Hang a picture frame on a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall

Fix a hanging point into your wall safely, working out what's behind it first, then hang and level your frame.

PF-01Plan the position and mark it upHold the frame where you want it and mark the top corners lightly in pencil. Measure down from the fixing point on the back (the wire, D-rings, or hook) to work out exactly where the wall fixing needs to go. Mark this single point clearly on the wall.

1 each · Pencil

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1 each · Tape measure

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PF-02Work out what the wall is actually made ofKnock along the wall near your mark. A dull, solid knock everywhere is brick or block. A hollow knock everywhere with regular screw heads roughly 400mm or 600mm apart is a stud wall. A hollow knock only at the edges of a panel, going solid a short way in, is dot-and-dab plasterboard on blockwork. A soft, springy, uneven feel with a very old house is likely lath and plaster. Run a detector or magnet over the area to trace any hidden screw heads and confirm stud spacing.

1 each · Stud and cable detector

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1 each · Small magnet

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PF-03Check for cables and pipes, and know how to isolate themCables and pipes can run almost anywhere, not just in the usual safe zones, so sweep the area with a detector but still treat the wall as if something is there until you have drilled a shallow test hole and proved otherwise. Find your stopcock now, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns before you start. If you have any doubt at all, switch off the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and be ready to turn off the water at the stopcock if you hit a pipe.

PF-04Drill a test pilot hole to confirm what's behindDrill a small pilot hole, 3-4mm, at your marked point and go steady. Fine, pale dust means solid masonry. Timber shavings or dust mean a wooden stud. Fine grey metal swarf means a steel stud, and you must stop and switch to a proper metal-stud fixing, never a wood screw or plastic plug, which will strip straight through 0.5mm steel. If you hit nothing but plasterboard with a gap of about 40-50mm behind it, you are into dot-and-dab and need a longer fixing to bridge that cavity.

1 each · Drill/driver

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1 each · 3-4mm drill bit

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PF-05Fit the right fixing for your wall typeFor solid brick or block, drill to the plug size stated on the pack, usually 6mm or 7mm, to a depth of 35-40mm, then insert a wall plug and screw. For a timber stud, drill a 2-3mm pilot into the centre of the stud and drive in a wood screw, no plug needed. For a metal stud, use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for metal, driven straight through the plasterboard into the steel track. For dot-and-dab, use a dot-and-dab specific fixing, usually 55-75mm long, that passes through the plasterboard and bridges the cavity to grip the solid dab or blockwork behind. For lath and plaster, drill carefully through a lath into the masonry beyond if you can reach it, or use a fine-thread plasterboard fixing rated for uneven old walls, and keep the load light.

1 pack of 10 · Wall plugs (assorted, red/brown)

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1 pack of 10 · Wood screws, 40mm

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1 pack of 4 · Metal-stud self-drilling fixing

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1 pack of 4 · Dot-and-dab hollow-wall fixing, 60mm

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PF-06Hang the frame and check it's levelHook the wire or D-ring straight onto the fixing and let the frame settle naturally. Place a spirit level along the top edge and nudge the frame gently until the bubble sits centred. Step back and check it looks straight from a distance too, since a level can read true while the frame still looks slightly off.

1 each · Picture hook or fixing screw with domed head

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1 each · Spirit level

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PF-07Clean up and check the fixing after a dayVacuum up any dust or debris from drilling, especially plasterboard dust which spreads easily. Wipe down the wall around the fixing. Come back after a day and give the frame a gentle tug to make sure the fixing hasn't loosened, particularly on dot-and-dab or lath and plaster walls.

1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Vacuum cleaner

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