MIR-06Choose the right fixing for your wall typeOn solid brick or block, drill a 6mm hole to the depth of the plug, fit a wall plug, and use a 50mm screw. On dot-and-dab plasterboard, drill through the plasterboard and the 10-40mm void behind it into the masonry, and use a longer plug and screw (typically 75-100mm) so it grips the solid wall, not just the plasterboard skin. On a timber stud wall, drive a wood screw straight into the centre of the stud with no plug needed. On a metal stud wall, never use a plain wall plug or wood screw — they strip straight through 0.5mm steel — use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or toggle-type anchor instead, and if the mirror is heavy or top-hung with a pull-away bracket, get a timber noggin fitted between the studs first. On lath and plaster, aim your fixing into a solid timber lath or the stud behind it, using a longer screw than you'd expect, since the lime plaster itself won't hold weight.