HANGING & WALL MOUNTING

Put up a peg rail on a dot-and-dab plasterboard wall

Fit a peg rail to a dot-and-dab wall safely, checking what's behind the board before you drill and fix into solid masonry.

PR-01Plan the rail height and mark a level lineDecide how high you want the rail — around 1500mm from the floor works well for coats and bags, lower for children's pegs. Hold the rail against the wall and mark this height in pencil. Use a spirit level to draw a level line the full length of the rail, and lay a dust sheet below to catch drilling dust.
1 each · Peg rail with pegs
1 each · Pencil
1 each · Dust sheet
1 roll · Masking tape
PR-02Check what's behind the wall and make it safe to drillRun a cable and pipe detector over the whole marked line before you drill anything — but treat it as a warning, not a guarantee, because detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, or behind metal-backed plasterboard. Find your stopcock now, usually under the kitchen sink, and check it turns freely so you can shut the water off fast if you hit a pipe. If you have any real doubt about what's in the wall, isolate the relevant circuit at the consumer unit before drilling. Tap along the line: dot-and-dab sounds mostly hollow with occasional firmer patches where the adhesive dabs sit, and a small 3mm test hole will show plasterboard, then a gap, then solid masonry dust.
1 each · Cable and pipe detector
PR-03Mark and drill the fixing holes for your wall typeHold the rail on the level line and mark each screw position — most peg rails need three fixings spaced evenly along their length. For dot-and-dab, drill through the plasterboard and the adhesive dab void into the solid masonry behind, using a 7mm masonry bit to a depth of at least 65-75mm so the fixing reaches sound brick or block, not just the dab. On solid brick or block with no void, drill to the plug's length plus 5mm with the same bit. On a timber stud wall, drill a 3mm pilot hole into the centre of the stud — timber dust confirms you're in the right spot, and the screw goes straight in with no plug. On a metal stud wall, a magnet or the run of screw heads under paint will find the steel track; a pilot hole giving fine grey swarf confirms it, and you need a self-drilling metal-stud fixing, never a plain wood screw, which strips straight through 0.5mm steel. Metal stud track holds light coat weight reasonably well, but for anything that pulls hard on the wall, fix into a noggin between the studs or through to the masonry behind instead. On lath and plaster, drill slowly at low speed to avoid cracking the old plaster, aiming for the timber lath or a joist behind it.
1 each · Masonry drill bit 7mm x 100mm
1 each · Wood drill bit 3mm
1 pack · Self-drilling metal-stud fixings (pack of 10)
PR-04Fit the wall plugs or fixingsPush the correct plug or fixing into each drilled hole until it sits flush with the wall. For dot-and-dab or solid masonry, use a long wall plug rated for your screw size, not a short general-purpose one — a short plug will just grip the plasterboard and pull straight out under load. For metal studs, fit the self-drilling fixing by hand or driver as directed on the pack; if a hole lands between studs with nothing solid behind it, use a spring or gravity toggle rated for the rail's likely load instead.
1 pack of 10 · Heavy-duty wall plugs, long (60-75mm)
1 pack of 4 · Spring toggle fixings
PR-05Screw the rail to the wallLine the rail up on your marks and drive the first screw partway in, then check the rail is still level before fully tightening. Add the remaining screws, tightening evenly so the rail sits flat against the wall with no gap. Don't overtighten fixings into plasterboard — you can crush a toggle or crack the board.
1 pack · Fixing screws (No.8 x 50mm)
PR-06Fit the pegs and load-test the railScrew or push the pegs into the rail as supplied. Hang a coat or bag on each one and check the rail doesn't flex, creak, or pull away from the wall. If your fixings only bit into the dot-and-dab board rather than the masonry behind, a firm test now is much safer than the rail coming down later.
PR-07Clear upVacuum plaster or brick dust from the floor and skirting before it gets trodden in. Remove the dust sheet and masking tape, and wipe down the wall around the rail. Keep any spare screws or plugs in a labelled bag in case you need to adjust the rail later.
1 each · Small resealable storage bag

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