I have a wall made of gyprock lining on a villaboard fibro wall. I'm trying to attach a screw but my drill won't penetrate the villaboard. Any ideas to add a screw to the wall. I have my drill and some wall plugs. Thanks
Hello @marlie
Before you begin, I suggest having your wall tested for asbestos for health and safety. If the wall contains asbestos, you'll need the services of an asbestos removal specialist. If the test is negative, you can proceed drilling into the wall.
Thank you for sharing your question about your gyprock on fibro wall. It's possible that the spot you picked might be in line with either a steel stud or a hardwood stud. One easy way to test it is to use a small nail and a hammer. By tapping the nail into the wall, it should hit the item that is holding the screw back. Please keep in mind that it could also be a copper or galvanized water pipe that's running along the wall. I propose choosing another spot instead to see if you can find an easier spot to mount the picture frame.
If you have access to a stud finder, I suggest doing a quick scan of the wall so that you can find the location of the studs. Once you find another ideal spot, I suggest drilling a pilot hole for ease of installation. Should you manage to find an easier spot to mount the picture, I suggest at looking at using either the Tox M5 Flip Toggle Bolt, the Ramset 1 / 8" x 50mm Plasterboard Spring Toggle Anchor or the Ramset Super Wallmate Toggle Anchor - 10 Pack. Should the spot be a hollow section. Please note that it is best practice to mount your picture frame or mirror onto a wall stud.
I also suggest having a look at this guide -
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
Hi @marlie,
I just thought I'd add that a standard drill bit won't do a great job of penetrating through fibre cement sheeting. Fibre cement sheeting is essentially wood fibres mixed with cement. A standard drill bit is not designed to drill through this, and if you are using a standard drill bit, it's likely one of the main reasons you are having issues.
You'd likely want to change over to a masonry bit.
Let me know how you go.
Jacob
