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Wall fixings (page 3)
Heavy load on hollow wall
Providing extra support for heavy fixtures
If you need to fix a heavier item to a hollow wall, you must devise a method of supporting it from the timber studwork. Where the timbers do not line up with your fixings, you can use a suitably sized timber batten to bridge between them. It must be sufficienly strong to support the weight of the item to be fixed. Then, it may be simply cut to length and mounted on the surface screwing through into the studwork. This bridge will then provide support for the item.
Alternatively, you can recess it into the wall so that it is flush or beneath the surface. This will make for a much neater job at the end of the day, but will involve some additional work.
ALWAYS CHECK THAT THERE ARE NO PIPES OR CABLES HIDDEN IN THE WALL BENEATH THE AREA TO BE DRILLED.
Cutting the stud wall
Locate the timber studwork in the wall and determine across which ones you are going to span with the bridging timber. This will need to be long enough and at the correct height to accommodate your fixings. The bridge will need to sit on studwork at each end.
Position the batten on the wall and mark around it.
Drill through the plasterboard at the corner of the outline and, using a padsaw, cut out the marked section. As you reach each of the timbers behind, you may find it easier to use a sharp craft knife to cut the plasterboard rather than the padsaw.
Fitting the support battens
Remove the waste and hold the bridge piece in place. If it is necessary to recess it further into the wall -either to make it flush or to allow for plastering over - measure by how much and notch the studwork to suit.
This may be done by making a series of chisel cuts to the required depth across the studs and paring out the waste.
Once you are satisfied with the depth of the batten in the wall, drill holes in the bridge piece for each of the screws. Fix it to the studwork with screws of sufficient diameter and length to provide adequate support and make good the decoration around (including plastering over the batten if required). You can now fix to this batten in the normal way.
