How to Screw Plaster Into a Wall Without Crumbling It
Plaster was the building standard until the 1940s when drywall burst onto the market. It used to be a popular choice for wall construction, given its flexibility, suitable for corners and small spaces where materials like brick couldn’t. However, its ductility has a downside, as plaster doesn’t support a lot of weight – things like, you know, your flat-screen TV and floating shelves – as the material tends to crumble under pressure. But there are ways to hang objects on the plaster without showered the walls.
How to hang things on plaster walls
If you’re only hanging paintings or other items that weigh 30 pounds or less, plaster hooks will work as they are angled to distribute the weight of the items evenly. These particular hooks don’t need anything other than a tape measure and a hammer; however, AS Hanging Display Systems warns against the use of plaster nails, which can cause cracking.
If you’re hanging something like a TV bracket, make sure you find the stand in the wall first. Getting a cheap nail finder is the easiest way to get it right. Then you will need 2-inch screws, plastic anchors, drill and drills. Using masking tape for marking and drilling can help prevent cracking and cracking when screwed into walls. This video from eHow at Home is a great example.
How to drill plaster walls
To prevent cracking and crumbling, you need to pre-drill the screw holes, and you can start by gluing on a strip of blue tape before drilling the holes in the wall – this will help you make a clean hole without too much peeling. Make sure your drill is the same size as your plastic anchor, or slightly larger so that it fits snugly against the screw, then drill straight into the blue tape. Insert the anchor into this hole, or hammer it in, and then you can screw it straight into the anchor.