Fit a kitchen roll holder to a timber stud wall

Fit a kitchen roll holder to a timber stud wall using the right screw straight into the stud.

KR-01Gather your tools and clear the areaGet your kitchen roll holder, pencil, tape measure, spirit level, stud detector, drill with wood and masonry bits, screwdriver, and a dust sheet. Clear the worktop or wall area underneath so you can work without knocking anything over. Check the packaging for the fixing holes and spacing so you know what you're marking up.

1 each · Kitchen roll holder (with fixings)

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1 each · Stud detector

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1 each · Spirit level (250-300mm)

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KR-02Confirm you actually have a timber stud wallRun a stud detector or magnet along the wall to find the studs — you're looking for a line of screw heads under the plasterboard, usually 400mm or 600mm apart. Drill a small 2-3mm pilot hole at the spot you plan to fix into. If it brings out pale wood dust, it's timber. If you get fine grey metal swarf, it's a metal stud, and if the wall sounds hollow everywhere with no stud, it may be dot-and-dab or a stud you've missed.

KR-03Know the fixing for your actual wall typeTimber stud: use a wood screw driven into the centre of the stud, no plug needed. Metal stud: never use a plain wood screw or plastic plug — use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the weight, since a kitchen roll holder gets pulled on and a stripped screw will fail. Solid brick or block: drill with a masonry bit, insert a wall plug sized to the screw, and drive the screw home. Dot-and-dab plasterboard: use a fixing long enough to pass through the plasterboard and the adhesive dabs into the masonry behind — a standard wall plug in plasterboard alone will pull out. Lath and plaster: use a hollow-wall toggle fixing rated for the load, as screws into thin laths split the wood and fail.

2 each · Wood screws (for timber stud)

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2 each · Metal-stud self-drilling fixings

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2 each · Wall plugs (masonry)

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2 each · Long fixings for dot-and-dab

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KR-04Mark and level the fixing pointsHold the holder or its backplate against the wall at your chosen height and mark the screw holes with a pencil. Use a spirit level to make sure the marks are level before you drill anything. Double check the marks line up with the stud centre you found in step 2.

KR-05Check for cables and pipes, and drillCables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a wall, not just in the marked safe zones, and a stud detector can miss deep cables, metal conduit, or anything behind metal-backed plasterboard. Before you drill, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, 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 drilling near any pipe run. Drill your pilot hole to the depth and size needed for your wall type and fixing, then insert the fixing.

1 each · Drill bit (wood or masonry, sized to fixing)

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KR-06Fit the roll holder and check it's secureScrew the holder or its backplate onto the fixings, tightening evenly so it sits flush and doesn't wobble. Fit a roll of kitchen roll and give it a firm pull to check the holder holds without moving. If it shifts at all, don't use it until you refit with a stronger fixing or into a stud.

KR-07Tidy upVacuum up any dust or swarf from drilling, wipe down the worktop and wall, and pack away your tools. Turn the water and any isolated circuit back on if you switched them off earlier.

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