Plasterboard walls are frequently used to create new internal or partition walls, by fixing plasterboard (or similar material) to either a metal or timber framework. Typically using anything from 9-30mm board with a slight degree of flex, plasterboard walls have a lower load bearing capacity compared to solid walls made of brick or concrete, for example. There are lots of types of plasterboard fixings available and it’s important to use the correct type. When choosing a fixing, we advise taking into consideration the following;

• Application – The type of item you need to fit and how heavy it is at its maximum (for example, if it’s a radiator, the weight when it’s full).
• Type Of Load – Items fixed flat to the wall such as TVs will induce significantly less load than the leverage of a floating shelf.
• Wall Type – What type of plasterboard wall you have e.g. the board material, how thick it is, is it single or double layered, is it insulated or is it tiled over the top?
• Fixing – The weight capacity per plasterboard fixing and if it is suitable for your wall type.

Below are some of our recommendations for high quality plasterboard fixings, split into weight categories.

Plasterboard fixings for light duty items

fischer HDPF Plasterboard Wall Plug – a simple, economical wall plug for very lightweight items such as pictures, up to 4kg.

fischer PDM Metal Plasterboard Wall Plug – a self tapping wall plug with a sharp metal thread, meaning you do not need to pre-drill a hole. Ideal for lighting, electrical installations and pictures for example, with a rating of up to 7kg per plug.

fischer Duoblade Plasterboard Wall Plug – a premium version of the PDM plug. The Duoblade is self drill and made from nylon with a metal tip. It is also suitable for use in double layered plasterboard and cement board. Will hold up to 10kg per fixing in 12.5mm single layer plasterboard, so can hold slightly heavier items such as mirrors, curtain poles and smoke detectors.

Plasterboard fixings for medium duty items

BespOak Interiors Multi-Wall Concealed Floating Shelf Fixing (Plasterboard Variation) – specifically for fitting floating shelves up to 150mm deep to plasterboard. Rated up to 6kg per fixing, with a minimum recommendation of four brackets per metre.

fischer DuoPower Wall Plug – a premium wall plug that cleverly adapts to the wall type, including plasterboard (others include brick, stone and chipboard). Weight capacity varies from 10kg-50kg per plug depending on the size of DuoPower used and the wall type. Use for blinds, curtain rails, letter boxes and small cabinets, for example.

Timco Metal Cavity Anchor – a completely metal fixing with multiple expanding arms to secure it in place. Weight capacity varies from 22kg-37kg per anchor depending on size, based on 12.5mm plasterboard. Timco suggest using these for hanging radiators, brackets, hand rails and shelving units.

Plasterboard fixings for heavy duty items

fischer DuoTec Toggle Fixing – each flip toggle fixing can support between 17kg-130kg of weight. (Note – the final weight rating depends on the screw size used and type of board it’s fitted into.) The DuoTec is suitable for plasterboard, fibreboard and wooden panels. It also functions as an expansion plug in solid material. This is ideal if you hit a timber batten behind the board. Use for wall cabinets, shelves, wardrobes and lamps, for example.

GripIt Plasterboard Fixing – a unique fixing with slim, gripping wings. These can secure heavy loads ranging from 74kg-113kg, depending on the variation of GripIt used. GripIts are recommended for fitting items such as radiators, boilers, cabinets and speakers.

What about fitting into the battens/studwork?

Most plasterboard fixings aren’t suitable to fit into the battens/studwork behind the plasterboard. Out of the ones listed above, the fischer DuoTec Toggle Fixing and our Multi-Wall Concealed Floating Shelf Fixing (which uses the DuoTec as one of its components), are the only ones that you can also install into timber.

If you are intending to fit solely into the battens rather than the plasterboard itself, then we recommend using a fixing designed for solid walls/solid material.

If you need some help choosing your fixing, please contact us and we will do our best to advise you.

