SC-06Fit the right fixing for your wallDot-and-dab: the plasterboard is stuck to the masonry with adhesive blobs, leaving a gap of 10-40mm — a curtain gets tugged sideways, so use a fixing long enough (usually 75mm) to pass through the tile, board and gap and bite at least 30mm into the masonry; check the depth against your drill bit before committing. Solid brick or block: drill a 6mm hole 50mm deep, fit a plug and drive in a 5x50mm screw. Plasterboard on timber studs: drive a 4x50mm wood screw straight into the centre of the stud, no plug needed, and move the bracket if it lands off-stud. Plasterboard on metal studs: never use a wood screw or plain plug, as it strips through 0.5mm steel — use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a screw-in metal toggle into the track itself; a metal stud alone won't hold a rail against sideways pulling, so if in doubt fix through to the masonry behind or fit a timber noggin between the studs first. Lath and plaster: ordinary plugs crumble the old lime plaster — use a spring toggle or a long screw that catches a lath, and work gently to avoid cracking the surrounding plaster.