Hi - can someone set my mind at rest regarding a picture I've recently
hung on a plasterboard wall?

I've used plastic plasterboard raw plugs to hang a picture (about 5
feet wide and 2 feet tall) on a plasterboard wall but am now
regretting my decision and wished I'd sourced some of the metal type
plugs instead which splay out. The picture has two mirror type fixings
top and bottom of the picture (the type which screw into the wood
frame and then require you to screw these to the wall).

Whilst the picture is quite heavy it seems stable and the screws are
certainly tight (it's been up for 2 weeks now). But I'm a little
worried that over time something may give. The screws are 1 1/2 inch
size 8 and the two fixings on the left side of the picture went into
something other than just plasterboard! I don't think it was wood, but
when drilling the holes there was certainly more resistance than with
the two right side fixings.

Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome. I don't simply want
to take the picture down and re-fix it using the metal type if the
general consensus is that it will be fine as it took my wife and I
over 1 hour to hang the picture due to its size.

Thanks for reading

Bear wrote:
Hi - can someone set my mind at rest regarding a picture I've recently
hung on a plasterboard wall?

I've used plastic plasterboard raw plugs to hang a picture (about 5
feet wide and 2 feet tall) on a plasterboard wall but am now
regretting my decision and wished I'd sourced some of the metal type
plugs instead which splay out. The picture has two mirror type fixings
top and bottom of the picture (the type which screw into the wood
frame and then require you to screw these to the wall).

Whilst the picture is quite heavy it seems stable and the screws are
certainly tight (it's been up for 2 weeks now). But I'm a little
worried that over time something may give. The screws are 1 1/2 inch
size 8 and the two fixings on the left side of the picture went into
something other than just plasterboard! I don't think it was wood, but
when drilling the holes there was certainly more resistance than with
the two right side fixings.

Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome. I don't simply want
to take the picture down and re-fix it using the metal type if the
general consensus is that it will be fine as it took my wife and I
over 1 hour to hang the picture due to its size.

Thanks for reading

The first thing to realise of course, is that if it falls off, a picture of
this size is going to cause some damage, either to itself, the wall or other
objects/people nearby, so it needs to be fixed securely at all fixing
points.

If the screws are tight, then this is all you can hope for


--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

On Jun 14, 8:53*pm, Bear wrote:
Hi - can someone set my mind at rest regarding a picture I've recently
hung on a plasterboard wall?

I've used plastic plasterboard raw plugs to hang a picture (about 5
feet wide and 2 feet tall) on a plasterboard wall but am now
regretting my decision and wished I'd sourced some of the metal type
plugs instead which splay out. The picture has two mirror type fixings
top and bottom of the picture (the type which screw into the wood
frame and then require you to screw these to the wall).

Whilst the picture is quite heavy it seems stable and the screws are
certainly tight (it's been up for 2 weeks now). But I'm a little
worried that over time something may give. The screws are 1 1/2 inch
size 8 and the two fixings on the left side of the picture went into
something other than just plasterboard! I don't think it was wood, but
when drilling the holes there was certainly more resistance than with
the two right side fixings.

Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome. I don't simply want
to take the picture down and re-fix it using the metal type if the
general consensus is that it will be fine as it took my wife and I
over 1 hour to hang the picture due to its size.

Thanks for reading

Theres more than one type of plastic plug
http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Wallplug
some of which will be entirely unsuitable.
Personally I wouldnt hang anything that big on PB, but some folk
would. I'd always screw straight into the uprights, no plugs needed,
no risk of falling.


NT

NT wrote:
On Jun 14, 8:53 pm, Bear wrote:
Hi - can someone set my mind at rest regarding a picture I've
recently hung on a plasterboard wall?

I've used plastic plasterboard raw plugs to hang a picture (about 5
feet wide and 2 feet tall) on a plasterboard wall but am now
regretting my decision and wished I'd sourced some of the metal type
plugs instead which splay out. The picture has two mirror type
fixings top and bottom of the picture (the type which screw into the
wood frame and then require you to screw these to the wall).

Whilst the picture is quite heavy it seems stable and the screws are
certainly tight (it's been up for 2 weeks now). But I'm a little
worried that over time something may give. The screws are 1 1/2 inch
size 8 and the two fixings on the left side of the picture went into
something other than just plasterboard! I don't think it was wood,
but when drilling the holes there was certainly more resistance than
with the two right side fixings.

Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome. I don't simply want
to take the picture down and re-fix it using the metal type if the
general consensus is that it will be fine as it took my wife and I
over 1 hour to hang the picture due to its size.

Thanks for reading

Theres more than one type of plastic plug
http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Wallplug
some of which will be entirely unsuitable.
Personally I wouldnt hang anything that big on PB, but some folk
would. I'd always screw straight into the uprights, no plugs needed,
no risk of falling.

Always assuming that you can of course. From the OP's description I'd thing
the picture has this sort of mirror fixing?
http://www.screwfix.com/prods/14529/...2mm-Pack-of-10

That being the case, it may not be possible to screw them to the frame and
also centralise the picture on the wall in line with the studs. If the
mirror plates are factory fitted over rebates to take screw heads the
position is fixed.

