Fit a screw-fit stair gate to a metal stud wall — HomeGraft

Fit a screw-fit stair gate securely by working out what's behind your wall and using a strong enough fixing.

SG-01Plan the fixing position and check your kitDecide where the gate will sit - usually at the top of the stairs, set back at least one tread's depth so it doesn't hang over the stairs when open. Unpack the gate and check it's a screw-fit kit (metal cups and screws), not a pressure-fit gate, because pressure-fit gates aren't secure enough for the top of stairs. Mark the fixing height shown in the manufacturer's instructions on both sides of the opening, using a spirit level to keep the marks level with each other.

1 each · Screw-fit stair gate kit

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1 each · Spirit level (400mm)

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1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Pencil

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SG-02Work out what each wall is made ofCheck both sides of the opening separately - they're often not the same. Solid brick or block sounds dull and solid when you tap it, and a small pilot hole brings out grey dust. A timber stud wall sounds hollow between a line of screw heads roughly 400mm or 600mm apart, and a pilot hole brings out pale wood dust. A metal stud wall also sounds hollow, but a magnet sticks to the studs through the plasterboard, and a pilot hole brings out fine grey swarf instead of dust. Dot-and-dab plasterboard sounds hollow but firm, with a solid thud if you push it - there's masonry behind it, 10-40mm back. Lath and plaster is common in houses built before about 1930: it feels slightly springy when you press it, and the surface often has a network of fine hairline cracks.

1 each · Stud and cable detector

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1 each · Small magnet

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SG-03Check for cables and pipes, and know how to shut them offCables and pipes can run almost anywhere, not just in the usual safe zones - a detector helps but can miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, behind metal-backed plasterboard, or hidden by a metal stud frame, which confuses cheap detectors. Sweep the area with a detector, then still drill cautiously and treat every hole as if something might be there. Before you start, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, so you can shut off the water fast if you hit a pipe. If you're at all unsure, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and turn off the water at the stopcock before cutting into anything that could carry a pipe.

1 each · Torch (to check consumer unit and stopcock)

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SG-04Fix into solid brick or blockDrill with a 6mm masonry bit to the depth marked on the plug, usually 40-50mm. Push in a red or brown wall plug rated for the screw size, then drive a 50mm screw through the gate's fixing cup until it's tight but not overtightened. This is the strongest of the fixings covered here, and it's the benchmark you're matching if the wall turns out to be a stud wall instead.

1 each · Masonry drill bit 6mm

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1 pack · Wall plugs, pack

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1 pack · Screws 50mm, pack

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SG-05Fix into plasterboard on timber studsFind the centre of the stud with your detector or the pilot-hole test, and mark it precisely - a screw at the edge of a stud can split the timber. Drill a small pilot hole into the centre of the stud, then drive a 45mm wood screw through the gate's fixing cup straight into the timber - no plug needed. If the marked fixing point falls between two studs, don't just screw into bare plasterboard; move the gate's fixing plate sideways onto the nearest stud, or use a toggle fixing rated for the load if it genuinely can't be moved.

1 pack · Wood screws 45mm, pack

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1 pack · Toggle fixing, rated pack

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SG-06Fix into plasterboard on metal studs - fit a pattress firstA metal stud fixing on its own will not hold a stair gate - the gate gets pushed, pulled and climbed on, and a self-drilling screw or hollow-wall toggle into thin 0.5mm steel or bare plasterboard will eventually work loose. Cut a neat access hole roughly 150x150mm over the stud bay with a plasterboard saw, then cut a length of 44x70mm timber batten to sit horizontally across two studs at the fixing height. Screw the batten to both stud flanges using self-drilling metal stud screws, then later screw the gate's fixing cup into this timber through the plasterboard patch.

1 each · Timber batten 44x70mm, cut length

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1 pack · Self-drilling metal stud screws, pack

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1 each · Plasterboard patch offcut

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1 each · Plasterboard saw

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SG-07Patch the plasterboard over the pattressCut a patch of plasterboard slightly larger than the access hole and screw it to the timber batten with plasterboard screws. Fill the joint with joint compound, press jointing tape into the wet filler, then apply a second thin coat once dry. Leave the filler to dry fully - usually 1-2 hours for a thin skim - before drilling your final fixing holes through it.

1 pack · Plasterboard screws, pack

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1 tub · Joint compound (filler)

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1 roll · Jointing tape

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SG-08Fix into dot-and-dab plasterboardDot-and-dab plasterboard is fixed to masonry with blobs of adhesive, leaving a 10-40mm air gap behind it. A short fixing into the board alone will pull straight out, so use a long dot-and-dab specific fixing, or drill through with a 6mm masonry bit long enough to reach 40-50mm into the solid masonry behind - typically 90mm overall depth. Push in the fixing or a suitably long plug, then drive the screw home so the gate's fixing cup sits flat against the wall.

1 pack · Dot-and-dab specific wall fixings, pack

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1 each · Long masonry drill bit 90mm x 6mm

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SG-09Fix into lath and plasterLath and plaster is soft and crumbly, and an ordinary wall plug will just break through it. Find the timber studs behind the laths with your detector, then drill a pilot hole and drive a 65mm wood screw through the fixing cup into the stud - the extra length allows for the plaster and lath thickness in front of the timber. If the studs are spaced too far apart to line up with the gate's fixing points, fit a timber pattress across two studs the same way as for a metal stud wall.

1 pack · Wood screws 65mm, pack

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1 each · Bradawl

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SG-10Fit the gate and test itScrew the fixing cups to the wall on both sides at the marked, level height, using whichever method matches each wall. Hang the gate, fit the closing arm and latch, and check it swings freely and locks properly. Push firmly on the closed gate at the height a child would push, to check both fixings hold without any movement.

1 set · Gate fixing screws (supplied with kit)

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SG-11Tidy upVacuum up plasterboard or masonry dust from the floor and skirting, and wipe down the wall around the fixings. Bag up any offcuts of timber, plasterboard or packaging and put them in general waste. Store any leftover fixings and the manufacturer's instructions somewhere safe in case you need to remove or refit the gate later.

1 each · Dust sheet

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1 pair · Disposable gloves

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