NB-02Identify your wall type, then check for cables and pipesWork out whether you have solid brick or block, plasterboard on timber studs, plasterboard on metal studs, dot-and-dab plasterboard, or lath and plaster — tap the wall, run a stud detector across it, and check what dust a small pilot hole brings out. Before drilling, sweep a cable and pipe detector over every fixing point, then still treat the wall as if something is there — detectors miss cables in metal conduit, behind metal-backed board, or outside the normal safe zones, and a metal stud frame confuses cheap detectors further. Find your stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) and check it turns freely, so you can shut off the water fast if you hit a pipe. If in any doubt, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling.