The imperial system of screw gauges ranked shank diameter as a number from 1 to 20 - the higher the gauge, the bigger the screw. The metric equivalents are not nearly so user-friendly, but this is how screws are now increasingly sold. Use this handy table as a guide: Gauge Small, slim nail that's easily punched in and used for attaching, mouldings, joinery and general carpentry. In fact, if any screw starts to get very tight, it’s best to stop and have a rethink before you break the screw or burst the material. Screws should be tight, but not crazy, “sweating to get them in” tight! Simply hit reverse and take it out. Can I first ask what you are fastening to the wall? It’s just that plastic wall plugs of the size you’d need for a screw that size are not in common use. Sure you can buy ‘sets’ of big screws that come with a large plastic plug (sink/washbasin screws to name one) but usually if you’re hanging something heavy on a masonry wall you’d use a ‘rawlbolt’ style expanding bolt; either a hex head and washer or a nut and washer.

If a portion of the rawl plug becomes accessible, utilise a pair of flat pliers to grip the plug. Regular pliers will also do the job. You will need a drill machine with an added drill bit, matching the size of the wall plug or slightly smaller.When it comes to actual physical fixings, these are the best fixings DIY Doctor have found for this job. The fixings in question are made by Plasplug and can be seen in the image below. Sometimes the above step is easier if you push the screw all the way through the item and then you’ll easily get the pointy end of the screw into the plug, sliding the item down the screw until it meets the wall.

Step 2: If the rawl plug is visible, you can tap it with a hammer or gently nudge it with a screwdriver to loosen it from the wall. Lay your piece of batten face down and apply several thin beads of construction adhesive across the face of the timber. Round nail with rings around its shank to make the fixing more secure. Use for tasks such as laying sub-floors and pinning exterior trim where the nail is unlikely to ever need to be removed. Position the item to be fixed over the hole and put the screw through it and into the plug, twisting the screw a tiny bit by hand till it bites. Allow the patch to dry completely before lightly sanding it and painting it to match the surrounding wall. Can You Reuse Rawl Plugs Post-removal?

For anything up to the weight of a t-shirt they’ll just about hold but for anything heavier a proprietary fixing needs to be used. Has a square or hexagonal head that's driven in with a spanner. Gives a very strong, heavy-duty fixing. Countersunk woodscrew Step 4: Use a drill bit to remove any obstructing material that may prevent an entrenched or old wall plug extraction. See what they have at the store screw/length wise, stainless steel is best of course. You could even consider structural timber screws, if you can get a wall plug big enough for them. They are long, have flanged heads and designed for outdoor use, just a thought (Have a look at what I mean at screwfix…). Understanding the nuances of even the most basic tasks, such as how to remove rawl plugs from a wall, is part of mastering the art of DIY home improvement.

Wow, never seen a plasterboard with 75mm of insulation before, pretty hi tech. Did you vacuum out the hole first? Horizontal holes are terrible for leaving a lot of debris behind, especially in insulation which tends to ‘ball up’ on drilling rather than cut out cleanly. Also, did you put some insulation tape (or sellotape in a pinch) around the drill bit at 125mm or so depth? Just to absolutely make sure you’re all the way in? Step 5: Using long pliers, bend and break off the plug’s external plate or rim of the plug. When the plug is fully inserted, this is the visible portion. Next measure the width of your hanging rail and again mark its centre. Match up the marks on the door and hanging rail and then use a spirit level to level the hanging rail. How deep does a wall plug need to be? I talked about this a lot on another post, here’s the link: How to Properly Use Wall PlugsSteel nails come in all shapes and sizes. Outdoors, always use zinc-plated galvanised nails - they help to delay rusting. Clout nail Then you’ll be able to drive the screw deeper into the 120mm wood, you might even get the head a good inch into it. This will give you enough screw in the wall and still a good hold on the wood. In terms of fixing the batten to the door you have two choices; use the same hollow door fixings mentioned above or glue the batten in place using one of the many construction adhesives available today. p.s. if you’re worried out the sharp edges of the cut out area, it’s easy to shield them by making a ‘grommet’ out of some thin plastic tubing cut on one side. I have access to lots of ‘hospital drip’ tubing (wifes a nurse you see) which is about 3 or 4mm tube, perfect when cut down one side with some tiny scissors (also ‘single use’ from the hospital lol!).

There should be no need to use a wall plug outside of wall or ceiling applications. When not to use a wall plug In the following guide we look at some of the best methods of fixing to hollow doors and ensuring that the object you’re fixing actually stays in place on the door. Types of Hollow Door Fixings Once leveled up, insert a screw each end and screw up tight to hold batten which adhesive dries out.I’ve explained this screw data in an easy to understand table because I find manufacturers recommendations are often vague and general, I mean; why not be specific? I understand there’s a ‘range’ but why not give us the ‘ideal’ measurement, because mostly we have a choice? If you are using a wet & dry vacuum then putting a bit of water in the bottom of the drum will make most of the really fine dust become mud & get caught. There is a quite frankly staggering array of fixings available today for pretty much any object and any surface and the same goes for hollow doors, however as with most things, some are better than others. Adhesive Hooks