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[UncleUB]

Mines due to be done tomorrow - but I notice my neighbour across the road is having theirs done today.
Different firm though.

Good luck Kitz,

don't forget to remove any precious ornaments/pictures from the walls/window cills as there is a fair bit of vibration when they drill the walls.

[kitz]

oooh thanks for that warning UB

[Golfer]

Mines due to be done tomorrow - but I notice my neighbour across the road is having theirs done today.
Different firm though.

I've had the last 2 houses cavity insulated without problems so I'd recommend it to anyone!

Regarding the walls..... my current house is 'dab and dot' plasterboard lined also - a cheap and nasty way for the builders to save money, I think!  I've tried all sorts of fixings without success until I found the 'spiral' type that have a cross-shaped hole in the centre and a spiral screw on the outside.  Be sure to get the metal ones rather than the plastic though, they are more robust and can be unscrewed and used again if necessary.  Make a small (about 6mm) hole in the plasterboard first, then screw in the fixing slowly, making sure to keep it at 90 degrees to the surface.  If it hits something solid (like the wall behind) stop turning as this will tend to push the plasterboard outwards.  Carefully unscrew the fixing and drill the 6mm hole a bit deeper to take the pointed end of the fixing.  Refit then hang whatever you want on it. Use more than one if you have anything heavy - mirrors etc - and you should find these ok.  Cheapest I have found is Screwfix - you can get them in bulk mail-order if there's not an outlet near you.

Hope this helps, Rich

[roseway]

Yes, I second what you say Rich about those plasterboard fixings. My late sister lived in a mobile home with plasterboard walls, and we used those fixings all over the place, and very effective they are.

[sevenlayermuddle]

I agree the spiral fittings are good, but sometimes you find that the plaster surface lifts and chips as you screw them in, even if you drill a pilot hole first.  The reason that happens is that the dot & dab plasterboard still has a skim coat of plaster on top of it, which is very brittle, and tends to get lifted by the threads on  the wall plugs. 

The solution I found is to drill the pilot to suit the thread, and then drill in just a millimetre or two with a larger drill, just far enough to remove the skim coat.  That stops the skim coat from lifting when the plug is screwed in.

For very heavy loads, I prefer to use the spring-loaded fittings, where two little arms pop out behind the plasterboard.  The trouble is, even if your fittings are strong enough, the plasterboard and it's dots and dabs have only limited strength, and taken to extremes these could fail under very heavy loads.  That said, in my last house I mounted a big wooden mirror that needed two people to lift it, and it caused no problems.

[UncleUB]

The trouble is, even if your fittings are strong enough, the plasterboard and it's dots and dabs have only limited strength,

Which too an extent depends on the plasterer that has done the 'dot and dabbing'in the first place.You can find these plaster dots on the walls very sparse,less dots means faster and quicker completion,means more £££££ for the plasterer.
Over the years I have seen evidence of some pretty poor 'dot and dabbing' and have the misfortune of trying to fix skirting boards to walls with very little behind them.

[roseway]

I made the pilot holes with a pozidriv screwdriver which just happened to be the right size, then used the same screwdriver to put in the fixings and the screws. The whole job done with a single tool.

[UncleUB]

I made the pilot holes with a pozidriv screwdriver which just happened to be the right size, then used the same screwdriver to put in the fixings and the screws. The whole job done with a single tool.

Sorted....

Edit. if you make small hole in the plasterboard,then insert a screwdriver or similar until you feel it hit the brick or breeze block, it will give you a good idea how big the gap is between the back of your plasterboard and the brick or breeze block wall. 

[kitz]

Thanks for the tips about the fixings - I will take this onboard next time I get the drill out


-----

House now insulated..   the contractors seem to have done a good job and the drill holes appear to have been quite neatly disguised.
Unlike the house opposite (different contractor)..  whose holes really are quite visible.  I also dont know if something went wrong, but it looked like they have also been called back as the van was there again 2 days later to fix something.

My next door neighbour actually commented that the people who did mine seem to have done a good job.

lol..  the only thing is..  although they swept up and hosed down etc..   I have gravel chippings in my back garden..  and near the back door it looks like someone has spilt a pile of cotton wool over them.   Presumably this will eventually blow away.   

[roseway]

That sounds good. I expect that the 'cotton wool' will disappear quite quickly.

[camallison]

That sounds good. I expect that the 'cotton wool' will disappear quite quickly.

Yes, TD will be along shortly for it - extra bedding for his nest.  



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[tickmike]

Re plaster board on dabs, if I want to fix anything to the wall I just use long (3") wood screws with the wall plug in the brick/block at the back of the plaster board.