Fix an anti-tip strap or bracket into solid timber behind a lath and plaster wall, so tall furniture can't tip over.
AT-01Check the wall is actually lath and plasterKnock gently along the wall. Lath and plaster gives a slightly hollow, springy sound and often bulges very slightly between the timber studs behind it. Plasterboard sounds flatter and more even, dot-and-dab sounds hollow with occasional solid patches, and solid brick or block sounds dead and solid all over. Houses built before about 1930 are the most likely to have lath and plaster, though some later houses have it too.
AT-02Gather your toolsYou'll need a stud detector or a small magnet, a drill with wood and masonry bits, a pilot bit, a screwdriver, a spirit level, a tape measure and a pencil. Lay a dust sheet under the working area, since lath and plaster crumbles more than plasterboard when drilled.
AT-03Mark the strap height and find the timber behind the lathsHold the anti-tip strap or bracket against the furniture and mark where each fixing point lands on the wall. Run the stud detector or magnet across that line — a row of regularly spaced screw or nail heads roughly every 400mm or 600mm shows you where the timber studs are. Lath and plaster is always nailed to timber, never to metal studs, so once you find a stud you have solid wood to fix into.
AT-04Check for cables and pipes before you drillCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a wall, not just in the 'safe zones' people assume — and metal-backed plasterboard or foil-backed insulation can fool a cheap detector. Sweep the area with your detector, but still treat every hole as if something could be there. Find your stopcock now (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt at all, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before you drill.
AT-05Drill and fix into a timber studDrill a 3mm pilot hole into the centre of the stud, checking that fine pale timber dust comes out, not steel swarf. Drive a 50mm wood screw straight through the strap bracket and into the stud, leaving the screw head snug against the metal but not overtightened. This is the strongest fixing you can get in this type of wall, so use it wherever a stud lines up with a fixing point.
AT-06If a fixing point falls between the studs, on the lath and plaster itselfNever rely on old lime plaster and thin laths to hold a strap on their own — the plaster can crumble and the laths can split under load. Drill a small test hole first; if the drill feels loose or plaster falls away in lumps, don't fix there. Instead, move the bracket a little to land on the nearest stud, or fit a timber pattress — a small plywood board screwed into two neighbouring studs — and fix the strap to that pattress instead.
AT-07If it turns out to be plasterboard on timber studs, not lath and plasterThe stud-finding method is the same, but the board is more even and easier to read. Fix straight into a stud with a 50mm wood screw as in step AT-05. If a fixing point falls between studs, use a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the furniture's weight, not a plain wall plug, since plasterboard alone won't hold a tipping load.
AT-08If it turns out to be plasterboard on metal studsMetal studs give a hollow sound but a pilot hole brings out fine bright steel swarf instead of timber dust. Never use a wood screw or plastic plug in a metal stud — it strips straight through 0.5mm steel. Use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a toggle-type anchor rated for the load. A metal stud alone will not hold a strap that's meant to stop furniture pulling forward — for that you need a plywood pattress screwed between two studs, or a fixing through to any masonry behind.
AT-09If it turns out to be dot-and-dab over solid masonryDot-and-dab has a gap of 20-50mm between the plasterboard and the solid wall behind it, so a normal fixing has nothing to grip. Use a long fixing — typically 75-100mm — that passes through the plasterboard, the adhesive gap and 30-40mm into the masonry behind. Drill a pilot hole first to check the depth needed before buying fixings.
AT-10If it turns out to be solid brick or block behind the lathsSome old lath and plaster is fixed straight onto timber battens on solid masonry rather than studwork. If your test hole shows solid masonry with no timber, drill a 6mm hole and go 35-40mm deep, fit a matching wall plug, and drive a 50mm screw through the strap into the plug. Always let the drill find the depth naturally — don't force it once it's through the plaster.
AT-11Fit the strap and test itScrew the strap or bracket to the furniture first, then to the wall fixing, keeping it level with a spirit level. Once fitted, pull firmly on the top of the furniture to check the strap takes the load without the wall fixing moving or creaking. If anything flexes or the fixing pulls slightly, stop and refit into a stud or pattress rather than trusting it.
AT-12Clean upLath and plaster drilling makes fine, sometimes gritty dust — vacuum it up rather than sweeping, since old lime plaster dust can be quite fine. Fill any test holes you didn't use with a small dab of plaster filler and let it dry before touching up with paint. Fold up the dust sheet outside to avoid spreading dust through the room.