Best type of stud wall picture hanging fitting.

JohnB47

Have a look at the picture in this link. I recently bought and used the type called 'medium', near the left at the bottom of the picture. I didn't like it - the little grip spikes weren't long enough to hold the body from rotating in the hole. So I'm looking for a better type - one that will fit snugly and tightly in the plaster board on a stud wall. Any recommendations?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203932511651?hash=item2f7b532da3:g:x-wAAOSwGLpib5se&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAA4FmOUB+cH9vlcVl2S/NigNojfoiH82r5BKiER/ZM4hdUnkvZzvRrpih0OA11qCYD3F+mCKjWSkqIRIxLP6Wdm4+USKph4GA6Yrs1IKBi/QiMqNr2E4gFE41WyyYzGGd4IytJCoor2GUYA+1vpqO7u3XT3IOnNIfNEP8DTdbiszfJ0tkO86+jv81KC6VSodR6B3zGf59+j1JAtVM1NXQifFgsoP81cbjLc4L1T0ICsL30u7ogqmxb7jcxzhzKyZTSJ/HIx+SsHrYonre+ZchxmYzb5CRDneCFW1HJ7k0eaC4u|tkp:BFBMkNea2d5i

Eldi_Dos

What is the size and weight of the picture you want to hang.

CliveOfIndia

As above, how big a picture are we talking?  For an average sort of A4/A3 sized picture frame that weighs a few ounces, a small tack tapped into the plasterboard at a slight downwards angle will be fine.

If it's got a fair bit of weight to it then yes, you do need something more substantial.  The simplest (and to my mind, most secure) way is to locate a stud, drive a screw through the plasterboard and into the stud, that'll be solid as anything.  The only downside there is that you are somewhat limited by the position of the studs (unless you want to go the whole hog and screw a batten across two studs then screw into that - probably a bit overkill for just a picture).

If it's too heavy for a tack but not too heavy, then something like the hollow walls plugs (the blue one at the bottom centre of your picture) would be fine.

JohnB47

Thanks. The picture is about 40cm wide by about 70cm tall, with a thin wooden frame and with glass. I would guess about a kilo, or slightly less. A small tack isn't going to do it.

I do have a stud/metal detector which is a bit unreliable finding actual wood but pretty good finding the hidden nails going into it, so I'll check for that in the location I need the fixing. Would be useful to be able to just screw into wood.

Those hollow wall plugs - how are they screwed in? Is there perhaps a slot on the end, as well as a hole?

Eldi_Dos

JohnB47 said:

Those hollow wall plugs - how are they screwed in? Is there perhaps a slot on the end, as well as a hole?

    If it is the one I think you mean in the link posted, metal one with screw, they are not suitable for plasterboard
     more for fixing into masonry.

CliveOfIndia

JohnB47 said:

I do have a stud/metal detector which is a bit unreliable finding actual wood but pretty good finding the hidden nails going into it, so I'll check for that in the location I need the fixing. Would be useful to be able to just screw into wood.

Yep, if you're lucky enough to have a stud in the right place then that's by far the simplest method.  Get a screw of an appropriate length, screw into the stud, hang picture on screw.  Dead simple and solid as a rock.

JohnB47 said:

Those hollow wall plugs - how are they screwed in? Is there perhaps a slot on the end, as well as a hole?

Depends which one you go for.  That blue one at the bottom of the picture, you drill a hole into the plasterboard, tap the plug into the hole, then screw into the plug.  Just like an ordinary rawl-plug, really, but it expands behind the plasterboard when you put the screw in.  Actually, when I say tap it in, I always like to err on the side of caution and start off with the smallest hole possible.  Pinch the side lugs together and push it firmly in, if it won't go then enlarge the hole ever so slightly and try again.  You want a nice tight fit.

The alternative is the threaded version like the white one just above the blue one.  With those you drill a very small pilot hole, then use a screwdriver to screw the plug into the hole (there's a slot or cross on the end), then screw into the plug.

Either of those will be fine for something about a kilogram or so.

For something heavy and expensive like a big mirror or a TV, personally I'd never trust those fixings.  I always make sure I'm going straight into a stud, putting up a batten across two studs first if needs be (exactly what I did when we first got our new TV, you can't see the batten once the TV is hung on it).  The purpose-made hollow-wall fixing are supposed to be very good and I've heard people say they can take a surprising amount of weight, but to my mind the plasterboard itself is fairly flimsy - I'm probably being over-cautious !

JohnB47

Eldi_Dos said:

JohnB47 said:

Those hollow wall plugs - how are they screwed in? Is there perhaps a slot on the end, as well as a hole?

    If it is the one I think you mean in the link posted, metal one with screw, they are not suitable for plasterboard
     more for fixing into masonry.

Hmmm. They're all supposed to be for hollow walls, cavity etc.

JohnB47

CliveOfIndia said:

JohnB47 said:

I do have a stud/metal detector which is a bit unreliable finding actual wood but pretty good finding the hidden nails going into it, so I'll check for that in the location I need the fixing. Would be useful to be able to just screw into wood.

Yep, if you're lucky enough to have a stud in the right place then that's by far the simplest method.  Get a screw of an appropriate length, screw into the stud, hang picture on screw.  Dead simple and solid as a rock.

JohnB47 said:

Those hollow wall plugs - how are they screwed in? Is there perhaps a slot on the end, as well as a hole?

Depends which one you go for.  That blue one at the bottom of the picture, you drill a hole into the plasterboard, tap the plug into the hole, then screw into the plug.  Just like an ordinary rawl-plug, really, but it expands behind the plasterboard when you put the screw in.  Actually, when I say tap it in, I always like to err on the side of caution and start off with the smallest hole possible.  Pinch the side lugs together and push it firmly in, if it won't go then enlarge the hole ever so slightly and try again.  You want a nice tight fit.

The alternative is the threaded version like the white one just above the blue one.  With those you drill a very small pilot hole, then use a screwdriver to screw the plug into the hole (there's a slot or cross on the end), then screw into the plug.

Either of those will be fine for something about a kilogram or so.

For something heavy and expensive like a big mirror or a TV, personally I'd never trust those fixings.  I always make sure I'm going straight into a stud, putting up a batten across two studs first if needs be (exactly what I did when we first got our new TV, you can't see the batten once the TV is hung on it).  The purpose-made hollow-wall fixing are supposed to be very good and I've heard people say they can take a surprising amount of weight, but to my mind the plasterboard itself is fairly flimsy - I'm probably being over-cautious !

Thanks. Very useful advice.

Yes, I'd never go for anything less than going into wood or masonry for something really heavy like a TV or large shelf.

Gavin83

The anchors in the bottom left (which I think you used) are the best fittings on that link. They're generally good up to around 25kg. Easily enough for a picture or even a small TV or radiator. Anything heavier than that would need to be screwed directly into the studs or a batten as mentioned elsewhere in this thread.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Personally I'd use the metal driva, we've hung shelves up with those before I'm sure they'll hold a 1kg picture frame.

Murmansk

I've been using the ones on the bottom line called Hollow wall plugs medium for years and they are very good - would certainly be OK for your picture