Cutting rawl plugs down to size

maurice28

Hi all - probably a silly question this one but thought I'd ask!

I've been trying to add a hook (with a screw fixing) into the ceiling of my daughter's bedroom to hold a net canopy over the bed. I've screwed a hole for the rawl plug for the hook to screw into, but can't drill all the way into the ceiling as about halfway I hit something too hard for the drill to go through (using a masonry drill bit) and I didn't want to push too hard in case it drills through something it really shouldn't.

The hole is about deep enough for three quarters of the rawl plug and I can screw the hook in that way - it holds but it isn't in the whole way. I just wondered, is it possible/advisable to cut a rawl plug so it is shorter to fit the hole and if so, is it best to cut from the top/nose of the plug, or the bottom?

tacpot12

You can cut rawlplugs down to size. It is better to cut the botton (narrower) section of the plug off. Clearly this should only be done for holding lighter items. I think a net canopy will be fine. 

I find that the wirecutting section on a pair of pliers is good for cutting down plastic rawlplugs. 

neilmcl

maurice28 said:

Hi all - probably a silly question this one but thought I'd ask!

I've been trying to add a hook (with a screw fixing) into the ceiling of my daughter's bedroom to hold a net canopy over the bed. I've screwed a hole for the rawl plug for the hook to screw into, but can't drill all the way into the ceiling as about halfway I hit something too hard for the drill to go through (using a masonry drill bit) and I didn't want to push too hard in case it drills through something it really shouldn't.

The hole is about deep enough for three quarters of the rawl plug and I can screw the hook in that way - it holds but it isn't in the whole way. I just wondered, is it possible/advisable to cut a rawl plug so it is shorter to fit the hole and if so, is it best to cut from the top/nose of the plug, or the bottom?

Can we assume you didn't use a stud/metal/wire detector 😉

Hopefully it's just a ceiling joist you've hit.

MACKEM99

Put on rubber soled shoes and gloves before trying again.

maurice28

Thanks all! Yes, I'm not going to try and drill again for fear of hitting something I shouldn't! So I think cutting the rawl plug down would be preferable.

I think the plaster the plug is in is a little crumbly and the hole is perhaps a touch too big for the plug to fill completely (it's almost there but there's a little play). Would a little glue or some kind of filler in the hole help with that potentially?

Rdwill

MACKEM99 said:

Put on rubber soled shoes and gloves before trying again.

And maybe have an umbrella on standby. 

Rdwill

You need something like this,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOLLOW-WALL-METAL-PLASTERBOARD-FIXINGS-HEAVY-DUTY-CAVITY-ANCHORS-BROLLY-PLUG-/283335281497?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Anything else will make a mess and then fall out. (This will too, probably, but you may have time to leave before it does).

Best I'd to find a joist and drill into that, but BE CAREFUL!

Ebe_Scrooge

maurice28 said:

I think the plaster the plug is in is a little crumbly and the hole is perhaps a touch too big for the plug to fill completely (it's almost there but there's a little play). Would a little glue or some kind of filler in the hole help with that potentially?

If the hole is too big, simplest is just to fill it with PolyFilla (well, any own-brand filler), wait for it to dry and start again.  Is it just a standard plasterboard ceiling?  If so, you don't really even need to use a masonry bit, an ordinary wood bit will do the job.

As others have said, there's a chance you've hit a pipe or something.  And you do need to be a bit careful, as there's bound to be electrical cables running all over the floor of the loft (hopefully clipped to the joists).  But it's likely you've just hit a joist, as neilmcl said - hit wood with a masonry bit and it can feel very solid.  Try screwing the hook through the hole and into the obstruction (by hand) - if the obstruction is a joist, you'll feel it bite in pretty easily, whereas if it's a metal pipe you'll get nowhere, but won't cause any damage.  If it was a cable, you'd have known about it when you first hit it.  Or, to be super-duper cautious, get up into the loft and see if you can see the hole you drilled (bedroom light on, loft in darkness) - if you can see the hole, then at least you'll know for sure what you hit.

Of course, the simplest of all might be just to try again an inch away from the original hole.  If it's just a lightweight canopy, it probably doesn't matter whether the hook is exactly spot-on in terms of position?

maurice28

Thanks all, really appreciate it. I can't see any obvious signs of having hit a pipe but will certainly keep an eye out. Will see how it holds in its current state then explore the options if it fails!

Norman_Castle

Try looking into the hole. If its a joist its perfect to hang something from.

fenwick458

how is the house constructed? it is extremely unlikely to hit a pipe or a cable just above the plasterboard of a ceiling in "most bedrooms" assuming bedroom is on first floor, only loft is above, the very few electrics or plumbing in most lofts will never be on the bottom of the joist anyway (you are only using small hook screws right, about 25mm long??

however there are situations where it's possible you could be about to hit a pipe or a cable, for example a downstairs bedroom, with a concrete ceiling, plasterboard fixed onto 1" battens and the pipes and cable will be very close 

I would abandon all hope of getting a solid fix in an oversized crumbly hole in the plasterboard with a cut down rawl plug, it will not be very strong. best bet is to find a joist to fix it to