What Plasterboard Fixings Are the Best | Drywall Fixings Tested
This week we are testing to find out what drywall fixings are the best. I will be testing lots of different plasterboard fixings and we will find out which ones hold the most weight. If you like the content leave a like and please subscribe for more content like this as I've got a lot more to come and there will be something that will help you out.
Check out my other videos on my channel, theres loads for the DIY'er
Buy some of the fixings seen in the video here;
Hollow Wall Anchors - amzn.to/36j1QbC
Gripit Multipack - amzn.to/3jDXXAV
Tap in fixing - amzn.to/3ObKZbS
Spring Toggle Fixings - amzn.to/3uHyVqW
Fischer Nylon Plasterboard Plug - amzn.to/37SvIfn
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As a boarder line numpty, this video has made me feel like a DIY professional, overflowing with wisdom and experience. Muchas gracias
Glad you enjoyed it!
You are an officer and a gentleman, Sir.
I am personally grateful for a more real world application than all the other test to fail videos I’ve seen
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Thanks for your time and effort making this. I have struggled with most of these fixings putting up cupboards, towel rails and curtain track as they have more horizontal force than your vertical bucket test and just ripped out after a while. Ironically, I found the Grip It ones worked well and now have a big pack of them. They adjust to different thickness of plasterboard provided they are done up tight. For a TV on a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall I found special long engineered metal fixings that are held in the brick/block wall and have a threaded front section for a bolt to hold the tv bracket.
Bullfix
Thank you so much! This is exactly the info I need to know for my DIY job this weekend! 😊👍
Thanks for making this video. I'm new to mounting things on drywall. I now know what to stock up on. 🙂
I moved into a 'modern' house with plasterboard stud walls a couple of years ago and found the 'tap in' spade fixings ideal for fixing shelves, mirrors etc. I've been impressed by their strength and that they are quick and easy to use. The reason I watched your video is that now I have to fit a vertical radiator (about 15kg dry) which has four small angled u shaped brackets and no floor support. I think I'll be using traditional spring clip anchors after watching your 'test' video.
beware kids like to climb radiators.
Really useful test. Well done. I think to be proper science with repeatable results you'd need to do at least 3 samples of each fixing. Knowing how much variation there is as well as the average failure value would be very useful. And now we need this experiment for insulated plasterboard (where the toggle fixings for example won't work due to no space to expand into). I presume some of the other clamping types will still work but they may not all expand properly to get a good grip, depending on how they work.
Great video and has really helped me in the decision making of what to use to mount my TV on the wall. 4 toggles should hold a 8.1kg tv on the wall with no problem 👍🏼
I am a girlie of 72, new to DIY, but needs must. This video kept me rivetted as well as informed. Now to go and buy the correct anchor for my plaster board wall. What I will need to know soon, is how to hang 2 pictures (i am an artist and work in concrete and ceramic tiles) weighing 30 kg a piece onto solid walls.
Great video, especially with the practical test/demonstration. I usually use the screw ins, but will be reassessing now. I've tried the grippits, but not had much success getting them set.
I was also left re assessing after I did this test!
That was very interesting... I've been using those universal plugs for a couple of years on lots of different jobs and haven't had a failure yet. True I've never hung a bucket of water off them but bloody big pictures no problems!
Oh and subbed for more! Very interesting tips and tricks with a bit of real life testing ... which saves me and my customers money!!
I have always used the tap-in expanding fixings so impressed with their performance 👍 Have also tried the metal screw in ones but won’t be buying them in future based on your tests. Have never used the beefier expanding metal toggle type cos never really been confident about attaching big loads to plasterboard but very impressed with them - you obviously need the space behind for the toggles to expand which could be an issue if you are fixing close to battens, etc. Great video 😊
Absolutely agree. Cheers 👍
Try geefix the 🐕🐕 doodassss
Brilliant video. Just buying my first house with dry walls, and this has given me loads of confidence re fixings and weights. Thanks for another stonking video.
