Holes in plasterboard from rawl plugs General problems, solutions, information and advice on fixing to walls of all kinds

[Theo Cupier]

I'll confess that this is actually a ceiling question, not a wall question, but I hope the principles are the same. (Didn't seem to be anywhere suitable for this question other than here!)

We have a bedroom in our 2 year old extension. So far as I know, it's a standard plasterboard construction, but there is a flat roof above it.

In the window we have placed a roller blind.

A couple of times the blind has fallen down because the rawl plug fixing has come out. I've bodged a repair by using a larger screw and larger rawl plug but eventually the repair fails and the screw and plug comes out again. I've reached the limit of this now because I can't use a larger screw on the blind fitting.

So I guess it's time to repair the ceiling. The plaster is pretty dry and powdery up there. What's the best thing for me to do to repair the ceiling so that I can start again with fixing the blind to the ceiling at the same point?

Can I just put No Nails into the hole and then fine plaster over this to make a smooth finish which will hold another screw?

What fixing should I use next time I put the blind up?

[rosebery]

The repairs are failing because a standard rawlplug won't work in plasterboard. You need to use plasterboard fixings.

I'm not sure what NMN would do for you actually. Fill the holes with filler and overpaint and don't try to fit the blind back up that way or you'll be doing it all again in a few weeks.

I'd suggest (if you have window reveals) that the blind is fitted to the reveals not to the ceiling. If in the ceiling you are putting pressure on the fixing/screw along the line of least resistance (longitudinal to the screw). If you put the fixings/screws in the reveals then the downward pressure is at right angles to the screw.

Cheers

[Theo Cupier]

Thanks roseberry.

Glad to hear I can just use standard filler (polyfiller, or whatever). Only thought on NMN because I read another thread on here which suggested it as filling material for holes, might have got the wrong end of the stick, though.

Unfortunately there are no reveals above the windows, the top of the window frame is at ceiling height. So I have no choice but to mount the screws vertically into the ceiling.

Only 1 of the 4 screws in this blind which has failed and I have another, similar blind also ceiling fixed which is fine on all 4 screws.

Once I've filled the hole, do I still need to use plasterboard rawl plugs? If I'm drilling into solid filler surely it will behave like solid material, rather than plasterboard?

Looks like filling this will be my bank holiday weekend project, then.

[rosebery]

Sorry I meant mount it on the verticals on the sides of the window.

I certainly wouldn't try and fit it into filler - it will fail again.

If you have no choice but to fix the brackets to a horizontal surface then I'd suggest a piece of timber fixed at regular intervals using plasterboard fixings. That way uou'll avoid the filler and have more strength. Paint to match the colour of the ceiling. Attach the blind to that.

Cheers

[fixings man]

The earlier reply was correct, to use the correct fixings in the first place, but there are acouple of thing to help afterwards.

You could try 'fischer wet and fix' which is a simple repair for plasterboard and wall fixing of use the hole you have and use a fischer HM 5x37 S which will expand behind the plasterboard for a strong fixing.

Good luck.