DIY question - modern day plasterboard... how much weight can it support?

Drew_TNBD

My new flat is a new build. Plasterboard walls, the plasterboard is probably only about 12mm thick or something ridiculous like that. I've got these acoustic panels I've built, which are about 8kg each. Am I going to be safe hanging these off the walls and ceiling??

PolarityMan

you can get fixings that kind of butterfly out and spread the load over a larger surface area, you might try those.

Deadman

I agree with what PM said, I've used said butterfly fixings. However, avoid the metal ones and use plastic. The metal ones really need a firm grip of the surface they're going into before they begin to fan out after being inserted and can simply chew plasterboard to bits. Not so with plastic ones. They come with weight ratings too so you can select the right ones for your task. 

I'd also be using a stud finder and hanging straight from the centre of joists or studs where possible (good as you can just screw right in). You need a dual purpose one that locates electricity or water for obvious reasons too.

 Good luck and don't go electrocuting yourself/getting wet.

capo4th

Go to a proper builders merchant and tell them what you need to do. Most new builds are two layers of 12mm board. There is a fixing for every job you just need to find the right one.

TheCount

I wouldn't mess about with the butterfly ones, they're a faff. These are much quicker/easier and do the job fine

http://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-self-drill-plasterboard-fixings-metal-35mm-pack-of-100/47347

capo4th

Will they be ok for 8kg? Ok for hanging a picture me thinks.

underdog

Deadman;651358" said:

I agree with what PM said, I've used said butterfly fixings. However, avoid the metal ones and use plastic. The metal ones really need a firm grip of the surface they're going into before they begin to fan out after being inserted and can simply chew plasterboard to bits. Not so with plastic ones. They come with weight ratings too so you can select the right ones for your task. 







I'd also be using a stud finder and hanging straight from the centre of joists or studs where possible (good as you can just screw right in). You need a dual purpose one that locates electricity or water for obvious reasons too.

 Good luck and don't go electrocuting yourself/getting wet.

Use the metal ones with the proper setting tool to open them before you put the screw in is the answer. Also usually sell these sets a few times a year.

I hang TVs on plasterboard using them in my house.

@TheCount no way I'd hang anything more than a couple of kg off those.

Iamnobody

What is behind the plasterboard?

To get a TV on the wall in my old house (approx 10kg) I got a long drill bit, went through the plasterboard and into the breeze blocks behind.

Then hammered in and glued into place long 15mm dia dowels of wood into the holes, then screwed the fixings into the dowels using big fuck off premium wood screws. It was solid!

Upstairs where there were no blocks as it was a dividing wall between rooms I used these cavity plugs which are pretty good:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Rawlplug-41-625-Interset-Cavity-Fixing-M4x40mm-Pack-6/p/215071

GazLion

Iamnobody;651388" said:

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Rawlplug-41-625-Interset-Cavity-Fixing-M4x40mm-Pack-6/p/215071

Yup those are what I'd suggest. Better than the screw on ones. I used the anchor type to fix some studio monitor to 12mm plasterboard. Solid as a rock

bazxkr

Me, fix into the studding or not at all or certainly a mixture of both per panel you mount

randomhandclaps

How are you actually planning on mounting them? As in what on the panels is going to attach to the walls? Personally I would go with a stud finder every time. If, for each panel, you can get at least one solid grip into a stud then the 8kgs becomes irrelevant (obviously you'd need at least one each end for any ceiling ones) and anymkre you put in for stabilisation will never be taking any strain.

Danny1969

Mine are heavier than yours and fixed to plasterboard using nothing more than wire and plasterboard fixings. The weights going down so your be fine. 

Finding studs might not help, your flat might be made using C profile made out of tin

If your worried gripfill a piece of MDF to the wall first and then hang the panels off that

octatonic

I mounted my bass traps to the ceiling of my old studio using nothing more than butterfly fixings.

I used 3 per trap (one in each corner on one end and the middle of the other end)- mine were heavier than yours so 2x should be fine.

In my experience stud finders don't always work.

Drew_TNBD

Cheers guys.

@Randomhandclaps - I've got some of these:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/zinc-plated-screw-eyes-8ga-x-40mm-pack-of-10/15400

Was gonna put them in the wood on the backs of the panels, two on each side. Then use crafting wire type stuff to hang them up onto nails or hooks in the wall.

boogieman

Don't put nails in plasterboard, they'll pull out in no time. Screws into proper plasterboard plugs, put your wire round the screw heads. Dome head screws would be better, that'll stop the wire slipping off.

randomhandclaps

OK, that may give you a slight problem with stabilising them straight for any studs that are off centre. Unless you've spent a lot on the I'd go back to Screwfix and get so mirror plates. Really easy to fit too. An advantage of those as well is no need so you haven't got the hassle of trying to level them all and also all weight is going directly down the wall rather than angled away on the fixing - not that this necessarily means a good fixing would give out but clearly as much weight as you can trasistion into the wall itself the better.

Drew_TNBD

boogieman said:

Don't put nails in plasterboard, they'll pull out in no time. Screws into proper plasterboard plugs, put your wire round the screw heads. Dome head screws would be better, that'll stop the wire slipping off.

Yeah I meant screws. Doh. Haven't woken up yet!!

randomhandclaps

octatonic said:

In my experience stud finders don't always work.

Yeah, this is very true to the point the some are complete shit and cause more confusion than help. They have got better and as yours is a new build a decent one will work better. If you're confident you can locate the studs without a detector. Unless forced otherwise by window or door frames they are usually 16" apart - particularly in new builds to comply with energy saving insultation rules. Tapping the wall and listening for the most resonant centre points can tell you when you are approx 8" of one either side. Then if you use a small braddle (or silmilar) in a part on the wall that will be covered by a panel to locate your first one then you can effectively measure out the rest.

Drew_TNBD

Will there be a stud at the side of a door frame? If so, that'd be an easy way to find them I suppose.

Emp_Fab

underdog

This is what you want, cheap, easy to use and I've held a 30kg punch bag up with them.