Fixings for my floating wall!

[papa_lazarou]

Hi all, I put this question on the groove thread too as lots have studied it and done their own FW's so maybe someone has come across the same wall make up as me!

Now after months of deliberating and procrastinating I've finally decided to get on and blatantly plagiarise Groove's floating wall idea. Top install Groove by the way, you should have patented the design!!

The main reason for my new found enthusiasm being that i've just taken delivery of a new Sharp 46" LCD! I've got my 2 Ikea units, and ordered the rope lights and will be getting the bracket and doing the electrics hopefully this week.

The question is about my fixings, my wall seems to be made up of a layer of plasterboard then I think a 15mm cavity then thermalite block followed by the main cavity then the outside layer of I presume blockwork.

Has anybody come across the same kind of wall, it's a barratts one so I want to make sure my floating wall is the sturdiest part of the building!!

What would be the best way of fixing my wooden frame to the wall? I was thinking just long enough rawl plugs and screws to go right into the thermalites would be okay?

Secondly what would you suggest for fixings for the actual TV bracket? I'd like to use the anchor bolt things to go right through the plaster wood frame, plaster board and into the thermalites but not sure whether they will be okay in thermalite blocks?

Any suggestions greatfully appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Papa.

 

[thefathacker]

Papa (Be my wife now Daaaaave!)

These types of things will do the trick (or others similar). and yes, get them long enough to go right through. Accuracy in drilling is essential though.

For fixing the frame to the wall - these will do the Job adequately.

 

[gpl1968]

The wall is dry-lined, probably dot-and-dab where dry-lining adhesive(like plaster) is "dotted" onto the wall at about 12" centers and plasterboard pushed onto the adhesive.
This practise is standard for the building trade but is useless if you want to fix anything onto the wall.

You could probably get away with screws and plugs with certain precautions.

As there is a 1/2" void behind most of the pb surface, to avoid crushing the plasterboard I would backfill any voids behind your fixing positions.
I usually use a hole saw to remove a disc of pb, then fill the hole with plaster and replace the disc of pb.

I usually use brown plugs and drill with a 7mm msonary bit with hammer action turned off. This gives a tight hole for the plug.
The plug should be sunk at least 2" into the thermalite block and the screw should reach the same depth. Depending on the screw length and timber thickness you may need to counter-bore the timber to achieve this.

As long as the timber frame is properly screwed together securely fixed to the wall, you should be able to screw the bracket just to the frame. Using 2" x 2" par, this should be an easy job.

 

[papa_lazarou]

Thanks for the replies guys, this morning I have decided to put a new floor in too so I have plenty to be getting on with before I start on the frame. I may put my progress up on here once I start!

The wall is dry-lined, probably dot-and-dab where dry-lining adhesive(like plaster) is "dotted" onto the wall at about 12" centers and plasterboard pushed onto the adhesive.
This practise is standard for the building trade but is useless if you want to fix anything onto the wall.

You could probably get away with screws and plugs with certain precautions.

As there is a 1/2" void behind most of the pb surface, to avoid crushing the plasterboard I would backfill any voids behind your fixing positions.
I usually use a hole saw to remove a disc of pb, then fill the hole with plaster and replace the disc of pb.

I usually use brown plugs and drill with a 7mm msonary bit with hammer action turned off. This gives a tight hole for the plug.
The plug should be sunk at least 2" into the thermalite block and the screw should reach the same depth. Depending on the screw length and timber thickness you may need to counter-bore the timber to achieve this.

As long as the timber frame is properly screwed together securely fixed to the wall, you should be able to screw the bracket just to the frame. Using 2" x 2" par, this should be an easy job.

Thanks, you're right the walls look nice but fixing stuff is a nightmare, I tried to put a huge ikea mirror on the wall in my bedroom and it was a nightmare trying to get it to stay up!!!

So you're saying that the plasterboard is most likely just glued onto the blockwork and are no wooden uprights behind??

Well the timber for the frame will be 3"x2" and 2"x2" so by my reckoning the screws and plugs would need to be 5-6" would that be sufficient?

 

[gpl1968]

Thanks for the replies guys, this morning I have decided to put a new floor in too so I have plenty to be getting on with before I start on the frame. I may put my progress up on here once I start!



Thanks, you're right the walls look nice but fixing stuff is a nightmare, I tried to put a huge ikea mirror on the wall in my bedroom and it was a nightmare trying to get it to stay up!!!

So you're saying that the plasterboard is most likely just glued onto the blockwork and are no wooden uprights behind??

Well the timber for the frame will be 3"x2" and 2"x2" so by my reckoning the screws and plugs would need to be 5-6" would that be sufficient?

You can tell if it's dot-and-dab (as it's called) by tapping on the wall, as opposed to battened, as there will be solid patches at about 12" centers.
The plasterer basically slops great dollops the plaster-like adhesive on the wall and then pushes the pb into the adhesive and straightens it up with a straight-edge. Sometimes (in my experience) they even use a spirit level.

If you can find 5" or 6" screws that would be great. If not you can use 4"12gauge screws and counterbore the timber by about 1"(assuing you are fixing a 2" thickness to the wall).
If you are only fixing a 2" thickness to the wall I don't see the point of using 3"x2". I would just use 2"x2" and screw the frame together on the floor. Then you have more choice over the wall fixing positions.

 

[papa_lazarou]

Can you clarify what you mean by counterboring the timber please, does that just mean sinking the screw an inch into the frame so it goes further into the wall?

 

[gpl1968]

Can you clarify what you mean by counterboring the timber please, does that just mean sinking the screw an inch into the frame so it goes further into the wall?

If you need to sink the screw into the timber, drill your pilot hole and then use a drill bit of a larger diameter than the screw head to widen the hole down to the depth required.
You could say that it is similar to countersinking but deeper.