NP-08Fit the right fixing for your wall typeSolid brick or block: drill an 8mm hole 55mm deep, fit a red plastic wall plug, and use a 60mm screw. Timber stud: drive a 5x70mm wood screw straight into the centre of the stud, with a pilot hole first. Metal stud: use a self-drilling metal stud fixing or a toggle-type hollow-wall anchor rated for the load — never a plain wall plug or ordinary wood screw, as they strip straight through 0.5mm steel. Dot-and-dab plasterboard: use a fixing long enough to pass through the board and adhesive dabs and grip the masonry behind, typically 75-100mm. Lath and plaster: find and screw into the timber lath or batten behind if you can, or use a spring-toggle plasterboard fixing, drilling gently to avoid cracking the old lime plaster. A metal stud alone will not hold a half-newel safely, because a handrail gets pulled and leaned on. If your detector confirms metal studs, fit a timber noggin between the studs first, or fix through to the masonry behind, rather than relying on the stud fixing alone.