Fit a towel rail to a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall — HomeGraft

Fit a towel rail to your bathroom wall safely, checking pipes and cables, and using the right fixing for your wall type.

AB-01Gather your tools and materialsGet everything together before you start so you're not hunting for a bit halfway through. Check the fixing kit that came with your towel rail — it may include wall plugs and screws, but these are often only suitable for solid masonry, so read on before using them. Lay a dust sheet under the work area to catch drilling dust and screws.

1 each · Cordless drill

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1 set · Drill bit set (masonry, wood, HSS)

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1 each · Spirit level (600mm)

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1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Pencil

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1 each · Dust sheet

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1 roll · Masking tape

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AB-02Check whether your rail is plumbed or electricMost towel rails connect to your central heating pipework and only need mechanical fixing to the wall. If yours is a mains-wired electric rail, connecting it is notifiable electrical work in a bathroom's special locations. Get a qualified electrician (Part P registered) to make the electrical connection — you can still fit the bracket yourself.

RULES

KNOW THE RULES

Electrical work in bathrooms falls under Part P of the Building Regulations. Connecting an electric towel rail to the mains must be done or checked by a qualified, registered electrician.

AB-03Find your stopcock before you drill anythingFind your stopcock, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns easily. You'll want this ready in case you hit a pipe when drilling. Cables and pipes can run almost anywhere in a wall, not just in the 'safe zones' — a detector helps but can miss deep cables, metal conduit, or anything behind metal-backed plasterboard. Assume something could be there until you've proved otherwise, and if you're at all unsure, turn off the water at the stopcock and isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling.

AB-04Work out what's behind your wallTap the wall firmly with your knuckle. A dull, solid knock with no give is solid brick or block. A hollow sound with the surface flexing slightly, and a noticeable air gap when you press near skirting level, points to dot-and-dab plasterboard on masonry. A hollow sound with regular solid knocks roughly every 400-600mm is a timber or metal stud wall — track the screw heads on any existing plasterboard sheets or run a detector along the wall to find the studs. A small pilot hole in a stud will bring out pale timber dust if it's wood, or fine grey swarf if it's metal — a magnet will also stick to metal stud screw heads but not timber ones. An older wall with an uneven, slightly springy surface and a duller, more muffled knock is likely lath and plaster.

AB-05Mark and level your fixing pointsHold the rail's back plate or brackets against the wall at the height you want, and mark the fixing holes with a pencil. Use the spirit level across the top of the bracket to make sure it's dead level before marking. Double-check the spacing matches your rail exactly — most rails have two or four fixing points.

AB-06Sweep each mark with a detectorRun your multi-detector over every marked point before you pick up the drill, checking for cables, pipes and metal. On a metal stud wall the frame itself can confuse cheap detectors, so go slowly and check from both sides of the wall if you can. Remember: a clear reading is not a guarantee, so drill cautiously and stop immediately if you feel resistance change or see anything other than plaster or masonry dust.

1 each · Multi-detector (cable, pipe and stud)

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AB-07Solid brick or block: drill and plugDrill straight into the masonry using an 8mm masonry bit to a depth of around 50mm, slightly deeper than your wall plug. Push in a wall plug sized to match the plug and screw, then drive in the screw until the bracket sits firm and level. Repeat for each fixing point, checking level again as you go.

1 pack · Wall plugs (masonry, 8mm)

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1 pack · M6 x 60mm screws

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AB-08Dot-and-dab plasterboard: reach the masonry behindDot-and-dab plasterboard sits on blobs of adhesive with a gap of anywhere from 10mm to 50mm behind it before you reach the solid wall. A towel rail is too heavy to hang on the plasterboard alone, so you need a fixing long enough to pass through the board, cross the gap, and bite into the masonry behind. Drill through with an 8mm masonry bit, going slowly so you can feel when you break through the board into the gap and then into the solid wall, then use a long masonry screw or frame fixing (75-100mm) with a matching wall plug rated for the depth of masonry you find. Push the plug in until it seats against the brick or block, not just the plasterboard, before driving the screw home.

1 pack · Long masonry screws/frame fixings (75-100mm)

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AB-09Timber stud wall: screw into the centre of the studOnce you've confirmed timber with the pilot hole test, aim your fixing at the centre of the stud, not the edge, so the screw has full purchase. Drill a 2-3mm pilot hole first, then drive in a wood screw at least 40mm into the timber. If a fixing point falls between studs where there's no timber behind, either move the bracket slightly or fit a hollow-wall toggle fixing rated for the weight.

1 pack · Wood screws (40mm)

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1 pack · Hollow-wall toggle fixings (for between studs)

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AB-10Metal stud wall: use the right hollow-wall fixingNever use a plain plastic wall plug or an ordinary wood screw in a metal stud — it will strip straight through the thin steel and won't hold. Use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing where you're fixing directly into the stud, or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the rail's weight where you're fixing into the plasterboard between studs. A towel rail is generally light, but metal studs alone won't reliably hold anything that gets pulled or leant on repeatedly — if you're not confident the fixings will hold, it's worth fitting a timber noggin between the studs first, or fixing through to masonry behind if there is any.

1 pack · Self-drilling metal stud fixings

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1 pack · Toggle-type hollow-wall anchors (rated for weight)

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1 each · Timber noggin (offcut, approx 100mm)

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AB-11Lath and plaster: fix into the laths carefullyOld lath and plaster is fragile and can crumble around a screw hole, so drill a small pilot hole first and go gently. Where you hit a lath (a thin timber strip, usually giving a slightly firmer feel than the plaster gaps either side), screw into it as you would a timber stud. If the plaster around the hole feels crumbly or won't hold a screw, use a resin anchor to bond the fixing into the surrounding material rather than relying on the plaster alone.

1 each · Resin anchor kit

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AB-12Mount the rail and check it's levelWith all fixings in place, hang or screw the rail's brackets onto the wall fixings and tighten fully. Check the rail is level and doesn't rock, and give it a firm push and pull test to make sure the wall fixings are holding properly. Sort out any wobble now, before you hang anything on it.

AB-13Seal gaps and clean upFill any small screw holes or gaps around the bracket with a matching filler, and run a thin bead of silicone sealant around the base if it's near a shower or bath to keep water out. Wipe away drilling dust and vacuum the floor. Take a final look to confirm the rail is secure and level before you finish.

1 each · Filler (small tub)

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1 tube · Silicone sealant

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