Dot and dab walls are becoming an increasingly common type of wall in UK homes, especially in new builds and renovations of older properties. Dot and dab walls have many advantages, such as increased insulation value and speed of finishing. However there are few options for fixings for dot and dab walls, so it can be tricky when it comes to hanging or fixing items onto them.

What is a dot and dab wall and what makes it tricky to fix to?

Thankfully the market is now seeing some reliable, strong, high quality fixings especially designed for dot and dab walls. These fixings are long enough to span the gap and secure into the solid wall beyond, whilst offering support right out as far as the plasterboard surface.

Fixing floating shelves to dot and dab walls

Our very own Multi-Wall Concealed Floating Shelf Bracket has a variation developed especially for dot and dab walls. This bracket can be used for floating shelves from 80mm-250mm deep, produced from any solid material that is at least 20mm thick.

The dot and dab floating shelf bracket has a 100mm long screw and 100mm long wall plug, which can span a cavity up to 25mm and provide a secure hold into the solid wall. Each shelf bracket provides up to 8kg of weight capacity.

Fixing TVs, radiators, wall units, boilers and other heavy items to dot and dab walls

The brand Corefix specialises in dot and dab wall fixings that are ideal for installing heavy, large items on dot and dab walls. They have two screw lengths of 100mm and 120mm, named the Corefix 100 and Corefix 120 respectively. Thanks to a reinforced steel core that fits around the thread and provides additional support through the cavity, each Corefix wall fixing provides up to 25kg weight capacity. Use them for installing a range of items such as boilers, radiators, wall cabinets/units, timber battens and more. There is also a Corefix 100 TV Fixing Kit available, especially for fixing wall mounted TVs and TV brackets.

Alternatively, fischer’s DuoXpand range is also suitable for dot and dab walls. Part of the Duo Line range from fischer, the DuoXpand utilises a cleverly designed wall plug that will give increased expansion within the voids of the substrate. They offer a wide range of screw lengths starting from 80mm all the way up to 230mm. This makes them especially useful in constructional circumstances, for example, fitting door and window frames, steel plates and balustrades.

Summary

In our opinion, these are the best fixings available for dot and dab walls. If you are not sure which product would be most suitable for your installation, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you’re trying to identify your wall type, our What Type of Wall Do I Have? post may help.

What is the fischer DuoLine range?

The fischer DuoLine range consists of cleverly designed, high quality wall plugs, many of which are award winning across the globe. There are five different types of wall plugs within the range. Each provides a different function into varying types of walls and building materials. Fischer describe this range as a “duo of power and intelligence”.

What sets the DuoLine wall plugs apart from others?

All of the DuoLine wall plugs are made from two components, which is highly noticeable from the contrast of colours. Firstly is the grey nylon and secondly is the red polypropylene. Generally speaking, the combination of these components means the wall plug has more capacity to expand. This results in a more secure fixing and a higher load capacity per wall plug. The red polypropylene is softer than the grey nylon, which means it is able to expand more easily. As it expands, it is also able to adjust as appropriate into the specific wall or building material. Therefore the majority of the DuoLine range are suitable for use in more than one type of wall or building material.

What wall plugs are in the fischer DuoLine range?

fischer DuoPower Wall Plug – Arguably the best known product in the DuoLine range. Its clever design means that it either expands, folds or knots; it automatically adjusts depending on the wall type. Therefore we recommend the DuoPower wall plug if you do not know what kind of wall/material you are fixing into. It is also ideal if you are fixing to multiple wall types in the home. For example, you are fixing to an internal plasterboard wall and then an external brick wall and do not want to buy a different plug for each.

fischer DuoTec Plasterboard Toggle Fixing – A heavy duty fixing for fitting directly to plasterboard walls, drywall and wooden panels. It is also suitable for use in solid materials, where is acts like an expansion plug. This is perfect if you hit a timber stud or batten behind the plasterboard, saving the time and money of having to source an alternative plug. We are so impressed with the DuoTec fixing that we use it as part of the plasterboard variation of our Multi Wall Concealed Floating Shelf Brackets.

