New timber framed house

AuntyCat

Hello, can somebody please give a hopeless DIY novice some advice.
We recently moved into a newbuild house which is timber framed and dry lined? (Is that a thing) what does it mean?
I am worried about putting anything on the walls. Do I need to find the wooden joists to put up light things like curtain poles and pictures?
I could do with kitchen shelving that would need to hold weight, do I need to do anything special, I think I was told there were special screws? Is that right?

I don't know why but I assumed the internal walls would be the same as my previous 1980s built house. Do older houses have brick internal walls and this one doesn't?

Outside walls are rendered, I don't want to attach anything there in case it cracks, but I don't think I need to attach anything outside.

So many questions, but as I said I have no idea!

Thanks in advance.

FreeBear

Curtain poles are usually fairly lightweight. Curtains can be quite heavy, especially if they have a thermal liner. The brackets need to be screwed in to the solid studs behind the plasterboard.

Pictures, as long as they are fairly small and lightweight can be hung from self adhesive hooks. Heavier ones, I'd use something like this -> https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/rawlplug-metal-self-drive-plug-and-screw-12pk-309374

Kitchen shelves & cupboards need solid fixings, so like the curtain poles, you need to screw in to the studs.

maisie_cat

Options are to fix to studs or hollow wall fixings and a lot will depend on what you are planning to put on the shelves, weight matters!
Locate studs and fix to them using wood fixings, although sods law says that the studs will not be where you want them. Otherwise fix one or more battens to the studs and shelves to the battens, I've used a french cleat many times for wooden shelves.
Alternatively use hollow wall fixings, I prefer the metal Rawlplug type versions but you'll need a setting tool.
The option I currently have for heavy storage jars is to make a unit that sits on the worktop for supporting the weight and uses the hollow fixings to stop the unit tipping but not to hold the weight. The shelves are not deep enough to impede worktop usage but enough to hold the weight.

AuntyCat

Thank you both for your replies.

Can you reccomend an easy to use stud finder?
I tried an app one but I can't understand it.

I understand about the studs not being where you need them to attach a shelf, but wouldn't a batten look odd, I just can't picture it.
More research.
Thanks

jennifernil

A timber frame house in UK usually has a structural timber frame that supports the roof, floors etc, then an outer skin of  facing bricks, or rendered blocks, or some other type of finish.  There would not normally be any brick or block work  internally, other than where a chimney is required.  From outside it will look like any other house.

Dry lining is building walls from (usually) timber and plasterboard, rather than plaster on brickwork.

For fixing things to the walls, we use this type of fixing, and the setting tool.  They used to be called “brollyfixings”.  With these, the fixing remains in the wall so you can unscrew things for painting without losing the fixing.   You do need to use the supplied screw.

https://www.toolstation.com/metal-cavity-anchor/p16495

there are different sizes and brands, quite a few brands are very expensive.  We always keep a good stock of them.

If you get heavy duty ones then they can support a good weight.  The weight they can support will also depend on the thickness of the plasterboard. https://www.toolstation.com/metal-cavity-anchor/p16495

For fixing curtain poles, you  may well  find a wooden lintel above the window openings,  we have them, but they may not be at the height you want your poles.  When we had our timber frame house built we specified wooden  battens to be provided at the height we wanted, then the poles fix to those.  You can retro-fit those, fixing into a stud where possible, then securing any unsupported ends with one of the above fixings.

For shelves, it will depend on the type you want to have.  We have ladder type uprights  attached to studs in a couple of rooms, then you can fit the brackets at the height you want, otherwise we have used heavy duty ones of the above, or freestanding bookcases.

Light fittings can often be fixed to a joist,  otherwise we use the above fittings.  We have also used the metal screw in type for lightweight items.

Stud finders are widely available, either simple magnet ones, or electronic ones.   Always find a few vertical positions before drilling, sometimes plasterboard  screws may have just missed, or be right on the edge of a stud.

The above fixings need a larger hole than if you are screwing into a stud, so good idea to drill  a small hole first in case you hit a stud you were not expecting to find.  There will also be horizontal dwangs between the studs which you may hit.

Eldi_Dos

If you want to locate studs get a screwdriver, hold it by the shaft and tap the head against wall working your way along.You should hear a difference when you pass over a stud. Hopefully they will be a uniform distance apart.

Edit:
If you do decide to fit shelves be aware that high speed spins when using washing machine could cause vibration in a timber frame house.
One way round this is to fix slim batten's to front of shelves.

jennifernil

Yes, the studs will normally be spaced to fit the width of a standard sheet of plasterboard……1200mm………with boards joining up on a stud.  Ours are at 600mm centres, but it can vary.  Where there is a join between boards you will find 2 rows of screws.

AuntyCat

Thank you all for the information, I think I've got a better idea now, much appreciated.

jennifernil

Eldi_Dos said:

If you want to locate studs get a screwdriver, hold it by the shaft and tap the head against wall working your way along.You should hear a difference when you pass over a stud. Hopefully they will be a uniform distance apart.

Edit:
If you do decide to fit shelves be aware that high speed spins when using washing machine could cause vibration in a timber frame house.
One way round this is to fix slim batten's to front of shelves.

Cannot say that I even hear, let alone feel our WM spinning!!

jonnydeppiwish!

You don’t need to locate the stud - just use a decent set of raw plugs like these
https://www.screwfix.com/p/fischer-duopower-wall-plugs-10mm-x-50mm-50-pack/5424p On plaster board, they’ll take up to 10kg each

Eldi_Dos

jennifernil said:

Eldi_Dos said:

If you want to locate studs get a screwdriver, hold it by the shaft and tap the head against wall working your way along.You should hear a difference when you pass over a stud. Hopefully they will be a uniform distance apart.

Edit:
If you do decide to fit shelves be aware that high speed spins when using washing machine could cause vibration in a timber frame house.
One way round this is to fix slim batten's to front of shelves.

Cannot say that I even hear, let alone feel our WM spinning!!

Last time we bought washing machine The assistant asked us about type of property and guided us away from some high spin speed models as advice was they were not suitable for timber framed construction.