Dear AT,
I'm moving into a restored Victorian place and it has what I believe to be plaster walls. Thankfully they aren't the lumpy sort. I've had trouble putting nails and screws in plaster before. Usually, the wall crumbles and the screw or the nail bends.
I just bought some shelving and curtain rods and I can't risk the crumbling b/c i have very limited space to work with. How do you do it correctly?
Thanks,
mg
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Dear mg,
No matter what you're trying to hang, be sure to first drill a very small pilot hole. It's these small stages of drilling that will help your walls not crumble. Also check out if you have picture rails built into the corners of walls/rooms. Many great, old apartments have them, so go ahead and use 'em!
For hanging shelving, be sure to find the wall studs and drill directly into them, again creating a small pilot hole first. If you can't drill into the stud, you'll have to get the appropriate size/style anchors for the wall, which are so hardcore you should be able to hang anything. Ask for help at your local hardware store for finding the right anchors for the right project.
Anyone else have helpful tips for mg?
As an inhabitant of a plaster-walled apartment I have one other tip-- studs may not be where your tape measure tells you they are.
The convention of 16" on center for studs did not come into use until the advent of balloon framing (post-victorian). So you can't measure for studs out from the corner-- or even from another stud . . . and just because you find two that are 16" inches from one another doesn't mean that the next one will be equidistant.
To find these tricky studs, your best bet is a magnetic stud finder that will locate nail heads (where the wood lath is attached to the studs) or lots and lots of small drill holes at least 1.25" deep to assist you in locating said studs.
For lighter items, like Heather said, it is all about the anchors-- specifically toggle bolts. Even a 1/4" toggle bolt will require a 1/2" hole to set . . . so first things first . . . time to add a drill and a full bit index to your tool cache. But any excuse to buy new tools is good excuse, right?
two words:
masonry bits.
one problem i've run into when hanging things on my many, many plaster apartment walls over the last 6 years is that my standard bits can't handle the plaster.
also i have to say that i might be really clueless or something because i have never been able to work toggle bolts properly.
I'm of no help with the shelves, but for hanging pictures/mirrors of even moderate weights (up to, I'd say, 30 or 40 lbs.) look for hardware at your Home Depot (or whatever) that looks like a small shield with rubber adhesive backing. The shield will also have up to three small holes at top, perfect angled for the small, sharp nails that come included. The shape of the hardware and the adhesive backing are excellent for keeping brittle plaster intact when hammering and evenly distributing the weight of the hanging afterwards.
I don't know the brand name, but you'll be able to recognize the hardware by the tiny shield shape. Good luck!
This reminds me of a problem that I have.
There's a wall in my bathroom that's not much more than drywall, and there doesn't seem to be any studs. Is this even possible or am I being over-dramatic?
Can I hang anything? I've been dealing with a floor-standing toilet paper holder, and towel racks in inconvenient spots on other walls!
I agree:
1. Masonry drill bits (<$2!)
2. butterfly plugs (or plaster/drywall plugs, i think some have called them toggle?)
the masonry bit will get your drill through the plaster, and the special plug is made of metal and squeezes in, then when you screw the screw into the folding part, it unfolds behind the plaster and distributes the weight onto the lathes. I'm not sure I've explained it well, but you can ask the hardware store and they'll know.
and - I'm pretty sure the third bedroom in our apartment has no studs at all either! I never thought that was possible.
weee! great timing since my move in date is in 2 weeks. thanks so much!! i'll try your suggestions.