Fixing a towel rail to a thin (plasterboard?) wall

Elika0215

Hi,

My bathroom towel rail became loose over time and eventually the rawl plugs were visible due to the weight. I think the walls are plasterboard. Basically, it's hollow and when drilling, the bit goes through one thin board, there's a gap, and then it feels like there's another board. Sorry for not being sure!

Anyway, I'd like to put the towel rail up again but don't think the wall is strong enough to take the weight produced when the towel is been pulled off the rail.

Any suggestions? Let me know if more info's needed. Thank you!

bris

If you can find a stud put one side of the rail onto that.


If it needs to go back in the same place then you will have to repair the wall first.


Toggle bolts are far better than plugs in plasterboard .
https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-spring-toggles-3-x-50mm-20-pack/7978X?tc=JT4&ds_kid=92700036659728413&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249413&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249481&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIydq9t4yb4QIVjr3tCh0WfQ_0EAQYASABEgKP8_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Mutton_Geoff

Have a look for Gripit plasterboard fixings (Screwfix sell them). They are good enough to fix towel rails, radiators, TV brackets etc to plasterboard walls if you can't find a stud or they are steel drywall construction.


You drill a large hole to suit the size of Gripit you are using then the plug secures to the board and you use a machine screw (supplied) to fix your stuff to the wall.

knightstyle

i always use something like Fischer Radiator Fixing Set. Cheaper ones are available, they take a lot of weight and are fixed in place so easy to remove towel rail when decorating.

BoxerfanUK

I use these all the time very good (and strong) in plasterboard, available in various sizes

https://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-hollow-wall-anchors-m5-x-37mm-20-pack/99201

tacpot12

Don't try to use the rawlplug hollow wall anchors without the setting tool. The cost of this usually means other options are better, unless you have lots of plasterboard walls and foresee using a lot of the anchors.

Snaptoggles (from https://www.toggler-uk.com/) are my go-to fixing for very heavy fixing in plasterboard, but if the plasterboard is very thin, the best fixing in the world isn't going to be able to support a heavy load on it.

Have a look through the hole with a torch to see what is behind the plasterboard. With luck it will be a solid brick or block wall, in this case these fixings will be ideal: https://www.gripitfixings.co.uk/collections/gripit-corefix (Same as Mutton Geoff recommended)

If it is plasterboard, this is rather unusual. If it is just space, and the plasterboard is too thin, could you fix a new sheet of plasterboard over the existing one to make it take more weight. I've also fixed Aquapanel (concrete board) over a lath-and-plaster wall when I needed to hang a heavy handbasin.