Advice needed for over head storage fixings

[RandomTaskDave]

I’m looking for advice on some over head storage I’m building, regarding the right type of screws and raw plugs to use on the wall please.

The wall has 70mm thick plasterboard on it, with a 20mm cavity with breeze blocks behind it. From measuring the other side of the wall and door frame, they’re either 100mm or 140mm thick blocks. What I was intending on doing was fixing some 45mm square batons along the wall for support, but I was unsure what type of raw plugs and screws to use.

My plan (due to me only having a long drill bit of 10mm thick to hand) was to drill a hole all the way through to and into the breeze block. So based on some maths I needed to drill in 160mm, then I’d need screws that are approx 200mm long and I was going to push a 70mm m10 raw plug into the hole, past the plaster, into the breeze blocks by 70mm. Then tighten the screws into the 45mm baton, through the plaster and into the 70mm raw plug in the breeze block. Hopefully that makes sense.

See picture of inspection hole I drilled out.

Not sure if that’s the right way, unless anyone can come up with a better suggestion?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
David

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

You will need something to space out between face of the breeze block and face of plasterboard, so avoid breaking the plasterboard as you tighten the fixing up - something like a thick walled tube, to spread the load. If you meant breeze blocks, these are extremely crumbly and difficult to get a good fixing in, I think the usual advice is to use some sort of resin fixture rather than plugs.

 

[RandomTaskDave]

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

Regarding spacing out the gap between the block and plasterboard, I’m not sure how I’m going to do that as I only intended on drilling a hole to push the raw plug in to. So how would I get a spacer down there to fill the gap?

When you mentioned resin, I was thinking about whether getting some resin squirted down the hole to hopefully fill the gap between them would harden enough to stop the plasterboard cracking when tightening?

 

[JohnD]

What is this storage? Is it wall cabinets? You can get steel hanging rail.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Regarding spacing out the gap between the block and plasterboard, I’m not sure how I’m going to do that as I only intended on drilling a hole to push the raw plug in to. So how would I get a spacer down there to fill the gap?

You would need to make the hole in the plasterboard large enough, for the spacer diameter.

 

[RandomTaskDave]

I’m looking to do something similar to this

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I’m looking to do something similar to this

If you are putting a batten along the wall, then you may be able to fix to the vertical wooden studs in the wall, assuming there are some. Much of the weight will be shared by the framework, fixed to the ceiling joists, rather than the load being cantilevered - so only a vertical load on the wall to counteract.

 

[RandomTaskDave]

What is this storage? Is it wall cabinets? You can get steel hanging rail.

Thanks John. I can use my hole cutting drill set and find some spacers the same size to match

 

[RandomTaskDave]

If you are putting a batten along the wall, then you may be able to fix to the vertical wooden studs in the wall, assuming there are some. Much of the weight will be shared by the framework, fixed to the ceiling joists, rather than the load being cantilevered - so only a vertical load on the wall to counteract.

Thanks Harry. I have found the ceiling joists to come off, but spent ages trying to find the wall joists with a stud finder. That’s when I cut an inspection hole and realised why I can’t find any, I found breeze blocks which was a surprise lol

 

[fillyboy]

If it were me I think I would glue the batten to the wall, not sure what adhesive I'd go for, stixall and sticks like have a bit of flex in them but otherwise they do bond well, then as you say, screw through to the wall but I'd use Fischer frame fixings where the 'plug' is the same length as the screw so would be easier to insert, I'd be careful not to overtighten to avoid pulling the plasterboard in (if there are no battens). Bonding the batten to the wall before fixing would help spread the load evenly.
When buying these frame fixings note that many of them are 'hammer in' rather than 'screw in' so the screw in ones are preferable for this application.

 

[RandomTaskDave]

Thanks for the above

 

[RandomTaskDave]

So with all the advice you’ve given (thank you!!) I’ve fitted the batten to the wall using the glue with threaded bars and it’s worked a treat.

Today I’ve moved onto trying to fit another batten to the joists in the ceiling. However, after several attempts I couldn’t locate the joists!

so I’ve cut a small section of the the ceiling to inspect and I’ve again found quite a thick plasterboard with foam on the back and then above that some kind of plastic mesh, the insulation behind that.

Any advice that can be given on how I can find the joists through all I’ve just said would be greatly appreciated. I’m total lost how I can locate them.

secc picture below of inspection hole I cut in the ceiling. Thanks again in advance

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Any advice that can be given on how I can find the joists through all I’ve just said would be greatly appreciated. I’m total lost how I can locate them.

A long very thin screwdriver poked through the plaster, should enable you to find them, but you need to know first which way the joists actually run. They should be around 16" between centres. Alternative to a screwdriver, you could try looking for the plasterboard fixings, with a rare earth magnet. Magnet will stick to screw or nail heads, where you find a row of them, you have found a joist.

 

[RandomTaskDave]

Many thanks I’ll give it a go