastonebaz

In modern houses plasterboard is mounted to a metal frame not a wooden frame.   

Danny1969

fastonebaz said:

In modern houses plasterboard is mounted to a metal frame not a wooden frame.   

Yeah that's the C profile stud I mentioned earlier, need a self drilling screw or your have to drill a pilot hole in a modern house.