Fit a fold-out wall drying rack to a metal stud wall — HomeGraft

Fit a fold-out drying rack safely to a metal stud wall, with the right method for every other wall type too.

DR-01Gather your tools and check the rack fits the spotLay the rack's baseplate against the wall at the height you want (roughly 900-1000mm up works for most people) and check the arms have room to fold out fully without hitting a worktop or door. Fold-out drying racks take real weight once loaded with wet washing, so this is not a light-duty job like hanging a picture.

1 each · Fold-out wall drying rack

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Tape measure

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Pencil

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-02Work out what's behind the plasterUse your detector and a knock test across the area to find out whether you have solid brick or block, timber studs, metal studs, dot-and-dab plasterboard, or lath and plaster. This job's fixing method is different for each one, so don't skip this. Write down what you find before you go any further.

1 each · Wall/stud detector

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-03If it's a stud wall, check timber or metalRun a magnet or your detector's stud setting along the wall to follow the line of screw heads under the plasterboard. Drill a small 3mm pilot hole at low speed at your intended fixing point: fine pale dust means timber, fine grey metal swarf on the drill tip means a metal stud. Metal studs are common in flats, new-build homes, and anything rewired or refitted since the 1990s.

1 each · Magnet stud finder

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · 3mm HSS drill bit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-04Do your safety checks before any drillingCables and pipes can run almost anywhere behind a wall, not just in the 'safe zones'. Use your detector, but still assume something could be there and prove it isn't before drilling. 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 drilling.

DR-05Mark and level the fixing holesHold the baseplate against the wall, use your spirit level to get it dead level, and mark through the fixing holes with a pencil. Most fold-out racks have two or four fixing points spaced roughly 300-600mm apart. Double-check the marks line up with your stud positions from step DR-03 if you're on a stud wall.

1 each · Spirit level (600mm)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-06Solid brick or block: drill and plugDrill 8mm holes to a depth of 50-55mm using a masonry bit, going straight through the plaster into the brick or block behind. Push in a red or brown wall plug rated for the screw size, then fix with a 60-70mm screw. Skip this step if you're on a stud wall, dot-and-dab, or lath and plaster.

1 each · 8mm masonry drill bit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

4 each · Wall plugs (red/brown, 8mm)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

4 each · Screws 60-70mm

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-07Timber stud: screw straight into the centreDrill a 3mm pilot hole into the centre of the stud at each marked point, then drive a 50-60mm wood screw straight in. A screw into the centre of a timber stud will easily hold a loaded drying rack on its own. Skip this step if you're not fixing into timber studs.

4 each · Wood screws 50-60mm

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-08Metal stud: fit a noggin first, then use the right fixingNever use a plain wall plug or a wood screw in a metal stud, they strip straight through 0.5mm steel and won't hold. But a metal stud on its own also won't hold a drying rack, because the arms pull away from the wall as you load wet washing onto them. Cut a small access hole in the plasterboard, screw a timber noggin (roughly 800mm long, 44x22mm) horizontally between the two nearest studs using self-drilling metal stud screws, then patch the hole and fix the rack's screws into the noggin once the patch is dry. If you'd rather not cut into the wall, fix through to the masonry behind instead, or choose a different wall for this job.

1 each · Timber noggin (44x22mm x 800mm)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

6 each · Self-drilling metal stud screws

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 set · Plasterboard offcut and filler for patching

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Small panel saw or plasterboard saw

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-09Dot-and-dab: use fixings long enough to reach the masonryDot-and-dab plasterboard sits on an air gap of roughly 10-40mm in front of the real wall. Measure or probe this gap first, then choose a screw and plug long enough to pass through the plasterboard, cross the gap, and still get 30-40mm into the solid masonry behind, typically 75-90mm total. Drill straight through and fit as you would for solid brick, just with a longer fixing.

1 each · Long masonry drill bit (8mm x 100mm)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

4 each · Wall plugs rated for dot-and-dab depth

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

4 each · Screws 80-90mm

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-10Lath and plaster: find the timber and add a pattress if neededOld lath and plaster crumbles easily and won't hold a fixing on its own. Locate the timber laths or a joist behind with your detector and a gentle pilot hole test, then screw into solid timber wherever you can. If you can't line up with timber at all your fixing points, screw a small plywood pattress (roughly 150x100x12mm) across the marks first, fixed into whatever timber you can find, then mount the rack onto the pattress.

1 each · Plywood pattress (150x100x12mm)

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

4 each · Wood screws 40-50mm

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-11Fit the brackets and hang the rackScrew the baseplate firmly to your chosen fixings, checking the level again before fully tightening. Hang the rack body onto the baseplate as per the manufacturer's instructions, usually a hook-and-slot or clip fitting.

1 each · Screwdriver bit set

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

DR-12Load-test before you trust itFold the arms fully out and hang a soaking wet towel on the furthest point of each arm. Leave it for a few minutes and check nothing has moved, cracked, or pulled away from the wall. If anything shifts, take it down and go back to the correct fixing for your wall type rather than adding more washing and hoping.

DR-13Clean upVacuum up drilling dust, wipe the wall down, and check the floor and any nearby surfaces for offcuts and swarf, especially sharp metal shavings from a metal stud. Put spare fixings and offcuts aside for next time.

1 each · Dust sheet

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

Some links may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Save this as a project

Back to all guides