fischer DuoBlade Plasterboard Wall Plug – A lighter duty alternative to the DuoTec, for fitting directly to plasterboard. This is the only wall plug in the DuoLine range not able to adapt to other wall or material types. It has a self-drill tip for easy installation.

fischer DuoSeal Wall Plug – This wall plug is specifically for use on tiles in wet areas. The name DuoSeal highlights the fact that this plug automatically seals the drill hole in the tile. Therefore there is no need for any sealing compound. It works similarly to the DuoPower wall plug, as it is able to automatically adjust to the wall type behind the tile.

fischer DuoXpand Frame Fixing/Dot and Dab Wall Plug – The newest addition to the DuoLine range, primarily for fixing either timber or metal to masonry. It can adapt to secure in solid, hollow and perforated masonry. The fischer DuoXpand also has the capability for use as a dot and dab wall plug thanks to its long fixing length.

(Click on the green product names to read about each one in more detail.)

What are the negatives of the fischer DuoLine range?

Be prepared to pay more for the fischer DuoLine wall plugs compared to your average plastic and nylon wall plugs.

Summary

The fischer DuoLine wall plugs are a premium range, consisting of high quality, adaptable and flexible wall plugs. They are suitable for a wide variety of applications and wall types. They are more expensive in comparison to others on the market, but in return you can be assured of a reliable, secure fixing.

*We are an authorised fischer distributor but this post is not an ad and does not contain affiliate links.

How much weight can floating shelves hold? More often than not the answer to this question actually lies with your wall and the floating shelf brackets you use, not the shelf. Please bear in mind that we are referring to solid wood floating shelves in this article and not the hollow, mass produced, cardboard core type shelves.

There are varying types of floating shelf brackets available on the market, each one will have a different weight rating but some don’t specify one at all. How much weight they can hold is usually affected by what type of wall they are designed to fit to and also potentially by the design of the bracket. For example, floating shelf brackets designed to fit to solid walls, like brick and concrete, will generally have a higher weight rating then a bracket designed to fit to plasterboard or drywall. Plasterboard is not designed to be a load bearing surface, therefore if you are installing a shelf that is solely fixed to plasterboard, the load rating will be significantly limited.

The depth of the shelf also plays a key role in how much weight a floating shelf can hold. As the depth (distance from the front of the shelf to the wall) increases, so does the leverage effect on the floating shelf bracket. This is why we specify not just a weight rating on our brackets but also a maximum recommended shelf depth. Taking all of these factors into account, we then recommend a minimum quantity of brackets that should be used per running metre of shelf.

Floating Shelf Bracket Weight Ratings

We have our own range of floating shelf brackets. We extensively test these so that we are able to offer definitive guidance on what will work for your scenario. Our range of brackets are suitable for use within the following weight ratings (please bear in mind both the weight of the shelf and its intended load, when calculating the overall weight the shelf brackets need to hold);

Multi Wall Floating Shelf Brackets

Solid Wall – 10kg per bracket

Plasterboard Wall – 6kg per bracket

If securing to the timber stud work rather than the plasterboard itself, use the solid wall bracket for a 10kg rating and a maximum shelf depth of 250mm.

Dot and Dab Wall – 8kg per bracket (this increases to 10kg per bracket if strengthened in the cavity with a chemical resin dab)

Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Brackets

Solid Wall / Timber Stud Work – 20kg per bracket (this increases to 40kg per bracket if fixed with a chemical resin)

These brackets can be cut down to work with shallower shelves, which does not affect the weight rating.

As you can see from the above, the weight floating shelves can hold varies significantly. This depends mostly on wall type, shelf size and of course, the brackets and quantity used. However, armed with all of the information above, you will be able to ensure your floating shelf is fitted with the right brackets to sufficiently hold your required weight.

