Fit a pull-down projector screen to a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall

Fit a pull-down projector screen securely to your wall, checking what's behind it before you drill.

PJ-01Check the screen and plan its positionUnpack the screen and find the distance between the mounting points in the manual. Decide the height so the bottom edge sits at a comfortable viewing line, then mark a level centre line on the wall with a pencil and spirit level. Mark both bracket positions on this line.

1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Pencil

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1 each · Torpedo spirit level

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PJ-02Find your stopcock and check for cables and pipes before drillingCables and pipes can run almost anywhere behind a wall, not just in the obvious zones. Run a detector over both marked points, but still treat the wall as if something is there until you've proved otherwise. 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 circuit at the consumer unit before you drill.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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PJ-03Work out exactly what's behind the plasterboardTap the wall near your marks. A dull, solid sound with a slight hollow ring between taps usually means dot-and-dab: plasterboard stuck to masonry with blobs of adhesive, so there's a gap behind the board. A drilled pilot hole that goes through board, then air, then hits something solid around 20-40mm in, confirms this. If the wall sounds hollow all the way and a magnet or detector picks up a line of screw heads at regular centres, you have a stud wall behind, timber or metal. A pilot hole bringing out pale timber dust means timber studs; fine grey swarf means metal studs. An older wall with a slightly springy feel and short wooden strips visible in old pilot holes is lath and plaster.

PJ-04Choose the right fixing for your wall typeA pull-down screen gets pulled and let go repeatedly, so the fixing needs to resist that pulling force, not just hold still weight. For dot-and-dab, use a long fixing, around 60-75mm, that passes through the plasterboard, spans the dab void, and grips the solid masonry behind, not just the board. For solid brick or block, use a standard wall plug with a 50mm screw. For a timber stud, use a wood screw at least 40mm long straight into the centre of the stud, no plug needed. For a metal stud, use a proper metal-stud fixing, either a self-drilling anchor or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor, never a plain plastic plug or an ordinary wood screw, which strips straight through 0.5mm steel; because the screen pulls on the fixing, also fit a timber noggin between the studs or fix through to the masonry behind rather than trusting the stud skin alone. For lath and plaster, don't fix into the lath itself; find a timber joist or noggin behind it and use a long screw into that.

2 each · Masonry frame fixings 75mm (dot-and-dab)

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2 each · Red wall plugs and 50mm screws (solid masonry)

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2 each · Wood screws 40mm (timber stud)

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2 each · Metal-stud toggle fixings (metal stud)

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1 length · Timber noggin 45x45mm (metal stud reinforcement)

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PJ-05Drill the fixing holesDrill through the plasterboard first with a small pilot bit, then switch to the drill bit size matched to your chosen fixing. Wrap a piece of tape around the bit at the correct depth so you don't drill too far into the dab void or through a stud into whatever is beyond it. Keep the drill level and check both holes line up with your marked points before going any further.

1 each · Cordless drill

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1 each · Masonry drill bit 8mm

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1 roll · Masking tape (depth marker)

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PJ-06Fit the wall bracketsPush the plug or fixing into the hole so it's flush with the wall, then screw the bracket on using the fixing for your wall type. Check the bracket is level before fully tightening, then tighten both screws evenly. Give each bracket a firm tug to check it doesn't move before you carry on.

1 each · Screwdriver or drill driver

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PJ-07Hang the screen case and test itLift the screen case onto the brackets as shown in the manual, usually a hook-and-drop or clip fit. Check it's seated properly and can't slide off, then pull the screen down slowly and let it retract fully. Watch the brackets while you do this; they shouldn't flex, creak, or pull away from the wall.

PJ-08Tidy upVacuum up plaster or masonry dust from the floor and skirting. Check the wall around the fixings for cracks or crumbling, especially on lath and plaster. Keep any spare fixings and the manual together in case you need to adjust the screen later.

1 each · Vacuum cleaner

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