Fit a towel ring to a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall

Fit a towel ring securely to your bathroom wall, whatever it's made of, in one session.

TR-01Gather your tools and pick the spotGet everything ready before you start: drill, detector, spirit level, pencil, tape measure, screwdriver and a dust sheet. Mark a rough position roughly 150-200mm from the basin and 1000-1200mm up from the floor, wherever feels comfortable to reach. Avoid corners, and keep well clear of any visible pipe runs or boxed-in sections.

1 each · Towel ring (with fixing kit)

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1 each · Cordless drill

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1 each · Cable and stud detector

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1 each · Spirit level (small)

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1 each · Dust sheet

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TR-02Work out what's actually behind the wallTap the wall around your marked spot. A hollow sound with the odd firmer patch every so often usually means dot-and-dab plasterboard on masonry dabs. A solid knock everywhere means solid brick or block with no board. Regular firm spots every 400-600mm mean timber studs; a similar pattern that a detector reads as metal, plus a magnet sticking to a line of screw heads, means metal studs. An uneven, slightly springy wall in an older house is often lath and plaster.

TR-03Check for cables and pipes, and know your shut-offsRun the detector over the whole area, sweeping in both directions, and mark anything it flags. Even with a clear reading, treat the wall as if something could still be hiding there — detectors miss deep cables, cables in metal conduit, anything behind metal-backed board, and they get confused by metal stud frames. Find your stopcock now, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely. If you have any doubt at all, isolate the electrics at the consumer unit and turn the water off at the stopcock before you drill.

TR-04Mark and level the fixing holesHold the towel ring's baseplate against the wall and mark through the fixing holes with a pencil. Use the spirit level to check the marks are level before you drill anything. Double-check the spacing matches your drill bit and fixings.

1 each · Pencil

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TR-05Drill through tile first, if the wall is tiledStart with a tile bit on slow speed and light pressure, keeping the drill dead straight so it doesn't skate and chip the glaze. Once you're through the tile, switch to the correct bit for the wall behind — masonry, wood or the pilot bit for a metal-stud fixing.

1 each · Tile drill bit

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TR-06Fixing for dot-and-dab plasterboardOn dot-and-dab, the board sits on plaster dabs with a 20-50mm air gap before the masonry behind. Plain wall plugs won't hold long-term because there's nothing solid close enough to grip. Drill through the board and gap, then into the masonry with a 6-7mm masonry bit to at least 30mm depth in the brick, and use a long dot-and-dab fixing (a frame-fixing screw with a sleeve, roughly 75-90mm) that bridges the gap and bites into solid masonry.

2 each · Dot-and-dab fixing screws (75-90mm, with sleeves)

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1 each · Masonry drill bit 6-7mm

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TR-07Fixing for other wall types, if that's what you've gotOn solid brick or block, drill 40-50mm deep with a 6-7mm masonry bit, fit a standard Rawlplug, then screw in. On timber studs, find the centre of the stud and drive a 40-50mm wood screw straight in — no plug needed. On metal studs, never use a plain plug or wood screw, as it strips straight through 0.5mm steel; use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the weight, and if the ring will be pulled or leant on, fix into a timber noggin or pattress instead. On lath and plaster, drill slowly to avoid cracking the old lime plaster, and use a spring toggle that spans the laths, or locate a timber upright behind and screw into that.

2 each · Rawlplug (wall plug, standard)

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2 each · Wood screws 40-50mm

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2 each · Metal-stud self-drilling fixing or hollow-wall toggle

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2 each · Spring toggle fixing (for lath and plaster)

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TR-08Fix the baseplate to the wallPush or tap your chosen fixing into the drilled holes. Screw the baseplate on, tightening evenly and stopping as soon as it's snug. Overtightening can crack tile or crush plasterboard, so don't force it.

TR-09Fit the ring and test itClip or screw the ring onto the baseplate as per the kit's instructions. Check it's level and sitting square. Give it a firm, deliberate pull before you trust it with wet towels.

TR-10Seal and tidy upIf the fixing sits near a bath or shower, run a thin bead of silicone sealant around the baseplate edge to stop water tracking in behind the tile. Wipe down the wall, vacuum up any dust or drill debris, and bin the packaging.

1 tube · Silicone sealant (bathroom grade)

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