Glad to help
No really, a lot of help. Previous houses have all been Victorian or '30s houses. Just bought a brand new house, so really pleased to have this info. Great channel, thanks. @@TheDIYGuy1
Brilliant, good luck with the new house.
This is an excellent series of tests, thanks for posting it! Bit surprised at that Fischer universal, looks like a duo type but then again their load tables show the same kn values for plasterboard regardless of length.
A really helpful and well thought out video, reminds me of the Skill Builder channel which is another favourite. One suggestion if you ever replicate this test is to have each fixing type centred between two uprights to fairly compare as they’ll be under the same flex and board strength. But that’s a really picky one and the video was great, keep it up!!
Thanks for your comments
Great point made on position of fixing for a better comparison
loved your video - many thanks. do you think the results would be similar when used on a ceiling?
Another great video, lots of info thank you, it musy have taken quite some time to set up.
Glad you found it helpful. Oh yes.... Around 2 very long days to set up/record and edit.
Great video as always keep them coming learning lots from you bud
Thanks 👍
Good video but I would have liked to see you using the setting tool to compress the first wall anchors and showing us what they looked like from the back like you did the second one
Thanks 👍
I recently came across new ( new to me anyway) plasterboard fixings called GeeFix, they are fairly expensive but very very good. I used them to hang a large mirror and they worked a treat. Not something a kitchen fitter would use everyday due to the cost, but for the odd heavy item much better than fixing a damaged plasterboard.
I've used them once. They are very good for the larger loads
really great video thanks. One thing I would like to add (apologies if already commented on) is that it doesn't take into account the leverage / cantilever effect. So for example if you mount a wide shelf the force applied because of the cantilever is much greater. I wonder what the figures would be if you mounted a shelf bracket of 30 cm from the wall, and then hung the bucket from the end of the bracket. I'm guessing much lower. Obviously a fixing of this type would normally have 2 or more fixings also. These fixings are great for something heavy that is flush to the wall, I recently hung a heavy electric radiator to my garden room stud wall with hollow wall anchors no problem, and the same principle applies for heavy TV's for example, but for shelves that come out from the wall a long way the forces would be completely different. Anyway top man! Paul
Really useful testing for the consumer, cheers 👍🏻
No problem 👍
Brilliant..many thanks
First off great 👍 video ...I find those grip it fixings are really good but are let down by the plastic pivot you turn to deploy the wings behind the board as they break and snap making removal difficult
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I have a picture hanging business in Australia and only use about 3 types of fixings. Anything over 20kg's I make my own brackets. Thanks for the video, it was interesting.
Sounds great! Thanks
Very helpful. I was scared to mount my 17kg bathroom cabinet. Thanks bro
Very nice comparison!
TLDR: use snap toggles (the kinds that looks like a metal bar with a zip tie attached to it) for heavy stuff like a television, use stab-in/tap-in for light loads such as picture frames. With any toggle style anchor/fixing, it's less a question of how much the anchor can hold, but more a question of how much your wall can hold. They are stronger than your drywall/plasterboard/sheetrock. With other anchors, the questions is about how well they can hold onto the material. That's true for just about any of the true toggle style anchors such as the old school toggle bolt you used before the tap in one, the more modern snap toggles, or self drilling toggles (I don't like the self drilling toggles, but not because of a lack of holding power. I find the mechanism doesn't always engage and the threads that the screw drive into sometimes strip). snap toggles are my favorite of the bunch because they are mechanically very simple unlike the self drilling toggles, but they don't fall into the wall cavity when removed, like old school toggle bolts tend to. The Grip-it anchors aren't worth it at all imo, they're complex, require a giant hole to be drilled, and just like toggles it's dependent on your wall strength. Just use toggles and don't bother with them. As for the smaller anchors, stab in anchors leave very little damage if you need to remove them, and they hold a lot of weight for such an easy to use and non-damaging anchor, those are my preferred type of anchors for lighter loads like photos or brackets for small shelves with multiple screws
You figure you would use multiple tap in anchors for a small children’s book shelf? Or better to stick to the snap or regular toggle? Thanks for the advice!
