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How to hang drying rack for laundry?

I have purched the Grip It, 40kg, red fixings and they stated to drill a 18mm hole but that's a size that nearly almost doesn't exist in drill parts so I have drill 19mm holes. These are all drilled ready to go.

The instructions say to hammer gentley the fixings into the wall but they just don't fit as the holes are too small. What am I missing? Do I need to go 2mm higher than the instructions? It's a big 'hole' commitment and I don't want to be left with big unusable holes or a drying rack that falls off the wall. Please help, any more 'aggressive' with the hammer I fear will end in disaster.

One of the pieces has already lost a grey wing

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EricL

Hello @phoebe L

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about Grip It wall plugs.

If you look closely at the grip it wall plug, you'll notice four extended indentations that are extruding out of the sides of the wall plug. These side extrusions are what is catching onto the plasterboard. I suggest start tapping at the corners rather than tapping it from the top. Your goal is to get each extruded corner to sink into the plasterboard. The purpose of the extrusions is to give the plug a tight fit and to prevent the body from turning once you activate the locking mechanism.

I propose a slight steady tap repeated steadily at each corner until it sinks rather than a single swing of the hammer.

Please make sure to wear personal protection such as gloves and goggles when working on your project.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

MitchellMc

Hi @phoebe L,

I just wanted to also confirm that this is plasterboard and not 4.5mm cement sheeting. The plasterboard should be soft enough for the wings to cut into. Cement sheeting, on the other hand, is quite tough for its thickness and will shear the wings off.

Mitchell

phoebe L

I didn't know there was a thing as cement sheeting. This is what the inside of the holes look like. The possibility of cement sheeting in the laundry did not come up and I spoke to four team members. Does this look like plasterboard or cement? The width does indeed look 4.5mm

If this is the case, what's my best option? I have drill six very large holes. Could I file the four parts 'star' parts?

EricL

Hello @phoebe L

My teammate was correct; it does appear to be a form of cement sheeting. If you still have your docket, I propose returning the Grip It from the store you purchased it from and exchanging it for either the https://www.bunnings.com.au/tox-m6-flip-toggle-bolt_p2260713 or the https://www.bunnings.com.au/ramset-3-16-x-50mm-round-head-toggle-spring-4-pack_p2265622 . These are more suitable for your wall type.

In regards to the holes you have already drilled, I suggest using https://www.bunnings.com.au/uni-pro-500g-multi-purpose-interior-filler-500g_p1210281 to slowly fill the hole until they are covered. My best advice is to find another location on the wall and not to use the patched holes you have already drilled into.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

phoebe L

Oh wow ok. This is turning into a very long and time expensive job, I live 30 mins away from Bunnings. Can I drill into the poly filler? These were in exact spots. I had advice from four team members including the team head and had no idea this was even a possibility.

EricL

Hello @phoebe L

I'm sorry, but as I mentioned I don't recommend drilling into the poly filler. It will not be as strong as the cement sheet. I suggest relocating the drying rack perhaps a little bit higher from its original position.

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

Eric

MitchellMc

I do apologise for that confusion @phoebe L. Both plasterboard and cement sheeting are common wall linings in laundries/bathrooms. It’s also important to note that if your home was built before 1995, there is a possibility that the cement sheeting may contain asbestos. If you’re unsure, it should be treated as though it does and avoid drilling or disturbing the material until it has been professionally assessed and confirmed to be asbestos-free.

Regarding the current situation, something that we would typically recommend when fixing to thin linings would be using a bridging piece of timber. This is a length of timber (something like 140 x 19mm pine) that is fixed into the closest timber wall studs and then allows you to fix anywhere along its length, even over the existing holes. If you were to install one of these, that would not only give you a firm mounting point, but also resolve the oversized holes.

I've put a rendering together below to illustrate.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

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