Help! I tried to drill a hole in my laundry wall and hit metal

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure if it is a stud. If I thump the wall it sounds very hollow. About 20cm to the right there is definitely a stud or at least something thick and solid.

MitchellMc

To determine what you've hit, you'd need to cut a small section of the Villaboard away to inspect the area @BadAnalysis. That's likely not a bad idea, as it would be good to know if it was a pipe and if it was now compromised.

Mitchell

How well would a cheap stud finder work? The reviews of the cheap ones aren't very encouraging so I'm uncertain. My landlord gave me permission to mount a towel rack, I don't think they'd be impressed if I started hacking chunks out of the wall.

Hello @BadAnalysis

If you're having second thoughts about investing in a stud finder, I suggest a classical tool to help you find the metal studs in your house. I recommend using Everhang 12mm Rare Earth Disc Magnet. I suggest wrapping it in a single layer of masking tape with a bit left over to form a handhold.

Please note that these are not play magnets and should not be given to children. Please treat them with the same respect as you would with regular tools.

Just like using a stud finder, gently pass the magnet over the wall in a zig-zag pattern. You'll feel a very strong tug when you're over a steel stud. You'll feel the start of the stud as the magnet hooks itself and will be very difficult to move when you're in the middle. It then gets easier as you go past the stud. Once you find your studs, you can then mount your towel rail.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

That's odd. The metal seems not to be ferromagnetic. Interestingly the faucet is the same. I've tried the magnet on many other objects and it certainly works.

Have you tried to look for metal mounting screws in the plaster as you were swinging the magnet? That's another thing you can look for if it doesn't stick to the metal stud.

If you still don't catch anything, It may be time to invest in a better stud finder like the Ryobi Stud Finder. This particular unit goes the next step up by detecting the whole stud. It detects metal wood and electrical wiring.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

I purchased a Stanley 38mm S160 Stud Finder but it ended up more confused then I am so I bit the bullet and bore two small holes on each side and they went straight through. Image attached. Time to call a plumber?

I don't think it's time to call the plumber. However, I think it's time to consider what kind of hollow wall anchor you're going to use. Would it be possible for you to post a picture of the towel rack you're about to install? Specifically, the mounting brace that came with it. This will let us know if the holes you drilled are compatible with the bracket.

For hollow wall installations, I generally recommend using Ramset 16mm Hollow Wall Anchor - 4 Pack. If the holes are in alignment, you just need two more holes by the look of things to anchor the top part of your towel rack. If you need assistance in posting the pictures, please let me know.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing the pictures of your towel rack.

Eric

Thanks for your response. I should have mentioned that I've given up on mounting screws and decided to use an adhesive hanger. I'll sand away a bit of the paint then clean the wall before applying it. Still leaves me perplexed about the metal though.

It's perfectly ok to use another method to mount it, using a good adhesive should hold your towel rack in place. As for the steel stud in your wall, you might have another chance to explore it when you need to drill into your wall again.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Well now this is just plain embarrassing. I took a good look at the hole in question under a different light and compared it to the two other holes I bored and noticed something odd. The 'metal' I hit seemed to begin within the villaboard itself. I dug at it with a screwdriver and voilà... it punched straight through. Turns out that the 'metal' was deposited by my drill bit because of the way I tried to drill the hole. So it turns out there was never any problem to begin with.

Thank you for your help. Now excuse me while I move to another country to hide in embarrassment.