We are often asked if extra brackets can be used over and above the recommended quantity per metre in order to increase the weight capacity. The answer is absolutely! This doesn’t cause any issues and it is always better to be over than under. However we do not recommend exceeding the maximum recommended shelf depth as this will rapidly overload the fixing. This, and an incorrectly identified wall type, are the most common causes of floating shelf bracket failure. For a helpful guide on identifying wall types, check out our post What Type of Wall Do I Have?.

We hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any questions regarding the information detailed in this guide, or have suggestions for future topics, please contact us. You can read our previous guides here.

How deep should floating shelves be? It might seem straightforward selecting a depth for floating shelves. However, there are a few important things to consider. (When we say “depth” we mean how far the shelf sticks out from the wall – also often referred to as “width”.)

Firstly, you need to consider the wall type you are intending to fit the shelf to, especially if using concealed floating shelf brackets. This is because the strength of the wall type may limit what depth of floating shelf you are able to fit. The main three wall types are solid wall, plasterboard wall and dot and dab wall. If you are unsure what type of wall you have, our post here may help you identify it.

Once you have identified the wall type and any size limitations as a result, you can then choose a suitable shelf depth, taking into account the size of the items you intend to place on the shelf. This handy guide will help you make sure you buy the right floating shelf for your purpose.

100mm Deep Floating Shelves

100mm deep shelves are great for small, tight spaces. They are well suited for displaying small items such as photo frames. Fit them in a bathroom for a small toothbrush shelf or ledge underneath a mirror. This depth of shelf will be very lightweight, so you can install them with floating shelf brackets to solid walls, plasterboard walls and dot and dab walls. For this size of shelf we recommend our Multi Wall Concealed Floating Shelf Bracket in all wall types, using the short 80mm barrel. You can use these brackets in shelves as thin as 20mm.

150mm Deep Floating Shelves

150mm deep shelves offer a bit more practical shelf space, as they are large enough to accommodate small books and ornaments. They make a great floating surface for a porch or entrance hall as they won’t protrude too far into the room. As above, this shelf depth is suitable for all wall types using our multi wall floating shelf brackets. However, in this case, we recommend the long 120mm barrel.

200mm Deep Floating Shelves

A 200mm depth is what we would consider a standard depth floating shelf. Great for plants, bigger ornaments and standard sized books, these are great size wall shelves for everyday use. However plasterboard floating shelf brackets are generally not able to support this depth, due to the leverage placed upon the plasterboard. Therefore we only recommend the solid wall and dot and dab wall variations of our floating fixings, again with the 120mm barrel.

Note – if your plasterboard wall is constructed with timber studs or battens and you are able to line up your fixing points with enough of these in the right place, then you can get around this problem by securing the shelves to the studs using the solid wall bracket variation. Metal studs are not suitable.

250mm Deep Floating Shelves

250mm deep wall shelves offer extra practical shelf space, perfect for holding more of what you love. Also great for bigger books such as cook books and for general use in kitchens, for holding jars and crockery. The same applies for fitting this shelf depth with floating shelf brackets as the 200mm depth.

275mm-400mm Deep Floating Shelves

275mm deep is the point at which we upgrade the floating fixings to heavy duty ones. These Heavy Duty Floating Shelf Brackets are designed for use in floating shelf depths up to 400mm. We recommend a minimum 35mm thick shelf for these brackets due to the size of the retaining plate. They are extremely strong and very versatile. However, they are only suitable for fitting to solid walls or into solid material (e.g. timber studs). Dot and dab walls are possible, although it requires a different fitting process. This process is explained in more detail in our FAQs.

Using these heavy duty brackets with deep shelves means they are ideal for supporting large, heavy items. For example, set top boxes, games consoles, amplifiers or creating a floating bedside table. Many customers also use these heavy duty wall shelves for supporting sinks and basins in a bathroom.

After considering all of the above factors, you may find that floating shelf brackets are not suitable for your combination of wall type and shelf depth. In this case, you may need to consider traditional, visible shelf brackets, such as triangular shelf brackets or scaffold brackets.

We hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any questions regarding the information detailed in this guide, or have suggestions for future topics, please contact us.