Photo: Fahroni (Shutterstock)
Gypsum was the building standard until the 1940s, if drywall burst onto the market. Before that, it was a popular choice for wall construction due to its flexibility, fitting around corners and in small spaces where materials like brick were not suitable. However, its malleability has a disadvantage, as plaster of paris can’t hold a lot of weight – things like your flat screen TV and floating shelves – because the material tends to crumble under pressure. But there are ways to hang objects on plaster of paris without crumbling the walls.
How to hang your things on plaster walls
If you only hang pictures or other items that weigh 30 pounds or less, Plaster hook do as they are angled to evenly distribute the weight of the items. These special hooks don’t need anything other than a tape measure and hammer; However, AS hanging display systems warns against the use of plaster of paris nails, which are prone to cracking.
If you are hanging something like a TV mount, make sure to find the stud in your wall first. Buy cheap Bolt finder is the easiest way to get it right. Then you will need 2 inch screws, plastic plugs, a drill bit, and your drill bits. Using painter’s tape to mark and drill can help prevent crumbling and tearing as you screw into the walls. This video from eHow at Home provides a great example.
How to drill into plasterboard walls
To avoid cracking and crumbling, you need to pre-drill holes for your screws, and you can start by taping a strip of blue tape before drilling holes in the wall – it helps make neat holes without crumbling as much. Make sure your drill bit is the same size as your plastic dowel, or just slightly larger for a snug fit with the screw, then drill directly into the blue tape. Push or hammer the anchor into this hole, and then you can screw directly into your anchor.
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