OP. I assume the 4 mirror plates are there so two could be used landscape &
two portrait? Also assuming the right plugs were used?

Since the load is only downwards and not 'pull out' I'd say it would be
fine.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Many thanks to the kind folk who have replied.

Theres more than one type of plastic plug
http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Wallplug
some of which will be entirely unsuitable.

These are the type of plugs I've used (which I now read are low/medium
weight bearing) http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project_...rd/58219_l.jpg

Always assuming that you can of course. *From the OP's description I'd thing
the picture has this sort of mirror fixing?http://www.screwfix.com/prods/14529/...s/Brackets/Mir...

Yes you are correct. These are exactly the type of thing affixed top
and bottom of the frame. As such you are correct in that finding the
joists and centralising the picture etc is impossible.

OP. *I assume the 4 mirror plates are there so two could be used landscape &
two portrait? *Also assuming the right plugs were used?

Are you suggesting I should have fixed two additional mirror hooks
portrait orientation on the upright sides of the picture? I have two
along the top and two along the bottom edges of the frame only.

Since the load is only downwards and not 'pull out' I'd say it would be
fine.

This was my assumption especially with 1 1/2 inch size 8 screws and it
is tight to the wall but I'm no expert hence the OP. Thanks to all

On Jun 14, 11:16*pm, "The Medway Handyman"
wrote:
NT wrote:
On Jun 14, 8:53 pm, Bear wrote:
Hi - can someone set my mind at rest regarding a picture I've
recently hung on a plasterboard wall?

I've used plastic plasterboard raw plugs to hang a picture (about 5
feet wide and 2 feet tall) on a plasterboard wall but am now
regretting my decision and wished I'd sourced some of the metal type
plugs instead which splay out. The picture has two mirror type
fixings top and bottom of the picture (the type which screw into the
wood frame and then require you to screw these to the wall).

Whilst the picture is quite heavy it seems stable and the screws are
certainly tight (it's been up for 2 weeks now). But I'm a little
worried that over time something may give. The screws are 1 1/2 inch
size 8 and the two fixings on the left side of the picture went into
something other than just plasterboard! I don't think it was wood,
but when drilling the holes there was certainly more resistance than
with the two right side fixings.

Any advice or suggestions would be most welcome. I don't simply want
to take the picture down and re-fix it using the metal type if the
general consensus is that it will be fine as it took my wife and I
over 1 hour to hang the picture due to its size.

Thanks for reading

Theres more than one type of plastic plug
http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Wallplug
some of which will be entirely unsuitable.
Personally I wouldnt hang anything that big on PB, but some folk
would. I'd always screw straight into the uprights, no plugs needed,
no risk of falling.

Always assuming that you can of course. *From the OP's description I'd thing
the picture has this sort of mirror fixing?http://www.screwfix.com/prods/14529/...s/Brackets/Mir...

That being the case, it may not be possible to screw them to the frame and
also centralise the picture on the wall in line with the studs.

I supose, for a heavy pucture, one could locate the nearest studs and
screw a horizontal batton to them and then attach the picture to the
batton.

Robert

In article
,
Bear writes
Many thanks to the kind folk who have replied.

Theres more than one type of plastic plug
http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Wallplug
some of which will be entirely unsuitable.

These are the type of plugs I've used (which I now read are low/medium
weight bearing) http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project_...lasterboard/58
219_l.jpg

Always assuming that you can of course. *From the OP's description I'd thing
the picture has this sort of mirror fixing?http://www.screwfix.com/prods/14529/Iro
nmongery/Brackets/Brackets/Mir...

Yes you are correct. These are exactly the type of thing affixed top
and bottom of the frame. As such you are correct in that finding the
joists and centralising the picture etc is impossible.

OP. *I assume the 4 mirror plates are there so two could be used landscape &
two portrait? *Also assuming the right plugs were used?

Are you suggesting I should have fixed two additional mirror hooks
portrait orientation on the upright sides of the picture? I have two
along the top and two along the bottom edges of the frame only.

Since the load is only downwards and not 'pull out' I'd say it would be
fine.

This was my assumption especially with 1 1/2 inch size 8 screws and it
is tight to the wall but I'm no expert hence the OP. Thanks to all

The plug in the picture looks like good quality and the back part will
pull in to grip the plasterboard so it would take a fairly major failing
of the plasterboard in a number of places for the picture to fall.

You are also spreading the load across 4 fixings so it sounds like
you're ok by a reasonable margin with the proviso that your 'quite
heavy' description is a bit subjective for proper advice.

Was it:
Ok to lift solo but too awkward to hold while fixing to the wall;
too heavy to lift solo, def a 2 man lift or something else?
--
fred
BBC3, ITV2/3/4, channels going to the DOGs

Thanks for the feedback Fred. It's ok to lift solo but the shear width
makes it difficult to near impossible to fix to the wall without help.
Especially if wanting to get it level.

In article
,
Bear writes
Thanks for the feedback Fred. It's ok to lift solo but the shear width
makes it difficult to near impossible to fix to the wall without help.
Especially if wanting to get it level.

Sounds fine then, I wouldn't hesitate to do the same.
--
fred
BBC3, ITV2/3/4, channels going to the DOGs