Adhesive hooks and screws, plugs or glue: how do you correctly attach things to the wall?

Whether you go all the way with a gallery wall of your most beautiful posters, photos and paintings; or you choose a statement piece in your living space that will draw all the attention: with wall decoration you give your home a personal touch.

Attaching light decorations to your wall is not that difficult: picture hooks are very suitable for this. You attach the hook to the back of your notice board or frame and use a hammer to hammer the (usually accompanying) screw into the wall. It is best to only use this type of brackets for light objects. You can also hang a small frame with self-adhesive strips or nails. Then check whether your frame or wall decoration does not weigh more than 2 kg.

If drilling doesn’t scare you, then… the classic universal plug an all-rounder. This plug is available in various lengths and diameters. You knock them into a pre-drilled hole with a light hammer. If you screw the screw into the plug, the plug expands and remains firmly in place.

Do you want to play it safe because your wall decoration (think: flat decoration, such as a mirror, chalkboard or large painting with a heavy frame) is heavier? Then use screw plugs for plasterboard panels. You don’t need a drill for this, because you can screw the plugs directly into the wall. Depending on the thickness of the plasterboard panels, the plug can support 15 to 20 kg. So check carefully which plug is most suitable.

If you want to mount or hang heavier items on the wall, it is best to use hollow wall plugs for plasterboard. This type of plug can support objects between 20 and 35 kg. Ideal for a bookshelf, a coat rack or wall rack. These plugs – also called umbrella plugs or toggle plugs – open when a screw is screwed in. You can easily push them through the wall, possibly using a push-through pin. The plug anchors itself in the back of the plasterboard. You can also use this plug for installing bathroom furniture.

Be sure to choose the correct plug depending on the thickness of the plasterboard. And when determining the weight, also take into account the items you want to place on your rack or shelf. Books, a plant, vases or other decorative material count towards the total weight that the plug must be able to carry. Hollow wall plugs from 9 mm to 13 mm have a large supporting surface behind the plate and can therefore withstand some weight. If the plugs need to be able to carry more weight (such as a TV, stair railing or radiator), you can use a hollow wall anchor.

To deliver good drilling work, choosing the right drill is half the battle. But of course your drilling technique must also be impeccable.

Do you want install a hanging toilet of install a floating sink, then we recommend extra reinforcement. For example, provide plywood or plywood in advance between the profiles to which the plasterboard panels are attached. Or find support against the wall behind.

There are also reinforced plasterboard panels for wall-hung toilets. The plaster is reinforced with fibres, making the plates much sturdier. It is best to hang the wall profiles with nail plugs. First drill a hole and then drive the plug in with a hammer. You can attach the sink using special mounting sets. A set consists of a hanger screw, a plug and a metal and a plastic washer.

Hang a hanging lamp above your dining table or kitchen island it is best to use toggle plugs. A toggle plug can support up to 10 kg, but take the total weight into account. These springy, metal plugs are available with a nut or as a screw hook. Toggle plugs are also very suitable, just like metal hollow wall plugs attaching curtain rails to the ceiling.

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