What you can hang on the wall
The three ways of fixing
Section titled “The three ways of fixing”Into the stud — this is the load-bearing one
Section titled “Into the stud — this is the load-bearing one”The fixing grips the steel profile. Kitchen units, a wall-hung boiler, a TV bracket: they belong here.
A detector will find the studs behind the lining, but it is better to know from the documentation. So ask for a plan of the stud layout.
Into a built-in nogging — this is the best
Section titled “Into a built-in nogging — this is the best”If we know at design stage where a heavy load will go, an extra section or plate goes in behind the lining there. It is the strongest solution and during manufacture it is effectively free. Adding one afterwards means opening up.
Into the board — for light loads
Section titled “Into the board — for light loads”A picture, a shelf, a curtain rail: cavity fixings that expand behind the board take surprisingly much. Not unlimited, and not kitchen units.
What to tell the designer in advance
Section titled “What to tell the designer in advance”List where the heavy loads will go:
- the run of wall units in the kitchen,
- a wall-hung boiler or cylinder,
- a TV bracket, wall-mounted furniture,
- bathroom grab rails, basin, wall-hung WC,
- a larger mirror, a shelving system,
- an external bracket or awning.
Each gets a nogging. That list takes five minutes and solves a problem for years.
Before drilling
Section titled “Before drilling”What is in the wall
Section titled “What is in the wall”Cables run in the service cavity. Look at the documentation, or use a detector. Service cavity.
The vapour control layer
Section titled “The vapour control layer”The service cavity is good precisely because drilling does not reach the vapour control membrane — as long as the fixing stays in the inner board and the stud. Drive a long screw into the structure and you cancel that advantage.
Fire-rated lining
Section titled “Fire-rated lining”Where the lining has a fire role, a larger penetration is not a private matter: the seal has to be restored.
What to ask for in the handover documentation
Section titled “What to ask for in the handover documentation”A plan showing:
- the stud layout,
- the position of the built-in noggings,
- the mechanical and electrical routes.
A few pages that end decades of guesswork. Handover documentation.
The point
Section titled “The point”The question is not whether the wall will take it but where you fix. Say at design stage where the heavy loads will be and the question disappears.