How to Hang HEAVY Things on Plaster Walls, by createthis on YouTube. 23 min 28 s.
- Video length
- 23 min 28 s
- Time to do it
- 45 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Mark where the mirror will sit with a strip of masking tape and a pencil line. Check the same spot on the other side of the wall for sockets, pipes or cables.
Slide a magnetic stud finder across the plaster. It clicks onto the nails or screws holding the lath, so mark each hit, then mark the stud centre about 20mm to one side.
Test the mark with a thin drill bit or a fine nail. A firm, gritty resistance means timber. If it slides through, you are in the hollow gap between studs.
Choose your fixing. Heavy mirrors need screws that bite at least 40mm into studs, or metal toggle bolts through the plaster where there is no timber.
Drill pilot holes narrower than your screws, keeping the drill slow and straight. Fast drilling crumbles old plaster and loses the grip you need.
For a mirror over about 10kg, fit a French cleat. Screw one half to the wall studs and the matching half to the mirror frame, then check both are level.
Push toggle bolts through their drilled holes, snap the wings open inside the cavity and tighten the screw until the fitting pulls firm against the plaster.
Lift the mirror with a second person and hook it onto the cleat or screws. Check the level, then pull down gently to test the fixing before you let go.
Tips and common mistakes
Never hang more than a few kilos from plaster alone, because old plaster crumbles and the fixing pulls out.
Tape over the drill spot first and drill slowly to stop the plaster surface blowing out.
Toggle bolts spread the load behind the plaster and hold far more than plastic plugs.
Get a helper for anything wider than your shoulders, since mirrors are awkward and fragile.
Questions
How much weight can a plaster wall hold?
Old plaster on lath is brittle, so keep direct fixings light. Anything over about 10kg should go into studs or use toggle bolts that spread the load behind the wall.
What if I cannot find a stud?
Use two or more toggle bolts with a French cleat to spread the weight across the wall. Avoid plastic plugs in old plaster, as they work loose.
How do I find a stud without a stud finder?
Tap the wall and listen for a dull, solid thud instead of a hollow ring, or probe with a fine nail. Studs usually sit at 400mm or 600mm centres.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