I was always sceptical about the tap-in fittings, but their sheer convenience has won me over - ideal for heavier picrure frames etc.
I agree. Performed way better than I thought they would!
Ive been using Fischer duo plugs for the last few years in a lot of scenarios, in fact I even put up a lightweight picture holder today in my daughters room.. However its easy to see how the spring toggle are clearly superior
Very interesting and useful video mate. many thanks.
Need to try "bull fix" wall plugs, best I've used for some time
Love the video, i am just about to fix a slightly heavybathroom cabinet to a plasterboard stud walls, the stud is not positioned to help, so i 'm edging towards the toggle clips
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Great information and presentation skills.
Thanks a lot. More coming soon
Would you recommend using the normal universal wall plugs for a 6kg mirror?
Great info, thanks , keep them coming
Thanks, will do!
Awesome video, thank you
Great video, which took a lot of time and effort! 😅😅 Thanks a lot! 👏👏👏
Haha it did indeed take a lot of time
Great video and very useful test. In my experience the Grip it’s are a poor fixing. Not only do other cheaper fixings hold better but the initial hole required is far too big especially if you with to move things afterwards.
Thanks for sharing
I've used them and thought exactly the same.
Going to put a TV up in a day or so about 15kg and was going to go for the screw in type but will be going for the hollow ones you used at the start of the video now. 31kg from only 2 so I will be using at least 4 or 6 and hopefully get a stud in the middle.
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Great idea and I known it sounds laborious but you should change the sheet each time. Some of the tears that you did are close to the wood holders whilst others are in the middle and not to mention all the holes now in the board have compromised the test. But still found very useful thanks
Try the Tap-In fixing but put it in horizontally, it might hold more weight. I've used them for ages and they're great. We can get them in a box of 200 for around €8.
Any of these any good for double layer of plasterboard or when a lath and plaster ceiling has been overboarded?
Cheers, really helpful
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This is a great video. Always love plasterboard fixings comparisons. Just to add to your list, snaptoggle is a great choice of fixing, I use a lot to fit heavy tvs, about £1 each. The only draw back, I guess with any toggle type fixings is it need 50mm cavity to work. Also I find that it don’t work with insulations. But they claim it holds over 100kg each. Which I am not a believer of. Duo power my second favourite Correct me if I am wrong - I think if you divided the results in half would be more fair as you did use 2 fixings for it. Theoretically, they should have held up whatever they claims x2
Your probably right :)
Hi, my tv weighs 9.9kg, I will attach it to wall mount and put as many screws as possible roughly 12 on each side(depending on which wall mount I purchase) I wont use a snap toggle it seems like I will have to make a really big hole, which other plug or self screw do you recommend please?
@@neoloanderson6676 9.9 kg, even 4x duo power will be more than enough (go with 8 to be on the safe side). I’d avoid full motion brackets on plasterboard walls, if you must, go with one with a big back plate.
@@tonygoshive785 Thank you for your quick response, I will order now, should arrive later on this evening 🤞🏾, wish me luck. Many thanks!
Any advice for fitting a heavy blind onto plasterboard ceiling?
Amazing video, thank you!
Anytime
Great content thanks
Thanks 👍
Really impressed.
