Fit a robe hook to a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall — HomeGraft

Fit a bathroom robe hook safely, checking your wall type first and using the correct fixing for a secure hold.

RH-01Gather tools and pick the spotChoose a height and position for the hook, usually near the shower or bath at a comfortable reach. Lay a dust sheet below the work area to catch drilling dust and debris. Wipe the wall clean and remove any loose tile grout or flaking paint so you can see what you are drilling into.

1 each · Dust sheet

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Pencil

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · Tape measure

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-02Work out what your wall is actually made ofKnock the wall: a dead, solid sound all over usually means solid brick or block. A hollow sound that changes every 400-600mm, with solid points in a rough grid at around 300mm centres, is dot-and-dab plasterboard over masonry. A hollow sound with solid strips roughly 400-600mm apart is plasterboard on studs. Run a magnet or detector along the wall to find screw heads marking stud lines, and check whether it feels slightly springy underfoot near skirting height, which points to older lath and plaster behind the plaster surface.

1 each · Stud detector or magnet stud finder

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-03If you have a stud wall, check whether it's timber or metalDrill a small 2mm pilot hole at your marked point and look at what comes out. Pale, fibrous dust is timber. Fine, grey metallic swarf means a metal stud. Metal studs are common in flats, new-build homes, and anything refitted since the 1990s, and they confuse cheap detectors, so this pilot-hole test is more reliable than the detector alone.

1 each · 2mm drill bit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-04Check for cables and pipes before you drillRun a detector over the whole marked area, but do not trust it completely. Detectors miss cables that run deep, sit in metal conduit, hide behind metal-backed plasterboard, or run outside the usual safe zones, and a metal stud frame makes this worse. Find your stopcock now, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely so you can shut off the water 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 the water off at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry water.

RH-05Mark up the fixing holesHold the hook's baseplate against the wall at your chosen height and mark the screw holes with a pencil. Use a small spirit level to keep the plate straight before marking. Double-check the marks line up with a stud centre if you are fixing into one.

1 each · Small spirit level

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-06Drill and fix into solid brick or blockDrill a 6mm hole 40mm deep using a masonry bit, brushing out the dust as you go. Push in a matching wall plug until it sits flush, then drive the screw through the hook plate into the plug. Tighten until firm but do not overtighten, as this can crack the plug in soft block.

1 each · 6mm masonry drill bit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 pack · Wall plugs, pack of 10

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 pack · 40mm screws, pack

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-07Drill and fix into dot-and-dab plasterboardYou need to reach through the plasterboard and the air gap behind the dabs, into the solid masonry wall. Use a long fixing rated for dot-and-dab, typically 60-75mm, and drill through at the marked point checking the drill runs slightly harder once it hits the masonry behind. Push the fixing through the board and gap until it seats into the masonry, then screw the hook plate on. A short ordinary plug will only grip the plasterboard skin and will pull straight out.

1 pack · Dot-and-dab fixing kit (long frame fixings), pack of 4

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 each · 6mm masonry/multi-material drill bit

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-08Drill and fix into plasterboard on timber studsIf your mark lands on a stud centre, drill a 2mm pilot hole and drive a wood screw straight in; this is the strongest fixing available on a stud wall. If your mark falls between studs, use a plasterboard toggle or hollow-wall anchor rated for at least the hook's expected load, since plasterboard alone will not hold a screw.

2 each · 40mm wood screw

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

1 pack · Plasterboard toggle fixings, pack of 2

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-09Drill and fix into plasterboard on metal studsNever use a plain wall plug or an ordinary wood screw on a metal stud, as it will strip straight through the thin steel. If your mark lands on the stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing designed to bite into 0.5mm steel. If it falls between studs, use a hollow-wall toggle anchor rated for the load. A robe hook is light, so either fixing will hold it, but do not rely on a metal stud alone for anything that pulls away from the wall, such as a basin or grab rail; those need a timber noggin or a fixing back to masonry.

1 pack · Self-drilling metal-stud fixings, pack of 4

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

2 each · Hollow-wall toggle anchor, rated fixing

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-10Drill and fix into lath and plasterBehind old lath and plaster you'll find timber laths spaced with small gaps between them. Drill gently, since the plaster crumbles easily, and aim to land the screw into a lath rather than a gap. Use a longer screw than you would for modern plasterboard, as it needs to bite into solid timber through the extra thickness of old plaster.

2 each · 50mm wood screw

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-11Fit the hook and test itAttach the hook to the baseplate and tighten fully. Hang a damp towel or dressing gown on it and give it a firm downward tug to check it holds without any movement in the wall around the fixing.

1 each · Robe hook, chrome, single

Buy:ScrewfixB&QToolstationAmazon

RH-12Tidy upFold up the dust sheet with the debris inside and bin it. Wipe down the wall with a damp cloth to remove drilling dust, and vacuum the floor below where you worked.

1 each · Damp cloth

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