1.0 What the job involves
Every hanging job starts with the wall. Plasterboard is hollow and only holds light loads on its own; the timber or steel studs behind it hold far more. Brick, block and rendered walls need masonry plugs or anchors. Old lath-and-plaster walls crumble if they're drilled carelessly. We find out what's there before deciding anything.
Then the load. A picture, a mirror, a floating shelf full of books and a set of kitchen shelves are very different weights, and a fixing that holds one can let go under another. We pick fixings rated for the load and the wall, and for heavy items we go into the studs or the masonry, not just the board.
Before every hole, we sweep the wall with a detector and keep clear of the zones directly above, below and beside power points and switches, where cables usually run. We don't move power points or work on wiring; if something you want is in the way of one, we'll say so.
Curtain rails and blinds need brackets that land on something solid above the window, which in older houses is often lath, plaster or a timber lintel. We find it, fix the brackets level, and check the curtain or blind runs freely end to end.
2.0 The process, step by step
- 2.1
Plan
What's going up, where, and how heavy it will be loaded.
- 2.2
Find the wall
Stud finder and test probe: stud, hollow, masonry or old plaster.
- 2.3
Sweep
Detector over the area; cable zones near power points avoided.
- 2.4
Mark
Positions marked level with a laser or long level.
- 2.5
Fix
Fixings matched to the wall and load, drilled with dust caught at the bit.
- 2.6
Load test
Hung, loaded by hand, levelled and wiped down.
3.0 Included / not included
Included
- Finding studs and checking the wall type
- Fixings matched to the wall and the load
- Shelves, brackets, mirrors, pictures, hooks and rails
- Curtain tracks and blinds fitted and run
- Dust caught at the drill and cleaned up
- Packaging taken away
Not included
- Moving, adding or working near power points or wiring
- Fixing into asbestos sheeting (see the plaster page)
- Large built-in joinery or kitchens
- Work above single-storey ladder height
- Glass shelving systems that need specialist fitting
- Pool areas
4.0 How pricing works
Free quote. The number of items, the wall type and the weight being held set the time and the fixings. Masonry and old plaster take longer than a timber stud.
A list of everything you want up, with a photo of each wall, usually gets a firm price. Several items in one visit cost less each.
5.0 Questions
Can you hang a heavy mirror on plasterboard?
On the studs, yes. On plasterboard alone, only light items. We'll find the studs and plan the position around them.
Do you bring the fixings?
Yes. Fixings are matched to the wall on the day and listed on the quote.
Can you put shelves in an alcove?
Yes, on battens or brackets. Built-in joinery with doors is a bigger job; ask and we'll say if it suits us.
Will there be dust?
Very little. We catch dust at the drill and wipe down after.
Can you hide the screws?
On many shelves, yes, with concealed brackets. They need a solid fixing behind them.