US-05Drill and fix the bearers to the wallCables and pipes can run almost anywhere, not just in the usual safe zones, and a detector can still miss anything deep, in metal conduit, or hidden behind a metal stud frame. Find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns before you start, 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 before drilling. For a TIMBER STUD, drill a pilot hole and drive a 4x40mm wood screw into the centre of the stud. For a METAL STUD, use a self-drilling metal-stud screw or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the load; never use a plain plastic wall plug or an ordinary wood screw, as they strip straight through 0.5mm steel. For plasterboard between studs, use a toggle or hollow-wall anchor rated for the shelf's weight rather than a screw into board alone. For SOLID BRICK OR BLOCK, drill an 8mm hole to 45mm depth and fit a matching plug with a 5x50mm screw. For DOT-AND-DAB plasterboard, use a fixing long enough to pass through the board and adhesive dabs into the masonry behind, typically 75-90mm. For LATH AND PLASTER, avoid drilling straight into a lath where you can; use a hollow-wall toggle fixing that spreads the load across the plaster and lath instead of one single point.