Hang a neon sign or light box on a timber stud wall

Find your studs, check for cables and pipes, then fix and hang your neon sign safely and level.

NS-01Plan the position and check the fixing pointsDecide where the sign will hang, away from curtains and anything flammable, and at a height where the plug and flex reach a socket easily. Check the back of the sign for keyhole slots or eyelets and note their spacing. Hold the sign against the wall, or use its template, to check the look and the flex run before you mark anything.

1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Pencil

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NS-02Find the studs and work out timber or metalRun a stud detector across the wall, tracking a line of screw heads if you can see them, and mark each stud centre lightly in pencil. Knock the wall: a dull thud is a solid stud, a hollow sound is the gap between them. Drill a small 3mm pilot hole on a marked line - fine pale dust means timber, grey metallic swarf means metal studs, which need different fixings. Timber studs are common in older partitions and extensions; metal studs turn up in flats, new-builds and anything refitted since the 1990s.

1 each · Stud detector

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NS-03Check for cables and pipes before you drillCables and pipes can run almost anywhere behind plasterboard, and a detector alone is not proof - it can miss cables that are deep, in conduit, or outside the usual safe zones, and a metal stud frame confuses cheap detectors further. Before drilling, find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns, so you can shut off water fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any doubt at all, isolate the circuit at the consumer unit first.

NS-04Fix into timber studsDrill a 3mm pilot hole through the plasterboard and into the centre of each marked stud, so the wood screw doesn't split the timber. Drive a 40mm wood screw into each pilot hole, leaving 5-8mm standing out to catch the sign's keyhole slot or eyelet. Fixing into two separate studs gives a much steadier hang than a single point.

2 each · Wood screws 40mm

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1 each · Drill bit 3mm

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NS-05Fix into metal studs instead, if that's what you haveNever use a plain plastic wall plug or an ordinary wood screw in a metal stud - it strips straight through 0.5mm steel. Use a self-drilling metal-stud screw driven straight through the plasterboard and steel channel, or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor if you're fixing into the plasterboard between studs. If the sign is heavy or has a rigid bracket that pulls away from the wall as you plug it in, fit a timber noggin between the studs first, or fix through to the masonry behind instead.

2 each · Self-drilling metal stud screws

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2 each · Toggle-type hollow-wall anchor

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1 length · Timber noggin (50x25mm)

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NS-06Hang the sign and check it's levelLift the sign onto the fixings, hooking the keyhole slots or eyelets over the screw or anchor heads. Hold a spirit level across the top edge and nudge the fixings slightly if it's out. Give the sign a gentle tug before letting go, to check it's properly seated and secure.

1 each · Spirit level

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NS-07Connect and test the powerPlug the sign into a nearby socket, keeping the flex clear of walkways and away from curtains or fabric. Switch on and check it lights evenly with no flickering or buzzing. If it uses a transformer, check it isn't hot to the touch after ten minutes and that it has clear air around it.

1 each · Extension lead (if needed)

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NS-08Tidy upSweep up drilling dust and vacuum the floor and skirting below the sign. Pack away tools and keep any spare fixings and the sign's instructions somewhere safe in case you need to move it later.

1 each · Dust sheet

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