Fit a dado rail to a metal stud wall — HomeGraft

Fit a dado rail level along a wall, using the right fixing for brick, timber stud, metal stud, dot-and-dab or lath and plaster.

DR-01Mark your height lineDado rail usually sits 900-1000mm above the floor, roughly a third of the way up the wall. Measure up from the floor at both ends of the wall and mark with a pencil, then use a spirit level to join the marks into one continuous level line all the way round the room.

1 each · Spirit level (600mm+)

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1 each · Pencil

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1 each · Tape measure

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DR-02Work out what's behind the wallRun a stud detector along the wall at your marked height. A magnet dragged sideways will snag on screw heads if there's plasterboard on studs behind. Tap along the wall: a hollow, even sound suggests plasterboard on studs or dot-and-dab; a dead, solid sound suggests brick or block. Drill one small 3mm pilot hole in an inconspicuous spot - fine white dust means plaster or plasterboard, brick dust means masonry, timber dust means a timber stud, and grey metal swarf means a metal stud. Lath and plaster (usually pre-1950s houses) feels slightly springy when tapped and often has a rougher, wavy wall surface.

1 each · Stud and cable detector

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1 each · Small magnet

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1 each · 3mm drill bit

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DR-03Check for cables and pipes, and find your stopcockCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a wall, not just in the 'safe zones'. Use your detector, but still treat every drilling point as if something could be there - detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed plasterboard, or in a metal stud frame, which confuses cheap detectors further. Before you drill, find your stopcock (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 drilling, and turn off the water at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water.

DR-04Cut the rail to length with mitred cornersMeasure each wall run and cut your dado rail lengths with a mitre saw, using 45° mitres at external corners and either a mitre or a scribed joint at internal corners. Dry-fit each length along the marked line before fixing anything, checking the mitres close up tightly.

12 m · Dado rail (per metre)

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1 each · Mitre saw or mitre box and hand saw

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DR-05Mark your fixing points along the lineSpace fixing points roughly every 400-600mm along the rail, plus one close to each end and each mitre joint. Where you've found timber or metal studs, mark those exact centres too, since these give you your strongest fixings.

1 each · Pencil

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DR-06Fixing into solid brick or blockDrill a 6mm hole to a depth of 35-40mm at each marked point, using a hammer drill on the correct setting for masonry. Push in a 6mm wall plug and drive a 50-60mm screw through the rail into the plug, checking the rail stays level as you go.

1 box · 6mm wall plugs (box of 50)

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1 box · 50-60mm screws (box of 50)

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1 each · 6mm masonry drill bit

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DR-07Fixing into plasterboard on timber studsWhere a fixing point lands on a timber stud centre, drill a 3mm pilot hole and drive a 50mm wood screw straight into the stud - this is your strongest fixing and needs no plug or anchor. Where a fixing point falls between studs, use a plasterboard toggle or hollow-wall anchor rated for the weight, following the pack instructions for hole size.

1 box · 50mm wood screws (box of 50)

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6 each · Plasterboard toggle fixings

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DR-08Fixing into plasterboard on metal studsNever use a plastic wall plug or ordinary wood screw into a metal stud - it strips straight through 0.5mm steel. Where a fixing point lands on a metal stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud screw fixing, driven directly through the plasterboard and into the steel with a screwdriver, no pilot hole needed. Where a fixing point falls between studs, use a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the load. A dado rail is light enough for these fixings, but if you ever hang something heavier off this wall, or anything that pulls away from the wall in use, you'll need a timber noggin fitted between the studs, or a fixing through to the masonry behind - a metal stud alone won't hold that.

8 each · Self-drilling metal stud fixings

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4 each · Toggle-type hollow-wall anchors

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DR-09Fixing into dot-and-dab plasterboardDot-and-dab plasterboard sits on adhesive blobs with an air gap behind, so a normal plug won't reach anything solid. Drill through the plasterboard and adhesive dab into the masonry behind, then use a long fixing - typically a 75-90mm screw with a matching plug, or a purpose-made dot-and-dab fixing - that spans the gap and grips in the masonry, not just the board.

8 each · Long dot-and-dab fixings (75-90mm)

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DR-10Fixing into lath and plasterLath and plaster is brittle and can crack if you drill carelessly. Drill slowly with a small pilot hole first to locate a timber lath or the stud/joist behind it, then fix with a screw into solid timber where you find it. Where there's no timber behind, use a long toggle fixing that passes through the laths and opens out behind them, rather than relying on the plaster alone.

4 each · Long toggle fixings

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DR-11Fix the rail and check it stays levelFix each length along your marked line, starting from one corner and working along, checking the spirit level every metre or so. At mitred joints, pull the two pieces tight together before driving the final screws either side of the joint.

1 each · Spirit level (600mm+)

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DR-12Fill, caulk and sandFill all screw holes and mitre gaps with wood filler, then sand smooth once dry. Run a bead of decorator's caulk along the top and bottom edge of the rail where it meets the wall to hide any small gaps, smoothing it with a wet finger.

1 each · Wood filler (tube)

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1 each · Decorator's caulk (tube)

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1 sheet · Fine sandpaper (120 grit)

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DR-13Paint the rail and tidy upApply primer/undercoat if the rail is bare wood, then one or two coats of your chosen finish paint, sanding lightly between coats. Once dry, vacuum up all dust and offcuts, wipe down the wall and floor, and store any leftover fixings for future repairs.

1 tin · Wood primer/undercoat (250ml)

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1 tin · Satinwood or gloss paint (250ml)

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1 each · Paintbrush

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1 each · Dust sheet

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