Thanks
As I expected, the metal spring toggle performed the best, holding 49 kg. I've used these a lot in my house, and friends houses, for fixing heavy curtain rails. Some say the metal wall anchor, sometimes called a molly bolt, is the best, but in your test it did well (holding 36 kg) but not as well as the spring toggle (which held 49 kg). I guess this stands to reason as with the spring toggle you have the load spread out over a larger surface area, the longer the toggle giving greater surface area
Really interesting video open my eyes 👀 as I always used the Metal screw type for as long as I can remember used them for my clients no issues over the years I was going to try the Gripit fixings but now I’m not sure 🤔 what to do as I’ve saw a Screwfix video and the plumber used the brown Gripit fixings it was 2 x Brown Gripit on the radiators and then stood on top of the radiator so your video showed the Gripit Brown fixing didn’t hold the weight as it stated on the packet Hmmm 🤔 what to do do I stay with the Metal self drilling into the plaster board !! Great video by the way thank you for honest display of various fixings
Cheers. Glad it was somewhat useful
I've got heavy duty metal shelving to fix to plasterboard walls. Not to hold weight up but just to keep properly upright, as if they slope too much to oneside there's a risk of collapse. What's the best option?
With the hollow wall anchors....did you use the little gun to put them in?
Thanks that was an interesting set of tests I haven’t seen that done before, It reminded me that the plasterboard has a limit much lower breaking point than the fitting itself, it made sense subject to that limit spreading the load over a wider area eg in the spring clamps could handle a heavier load and if hanging heavy objects then you need support behind the plasterboard. A neighbour had a tall radiator fitted in her hall and just like your video fell off the wall during the day while she was out at work, in falling broke one of the valves, unlike your video the water kept flowing. How should you fit a heavy radiator to the wall? plainly to the brickwork behind the plasterboard, yet there is a cavity. Should you remove some plasterboard, pad out the gap with timber and screw the timber to the brickwork then make good the plasterboard and attach the rad through the plasterboard into the timber. Or is there a better way?
If there is brick or block behind the plasterboard then use corefix fixings. If it is a stud wall then you need to remove plasterboard and pad out or re stud.
I always use the 10mm Fischer plugs (no2 in the video) for wallmounting tvs and I’ve never had any issues at all over the last 15 years.
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Fischer plugs for me are hands down the best plugs around.Screwfix reviews say so as well.
Same just wall hung a 65 inch TV with them as used for years although I did do 20 fixings 😅
Any suggestions about what to use to anchor something onto a Kingspan surface? Our old farmhouse has had kingspan applied on the stone walls to provide some insulation, but is a problem as I need to wall mount a TV
Currently looking for fixings for aquapanel cement board. Will be using adhesive also. Problem is my house built in 80s, builders were too lazy to put studwork in partition wall, it's three plasterboard stuck together, so no cavity either. Its 12.5mm one side, 19mm in the middle and 12.5mm the other side. Aquapanel manufacturer says it's not designed for fixing like that but I haven't got much choice. No way of taking it all down and rebuilding either. Any suggestions?
Very helpful video. Thank you, can you please what should I use to hang kitchen cabinets on plasterboard wall please ?
For cabinets full of heavy items you will want to attach to something solid behind the plasterboard. So wood screws if you are hitting joists or masonry screws and plugs if you are hitting bricks.
Great video really helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Surely you forgot to add the 20kg weight back in for the Gripit Blue? Be interesting to see how these fare when used vertically, as for a ceiling mount of something like a heavy light fixture.
I’ve bought the grip it fixings to hang a tv, I’m not sure they are good enough now though??
Like the grippits
👍
Spot on.
Cheers 👍😊
The Gripit is a newly discovered anchor in my world. The last one you demonstrated failed essentially just as you began the test. The failure appeared immediately upon releasing the weight. As did the others in a way. Keeping adding weight after the bumping out was appearing was where they proved they were done. An interesting test, but still not a real world condition. But it did accurately give a good indication of how these products would work. Moral of the story is never come anywhere near the promised strength.
very useful cheers
Your welcome 👍
I really loved your vid. Must have taken an age to set up and film, but very well worth it. Not hugely scientific, and of course certain fixing suit certain jobs. But me being a dumb blond at anything DIY this test has proved really quite interesting, and have made some notes from it for the next time I pop down to Screwfix. Thanks again for taking the time to do the vid :)
It did take a long time. Around 2 long days with rig building, recording/testing and then editing. I'm glad you found it useful.
