Put up acoustic panels on a lath and plaster wall

A step-by-step guide to hanging acoustic panels safely, choosing the right fixing for whatever wall or ceiling you're working with.

AB-01Clear the wall and gather your toolsRemove anything hanging on the wall and take down old fixings. Lay a dust sheet along the skirting to catch plaster dust and screws. Get everything together before you start so you're not stopping halfway through with a drill in your hand.

1 each · Dust sheet

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1 each · Tape measure

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1 each · Pencil

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1 each · Spirit level (600mm)

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1 each · Safety glasses

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1 pack of 5 · Dust mask

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AB-02Mark out where each panel will goHold a panel against the wall and mark its top corners in pencil. Use your spirit level to keep the line true, then repeat for each panel, leaving an even gap between them (10-20mm is typical). Mark the actual fixing points on the wall, not just the panel outline.

AB-03Check what's actually behind the plaster at each fixing pointThis wall may be lath and plaster, but chimney breasts are often solid brick, and any stud partition nearby could be timber or metal. Tap the wall: lath and plaster feels slightly springy and often has faint horizontal ridges every 300-400mm where the laths are nailed to the studs; solid brick sounds dead and hard; stud walls sound hollow between the studs and solid on them. Run a detector or magnet along the wall to find the timber or metal studs, and drill a small test hole at a fixing point — pale wood dust means timber stud, fine grey metal shavings mean a metal stud, and a soft, crumbly hole with no dust behind it usually means lath and plaster with nothing solid there.

1 each · Cable and pipe detector

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1 each · Small magnet

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1 each · Drill bit 3mm

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AB-04Do your safety checks before you drillCables and pipes can run anywhere in a wall, not just in the 'safe zones' — and detectors miss cables that are deep, in metal conduit, or behind old metal lath mesh, so treat every hole as if something could be there. Find your stopcock (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 doubt about what's behind a spot, isolate that circuit at the consumer unit before drilling, and don't drill until you're sure.

AB-05Fixing into lath and plaster over a timber studThis is your strongest option, so use it wherever a stud lines up with a fixing point. Drill a 3mm pilot hole through the plaster and lath into the stud, then drive a 4x50mm wood screw into the centre of the stud, leaving the head just proud so the panel or its hanger sits flush.

8 each · Wood screws 4x50mm

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AB-06Fixing between studs, into lath and plaster onlyWhere there's no stud behind a fixing point, drill a hole sized to your toggle fixing and go gently — lath and plaster is brittle and the plaster can crack if you push too hard. Use a spring toggle or long hollow-wall anchor rated for the panel's weight, not a plastic wall plug, which has nothing solid to grip in a lath and plaster wall. Only rely on this fixing for light, flat panels — never for anything that will be pulled or knocked.

4 each · Spring toggle fixings (light duty)

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AB-07Fixing into solid brick or block (chimney breasts and party walls)Drill with a 6mm masonry bit to a depth of about 45mm, blow out the dust, then push in a matching wall plug. Drive in a 4x50mm screw so it bites into the masonry, not just the plaster skim.

8 each · Wall plugs 6mm (red)

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1 each · Masonry drill bit 6mm

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8 each · Screws 4x50mm

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AB-08Fixing through dot-and-dab plasterboardDot-and-dab plasterboard has a gap of 20-50mm behind it before you reach the masonry. Use a fixing long enough to pass through the plasterboard, cross the gap and grip the wall behind — typically a 75mm screw with a plug rated for the total depth, or a dot-and-dab specific fixing. A short standard plug will just sit in the void and pull straight out.

8 each · Dot-and-dab fixings (75mm)

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AB-09Fixing into plasterboard on timber studsLocate the centre of the stud with your detector and confirm with a pilot hole (pale wood dust). Drive a 4x40mm wood screw straight through the plasterboard into the stud, giving at least 30mm of grip in the timber.

8 each · Wood screws 4x40mm

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AB-10Fixing into plasterboard on metal studsConfirm a metal stud with a magnet or detector, or check for fine grey swarf from a test hole. Use a self-drilling metal-stud fixing or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the panel's weight — never a plastic wall plug or ordinary wood screw, which will strip straight through 0.5mm steel. Metal studs will hold light, flat panels fixed close to the wall, but they won't take anything that gets pulled or leant on; for heavier fittings you'd need a timber noggin or pattress fitted between the studs.

8 each · Self-drilling metal-stud fixings

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AB-11Hang the panels and check they're secureFit each panel onto its screws or hangers, checking with your spirit level as you go. Give each panel a gentle tug and push once it's up — it should not shift or creak.

AB-12Tidy up and touch upFill any unused pilot or test holes with a dab of decorator's caulk and smooth flat. Vacuum plaster dust from the floor and skirting, and wipe down the wall. Bin any offcuts and swarf, and store spare fixings in a labelled bag for next time.

1 tube · Decorator's caulk

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