Fixing towel rails on plasterboard

[Paul Cockhill]

HI
I have a client who wants a large towel (approx 500mm X 850mm) rail fitted onto a plasterboard stud wall. I am only concerned about the weight. I have used Gripit fixings before and they seem ok but can anyone recommend anything even more secure.

I guess I could batten it but has anyone come across anything really good without battening it?

thanks

Paul

 

[Ray Stafford]

Fastbrolly fixing?

Link

 

[lame plumber]

bees knees

 

[jonnyswamp]

Old fashioned toggle fixings should do the job, better if it could be battened
It's not an overly large one though..................as my missus keeps telling me

 

[lucas121]

We never run the risk with towel rails and always batton.

Rads are sometimes ok as they have the bracket to spread the load, where as rails don't. That said, we have never actually not battoned a rail to prove our point/be proved wrong.

 

[Paul Cockhill]

Thanks I think battening is the way to go

 

[gassafe]

We never run the risk with towel rails and always batton.

Rads are sometimes ok as they have the bracket to spread the load, where as rails don't. That said, we have never actually not battoned a rail to prove our point/be proved wrong.

How do you batten a towel rail out of interest without messing up the walls?

 

[Best]

500mm x 850mm towel rail is a very small rail surely? If the plasterboard is being tiled over it will add greatly to the 'sandwich' strength.
Check first for any stud work that might just be in right area for a fixing bracket.
The brolly anchors in link above are fairly decent and good enough for medium duty jobs.
You can get fixings that have a solid bar that do heavy duty.

 

[Worcester]

Make sure you use the setting tool with the fixings from Ray, - we use those for rads on plasterboard too (remember our rads are 3 x bigger than the ones you guys fit )

 

[Jimbobber]

We use toggles all the time when the chippys don't first fix some wood in there. Gotta be big ones though or they'll fail too quickly. Always better to screw to wood or block though.

You can easily fix toggles/brollys without a gun. Use your impact driver whilst pressing the bracket against it. Just wind the screw in a bit by hand first because if you cross thread it you'll spin a nice big hole through the board.

 

[lucas121]

How do you batten a towel rail out of interest without messing up the walls?

Thinking about we have never had to install a towel rail on plaster board where either the wall Is not being tiled/refurbed or we can't access the stud work from the other side of the wall, we have been lucky. I think my boss does a good job of convincing the customer to batten when at quoting stage.

 

[Best]

If you have to fix a brolly toggle without a gun, use a dot of oil or silicone grease behind the screw head, as the friction is at that point while the toggle compresses & pulls the toggle together.

 

[lame plumber]

just pay a fiver for the gun and do it right first time

 

[Ray Stafford]

just pay a fiver for the gun and do it right first time

Much as I would love to sell more guns, I must confess that I have never used one myself.

<hangs head in shame>

The fixings work a treat though, for medium duty stuff. Anything heavier than about 10 kgs per fixing point, you need to batten it.

 

[AWheating]

the item weight is not my concern with towel rails, its the user factor of pulling towels off etc........

battern if at all possible if not try and hit a studd (not me ) if possible and spring toggles which are alot stronger than umbrellas.

 

[hammers4spanner]

Yep its the user factor i inform them its a towel rail not a child's ladder etc etc, just fit them with brown plugs and a dot of sticks like on each fixing .

Works a treat

 

[Fallon1982]

Toggle bolts are the best thing to use. Used them hundreds of times in the past and always hold up.

 

[cr0ft]

Anchor/toggle fixings are rated to around 20kg each for the larger ones. You will be struggling to find a towel rail which weighs 80kg when full.

None of the other stud wall fixings hold as much weight per fixing so why compromise?

 

[JCplumb]

I've never liked fixing anything on plasterboard, I have done loads of times, but never once have I been totally happy about it.

 

[Paul Cockhill]

Thanks everyone. I am not tiling behind, so I think the best way is to batten it, especially as the client has two small children you might try and climb the ladder rail