PEL-04Drill and fit the right fixing for your wallOn dot-and-dab, drill through the plasterboard and the adhesive dab behind it into the solid masonry, using a 6mm masonry bit and a fixing long enough to pass through the void and reach at least 30mm into brick or block, usually 60-75mm overall. Fit a matching wall plug before driving the screw. On solid brick or block with no dry lining, drill 40mm deep with a 6mm bit, plug, and use a 50mm screw. On lath and plaster, drill through the plaster and lath the same way as dot-and-dab, checking the surface is flat first and packing out any dip. On a timber stud, drive a 45-50mm wood screw straight into the centre of the stud with no plug needed. On a metal stud, never use a wood screw or a plastic plug, both strip straight through 0.5mm steel. Use a self-drilling metal-stud screw for light loads, or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor. Because curtains pull the pelmet outward when drawn, a metal stud alone is often not enough. Fit a timber noggin between the studs first, or fix through to the masonry behind, if you have any doubt about the load.