Used 4x Blue Grip-it fixings for my 50" TV bracket....been up over 2 years without any issues
I'm glad otherwise I'd be speaking to someone who has a broken tv😊
I have the problem with insufficient space behind the plasterboard for some of these to expand properly, so the gripit ones are a good solution.
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Cut a ply patress into the wall. Its better than any plasterboard fixing and if you buy
Wish I’d watched this video earlier today. Only a few hours ago I used the metal self drilling fixings for a bathroom cabinet and now I’m having to refill the wall and start again
Ouch. You've got it covered this time 👍
I enjoyed that! 👍🏻👌🏻
Good thanks 🙂
Ive got a TV bracket to put up. Its a fixed , flush bracket but the holes are only 200mm apart. I think the best compromise i can do is one side goes into a stud and the other 2 i use gripit blue.
Yeah sounds good 👍
Silly question but if i hung something with 4 fittings, would the weight they carry x by 4? Assume it would
Thanks for making this video - really practical. Somethimg to note, exerting any force to a fixing located at the edge of any structure will most likely fail, compared to if the fixing was placed in the centre. Eccentricity.
Thanks
Interesting results, not rating the Grip-It series despite their Dragons Den appearance (which didn't go so well under scrutiny either). Always used the Nylon Plasterboard plugs myself in small and large sizes, then Toggle Cavity fixings for super heavy stuff. What about Fisher DuoPower Red plugs? Universal go to plug and easily holds a good weight even on plasterboard. Be nice to see a review on the two common sizes using your setup.
I think the 6p plugs her tested were Fischer duo's. I started using them recently and they are now the main plug I use because they are reliable and cheap.
@@999pez Indeed they were!! Ooooops! Definitely my go to, not worth bothering with cheaper "standard" red plugs.
How about cutting a 1 inch square in the plaster board, insert a 1 and a half or 2 inch long by 1/2inch thick by 1 inch wide piece of wood with adhesive on it. Leave it to dry for 30 mins then glue and insert the square you took out, put a skim of filler on it. Then you've got the strongest mounting you could have for practically zero cost.
Thought the grip-its would do a lot better of a job! Always doubted the spring fixings too but might be using them for my TV from now on!!
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Yeah me too I was looking for the best way to hang an older TV on my daughters wall which is plasterboard and I'm thinking these toggle ones might be the ones 🤔
I use the grip it fixings for wall hanging TV's and I have hung some big TV's. I like that they use a machined bolt as opposed to a screw and have never failed me. The drawback is there is a lot more repair needed if you need to remove them. For pictures I use the tap it fixings, they are so easy, reliable and make no mess.
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I just weighed my tv its 9.9kg and I need to attach it to a wall mount, do you think the more wall plugs and or screws I use, the better the hold.
I think you forgot to add the 20kg weight in your total for the blue grip it. I discovered Grip it last year whilst installing a new radiator in my bathroom. One side of the wall was fine for my bracket but the other side was breaking with normal plasterboard plugs. I drilled the original radiator bracket to add 2 screws. 4 blue grip it in total on that side. That radiator would probably resist an earthquake! I think the test depends on how the weight of the object/piece of furniture spreads. In the example of a radiator the bracket will even out the weight rather well. Thanks for the comparison video.
Good test, gave ya a thumbs up
Thanks 👍
On the last section you should have filmed the back of the wall to show if the grip it fixing "wings" actually spread out behind the plasterboard , to me they looked like they are not deep enough to go through and spread out . Interesting tests though .
A problem I'm facing in my new house is that it's all 25mm plasterboard, but it's dot and dab, and the cavity behind is only about 20mm, so a lot of these fixings don't work at all. Proving to be a real pain to fix smaller things onto. With the big things I can do corefix, but the little things I struggle with having thin enough screws that go deep enough to get into the blocks (which I've pushed a backing wall plug into as well as a front plasterboard one). Also the blocks they used are really strong, so my SDS drill has a tendancy to wander and chew up the plater board. Real pain in the arse!
Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂
Core fix are right fixings for dot&dab walls-secret is to pilot hole smaller diameter hole to correct depth then bigger dia hole to same depth,push plug in to finish flush then tap in metal core &then your screw the same length/depth as drilled holes
So 4 gripit blues should hold up a 50" tv and wall mount?
What’s best to use to hang a 5kg mirror on a very thick plasterboard wall? The problem I have is the small diameter of the screw needed but the length not being enough to pass through into the hollow cavity behind the plasterboard.
what size screw did you use on the Fischer nylon?
Have two buckets to pour water from one to the other 😂 good vid, thanks.
Can you do an update to include the Fischer Duotec please.
I wonder if if matters if the anchors behind the wall are spreading horisontally or vertically?
Fischer pro duos every time for me 👍
👍 good plugs
My dad always recommended the spring toggle fixings over 40yrs ago which says something about the design. Two points I would make is that the spring toggles were let down by the plasterboard wall rather than themselves plus the hook you used had 2x fixings and I would think that the manufactures ratings would refer to the load a single fixing could handle? I does make me wonder how they did their own testing? I suspect a pull rather than downward load was used? I have no real idea. 🤔😄
You could well be right 😁
Got no respect for those gravity deniers! 😺
How do you install the fisher springs?
Fantastic test bro. I wanna put my 12 kg tv to a 10mm plasterboard what do you suggest? will be fixed with 4 holes
Situation dependant. If it's dot n dab go with corefix fixings into the block. If it's studwork go with spring toggles.
The problem of one of my walls is the gap between the plaster and concrete external wall is really small so my decorator says it can’t fit a wall anchor properly. So the gripit seems perfect to address narrow gap issue. 😊
How big is the gap?
If it's a boarded solid wall, aka dot n dab, there are fittings for that application such as corefix
Take the weight with a pinch of salt , due to the length of the chain and bucket from the fixing point acting like levwrage , it probably shows less as what they can hold . If the weight was at the fixing point they would probably fair better . But great video 👍
I'm moving to a new build timber framed house soon and need to fix heavy tvs, mirrors etc. The walls are studded and most have 9mm osb boards topped with 18mm plaster board. What fixings would you recommend thanks?
Go straight into the stud with a wood screw.
Still prefer butterfly bolts as the load is spread over wider area. When hanging a radiator on plasterboard also use adhesive on the rear of the brackets to further spread the load and risk of slippage when little Johnnie decides to sit or jump on the radiator!!
Good tip to use adhesive. Sticks like shit for me because 9 year old Grandaughter gets to say shit when helping me 🤣.
@@paulboro6036 Also u could use high density sound or fire rated plaster board at 30kg for 2.4m x 1.2m. Difficult for daddy to punch a hole in it when he's drunk or throws a chair at it, never mind little Johnnie!!
As you can tell by this like fifth comment. i've been binge watching your videos all day lol. A general explainer on different types of wall plugs would be great.
Haha thanks!! Glad your liking the channel. Good idea
Best ever are geefix 👍👍👍👍 no other plasterboard fixing comes close
I've not used those ones. I will keep my eye out for them 👍
@@TheDIYGuy1 give them a try and a weight test 👍👍👍💯💯💯
Geefix are decent but bullfix have been my go to lately. The smaller of the two available sizes requires a minimum cavity of just 7mm, and the larger requires 20mm. They are roughly half the price as well, for the starter kit anyway, and if you buy the box of 96 they're about 73p each.
@@rodgerq same company different fix 😂😂😂
@@paul_my_plumbs_uk oh that's interesting, I didn't know that.
Great video really helped me make my choice. Impressive weight lifting too😅
Great video but I wonder about the placement of the fixings. When placing the 2nd, 3rd, 4th experiment next to the holes where the previous fixing have been ripped out surely the structural integrity of the plasterboard is not as strong.
The fixing is only as strong as the immediate amount of.plasterboard material around it, sure.