Fit a shower caddy or corner shelf to a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall

Mount a shower caddy safely by checking your wall type first and choosing a fixing that won't pull out.

SC-01Get your tools and materials togetherYou'll need a cable/pipe detector, drill with tile and masonry bits, screwdriver, spirit level, tape measure, pencil, masking tape, dust sheet and safety glasses. Lay a dust sheet in the bath or shower tray to catch drill dust and tile chips. Have your caddy or shelf and its fixings to hand before you start.

1 each · Shower caddy or corner shelf

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1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Safety glasses

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SC-02Mark the height and fixing pointsHold the caddy or shelf against the wall at a comfortable height, typically 1400-1600mm from the shower tray or bath floor. Use a spirit level to keep it dead level, then mark each screw hole in pencil. Stick a strip of masking tape over each mark so the drill bit doesn't skid on the tile glaze.

1 each · Spirit level

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1 roll · Masking tape

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SC-03Check what's behind the wall before you drillRun a detector over each mark, but treat it as a warning, not a guarantee - detectors miss cables that are deep, boxed in metal conduit, behind metal-backed plasterboard, or outside the normal safe zones, and a metal stud frame can confuse a cheap detector further. Before you drill, find your stopcock (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 first, and if you're cutting into anything that could carry water, turn it off at the stopcock before you start.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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SC-04Work out what wall you're actually fixing intoBehind bathroom tiles you'll usually find dot-and-dab plasterboard, solid brick or block, a timber stud wall, or a metal stud wall - rarely lath and plaster, unless the bathroom is original to an older house. Tap the wall: a dull, slightly springy sound and a hollow gap suggests dot-and-dab or a stud wall; a solid, dead thud suggests brick or block. Drill a small pilot hole through your mark: timber dust means a timber stud or lath, fine grey swarf means a metal stud, and solid resistance with brick dust means masonry. A magnet run along a suspected stud line will stick to metal studs and to the screw heads fixing plasterboard to timber studs.

1 each · Small magnet or stud detector

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SC-05Drill through the tile cleanlyFit a tile-rated bit, start on a slow speed with no hammer action, and keep steady, light pressure until you're through the glaze. Once through the tile, switch to the correct bit and setting for the wall behind it. Keep the drill square to the wall so the hole doesn't wander.

1 each · Tile drill bit

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SC-06Fixing into dot-and-dab plasterboardDot-and-dab is plasterboard glued to the masonry with adhesive blobs, leaving a gap behind it that's often 10-40mm. Use a long fixing that passes through the board and the gap and grips solid masonry behind it - a 60-75mm frame fixing or a proper dot-and-dab anchor kit works well. Drill through at the size stated on the fixing pack and check you feel it bite into solid masonry, not just plasterboard, before tightening fully.

1 pack · Dot-and-dab fixing kit (frame fixings, 60-75mm)

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SC-07Fixing into solid brick or blockUse a masonry bit sized to match your wall plug, typically 6mm for a No.8 screw, drilled to a depth of 40-50mm. Set the drill to hammer action for brick or block, push the plug in fully, then drive the screw so it grips inside the plug. This gives a solid fixing that will hold a caddy full of wet bottles without trouble.

1 pack · Wall plugs (6mm)

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1 each · Masonry drill bit 6mm

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4 each · Screws 40mm

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SC-08Fixing into a timber studConfirm timber with the pilot hole test from step SC-04 - fine sawdust, not swarf. Drill a small pilot hole (around 2-3mm) into the centre of the stud, then drive a wood screw, roughly 40mm long, straight in. No plug is needed in solid timber; the screw thread does the gripping.

4 each · Wood screws 40mm

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SC-09Fixing into a metal studConfirm metal with a magnet or fine steel swarf from the pilot hole. Never use a plain plastic wall plug or an ordinary wood screw here - both strip straight through 0.5mm steel and the fixing will fail. Instead use a self-drilling metal-stud screw straight into the stud, or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor in the plasterboard between studs if you're not landing on the stud itself. A caddy or small shelf is light enough for a properly rated toggle fixing, but a metal stud alone will not hold anything heavy or anything that pulls away from the wall as it's used - for that you need a timber noggin fitted between the studs, or a fixing through to the masonry behind.

4 each · Self-drilling metal stud screws

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1 pack · Toggle-type hollow-wall anchor kit

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SC-10Fixing into lath and plaster (older houses)This is rare in a modernised bathroom but possible in an unmodernised older house. Find the timber lath or a batten behind the plaster using the pilot hole test - timber dust confirms it - and screw into that timber, not the plaster alone, which will crumble under load. If you can't find timber within reach of your marks, reposition slightly or use a plasterboard-style toggle fixing rated for the plaster thickness.

4 each · Wood screws 40mm

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SC-11Fit the caddy and check it's secureScrew the caddy or shelf onto its fixings, tightening evenly so it doesn't rock. Don't overtighten against tiled walls - too much force can crack the tile around the hole. Give it a firm tug and a bit of a shake before you trust it with wet shampoo bottles.

SC-12Seal the fixings and tidy upRun a bead of silicone sealant around any screw heads and where the caddy edge meets the tile, to stop water tracking behind it and causing damp or rot in the wall. Smooth it with a wet finger and wipe away the excess. Leave it to cure as stated on the tube, usually 24 hours, before using the shower, then clear away dust and packaging.

1 tube · Sanitary silicone sealant

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