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How to hang things from hollow walls?

Hi everyone ☺️

I have moved from Singapore to Australia, and I am really confused at the walls here, they are not solid brick walls like I have seen growing up, like for example we can just nail anything on the walls and its easy and it stays put. And, also, in Singapore it was fairly easy to get a carpenter to do things and build things, but here its super expensive and I would like to save that money and learn this skill myself to do little things around the house.

Please can someone explain to me what the walls are made of and how do I nail into them? I want to hang some pictures, make some storage dividers, paint 2 walls, build some shelves in the wardrobes - it is all just empty with 1 rail to hang and I think I need some shelves but I am really scared and worried as to where to start from. I have measured everything and none of the readymade shelves fit, so I know I have to cut shelves to size, but I am not sure how that is done here ?

And also - the flooring looks like wood - but it is something called floating floors and we cannot mop them coz it will cause mold ??!!! This is a shock to me, how do I not mop, it doesnt feel clean like the proper clean clean with just vacuuming 😣

I keep reading the discussions and I am very confused and overwhelmed, all I have is a screw and drill kit for now, but I can buy necessary basic stuff… dear gods of building and jaded bunnings experts - please shower your wisdom on me, appreciate and thankyou for all your advise in advance,

Thanks,
Pia

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MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community and Australia Pia (@Felixbunnings). It's sensational to have you join us and many thanks for your questions.

The world of DIY can definitely feel overwhelming at first, especially coming from places where homes are built very differently. Once you understand how things are constructed here, it starts to make a lot more sense.

Most modern Australian homes use timber frame construction. That means the house structure is made from a timber frame, and then sheets of plasterboard (also called drywall or gyprock) are attached to that frame to form the walls. So instead of drilling straight into solid brick, you’re usually drilling into plasterboard with timber studs behind it.

These studs are vertical timber pieces inside the wall that the plasterboard is fixed to. You'll find them every 450 or 600mm across the wall.

For anything heavy (like shelving), the best option is to screw directly into the timber studs behind the wall. This is the strongest and safest fixing. A stud finder can help locate these studs through the plasterboard. Here's a helpful guide: How to use a stud finder.

Even though studs are usually spaced about 450–600mm apart, unfortunately, they aren’t always exactly where you want them to be for shelves. When possible, it’s always best to use them before relying on plasterboard fixings.

For lighter items, you can fix directly into the plasterboard using special anchors designed for it. For example, Ramset Nylon WallMate Plasterboard Anchor With Screws 10 Pack are very handy. You make a small hole in the plasterboard and screw the large plastic anchor into it. Then the metal screw goes into that anchor to hold your picture hook or bracket.

These types of fixings can generally support around 10kg or so, which makes them ideal for:

Pictures
Small décor items
Light storage

For very light items, adhesive hooks can also work well. Products like Command strip hooks can hold lightweight pictures without drilling at all.

Since ready-made shelves rarely fit perfectly, some people buy boards and cut them to size. Bunnings can often cut timber panels for you in-store, which makes things much easier when you’re starting out. Later on, you might get a circular saw or handsaw if you plan to do more projects.

Floating floors often look like wood but are usually laminate or hybrid flooring.

You can mop them but the warning you saw is usually about too much water. Flooding the floor can allow water to seep between the boards and cause swelling or damage.

Instead:

Use a well-wrung mop (just damp, not wet)
Avoid leaving standing water on the surface

Done this way, the floor will still get properly clean without causing damage.

The good news is that everything you mentioned including painting, shelves, hanging pictures and wardrobe storage are great beginner DIY projects. There are also lots of step-by-step guides on the Bunnings website DIY-Advice section covering things like installing shelves, finding studs, and fixing to plasterboard.

You’re already doing the right thing by measuring and asking questions. Once you complete your first couple of projects, your confidence will grow quickly.

If you'd like, you could also post a photo of your wardrobe space and the community can suggest an easy way to add shelves that will work with your wall type.

Here are some guides you might like to read through: How to hang just about anything, How to hang a shelf on the wall and How to paint like a professional.

I've created the rendering below to help you visualise what a stud wall is. I hope that's useful.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Felixbunnings

Hi @MitchellMc THANKYOU SO MUCH!! I really appreciate your long and detailed response! I am already excited (and a bit scared) to get started!! I have the wardrobe measurements attached, I was thinking I would do horizontal shelves, as they have a rod on top to hang clothes.
The measurements are all internal end to end and there are sliding mirror doors on the wardrobe.

MitchellMc

No problem at all @Felixbunnings, happy to help. It’s completely normal to feel a mix of excitement and nerves before getting started.

Looking at your measurements, I suspect what you’re planning will function more like a freestanding shelving unit. That’s actually a good thing, as it means the weight will be supported by the floor rather than needing to be fully fixed to the wall. Because of this, you won’t need to heavily mount it. Instead, you can simply secure the unit at the top using small angle brackets to pin it back to the wall and prevent any risk of it tipping forward.

With the widths you’re working with, I would strongly suggest adding a vertical divider between the shelves. This will help prevent the shelves from bowing over time under the weight of clothes or other items, especially if you’re using longer spans. It will also make the overall unit feel more solid and durable.

Your idea of combining hanging space with horizontal shelving is a great, practical layout, so you’re definitely on the right track. I've taken your notes and created another rendering.

Mitchell

R4addZ

Hi @Felixbunnings

Just a thought here, The brackets shown in the excelent depiction above can be fitted on the inside of the wardrobe if there is any chance that they can be seen from the room. This can be done even if there is a back to the wardrobe, you simply screw through the back and into the studs. You should still use the brackets and screw them to the carcas of the robe to ensure a solid fix.

MitchellMc

If you want to get really tricky with it, @R4addZ, you can install them first, that way they are less visible from the top and the bottom. Takes a bit more effort to get them aligned, though.

Mitchell

R4addZ

Hi @Felixbunnings

Some additional advice when dealing with stud walls. Cables are more often than not draped down inside the gaps so always be careful if installing a picture or other thing above a power outlet or switch the same goes for pipework. There are also cross pieces of wood (not shown in the rendering above) called noggins used to strengthen the structure and if you are installing something at the right height, they can also be used to fix to. When drilling holes be careful not to drill too deep as the gaps are also filled with insulation (usually) for heat and sound reasons and if your drill bit gets caught up in the insulation material it can be really hard to get it back out

Felixbunnings

Hi @R4addZ !! Thanks for this additional info, I feel like I am gonna be playing minesweeper…I understand studfinder is to find the studs and watched a few videos, and I have confidently added one in my budget to my list of things to buy, but, WHAT FINDS THE CABLES NOW ?! 😖 or do I just wing it?

R4addZ

Hi @Felixbunnings

A good studfinder will also have addittional functions built in to find both power and pipes. Usually though they are fairly self evident if you look on both sides of the wall for outlets/switches/taps/gas bayonets.

EricL

Hello @Felixbunnings

It's great that you have received excellent advice from @R4addZ. I totally agree with their suggestion, just make sure to read the fine print on the unit to make sure it detects electrical and metal pipes in the wall.

Here is handy step-by-step guide: How to use a stud finder

you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

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