For lightweight stuff such as mirrors and pictures I like to use a single 6mm Fischer DuoPower plug and a 10ga x 1¾” or 5mm x 40mm screw. Obviously use a screw length suitable for the item you’re attaching to the wall. I also sometimes use Fischer GP fixings in hollow sections and normal Fischer red plugs on the dabs. You could also use plugs such as the Rawlplug Uno. The DuoPower plugs have the advantage that they can be used in both the hollow sections and the solid sections. Medium weight items In 2017 statistics show that almost 80% of people are installing TV’s which range between 40 and 55 inches (Source Statisista.com). This downside however, is nowhere near as common as the problem of trying to fix heavy objects such as large flat screen TVs and kitchen cupboards to a dot and dab wall. We know the problem with fixing to dot and dab is the unsupported length of screw between the wall and the board. Corefix decided to keep it very simple and say that the solution is obviously to find a way of supporting it! And boy have they done that! This can result in cold spots on the wall which, in turn can result in condensation and condensation around the window reveals of a dot and dab plaster boarded room is very common.

This is the number one problem with using ordinary plugs and screws to a dot and dab plasterboard wall. How Does Corefix Work? This clearly depends on the size of the television but with all the major brands such as Sony, Samsung & Panasonic all making flat screen TVs up to a staggering 100 inches and above in some cases, it really is important to know the weight of your TV and know your hollow wall plasterboard fixing will support the load. Below are some approx. weights for standard size wall mounted flat screen TVs* The ‘solid wall’ bit is probably the bit where most people fall down. You tap the wall, think it’s hollow, use a hollow wall fixing and wonder why it doesn’t work. So here’s my number one tip with dot & dab: Dot and dab: In some situations you need to treat dot and dab like a hollow wall and in some situations you need to treat it like a solid wall.

Why is Fixing to Dot and Dab Plasterboard a Problem?

It does however have a few pitfalls, not the least of them being thermal bridging where the cold temperature of the masonry is transferred, via the plasterboard adhesive, to the inside of the plasterboard wall.

Dot & dab often also gets called drylining, even if a full wet coat of plaster is applied to the boards. Some builders / plasterers prefer to just tape and fill the joints between boards using a plasterboard joint compound. Some prefer a full, final skim coat of wet plaster. Obviously the latter means you need to wait a lot longer before painting. How to tell if you have dot & dab?We will discuss this, and the wonderful advantage of Corefix a little further on. First, take a look at the video above where you will see just how powerful the Corefix dot and dab plasterboard fixings are. Why is Fixing to Dot and Dab Plasterboard a Problem?