What Fixings to Use in Insulated Plasterboard
In 2021, I did a video comprehensively running through all the best plasterboard fixings on the market (click here to see). Hidden nearly 25 mins into the video was a section talking about which fixings work best in insulated plasterboard - I get asked this a lot. So, I will tackle this subject by choosing 5 fixings that I think will work well and put them to the test in a piece of insulated plasterboard.
The fixings I’ve selected for this challenge are…drum roll please…
And the Bullfix (the Bullfix comes in two sizes, universal and the Bullfix Extra that has a larger wing. I’ll be using the universal today)
For this challenge I’m using an off-cut of foil backed plasterboard, and 100mm PIR insulation board left over from a recent project.
I marked out the board with 5 fixing points and clamped it into my old black and decker work bench to make it secure with grip clamps - and we’re ready to go.
Fischer Duopower 8 x 40
First up, we’ve got the Fischer Duopower 8x 40. It needs an 8mm diameter drill bit and you want to use a 4.5 or 5mm diameter wood screw. I typically power the screw most of the way with a drill driver, and then do the last few turns with my manual screwdriver as you don’t have enough feel for when the screw is properly tightened if you use a drill or impact driver.
Multi-fix Stella
Next up we’ve got the Multi-fix Stella, which I was really impressed with in my previous video, with its metal nut inside the fixing.
We need a 10mm diameter drill bit for this. The Stella requires a Torx head bit - which I love as it’s far superior to Pozidrive, minimising any chance of the screw bit camming out of the screw head. With the metal nut in the fixing I can confidently drive this most of the way home with my drill driver, and again finish off the tightening with my manual screwdriver.
Hollow Wall Anchor
We’re now onto the M5 x 52mm hollow wall anchor - one of my favourite fixings over the years. Again, we need the 10mm drill bit for this, and I’m going to use my anchor setting tool to tighten the fixing .
You can instead use a manual screwdriver (link to my video on this here) - just make sure you have the bracket in place as a turning stop before you tighten the bolt.
T-Bolt
Next up we’ve got the T-bolt - which I think is one of the cleverest designs out there. For this we need to use the 16mm spade bit provided which produces a lovely clean cut in the plasterboard.
I start off the bolt with my hand just to make sure it’s properly located, and then make it tight with the manual screwdriver.
Bullfix
And finally we’re onto the Bullfix. For this you need a 20mm spade bit also provided with the kit.
The collar presses into the plasterboard, and then you need to tap the inner core of the fixing into place with a hammer, again tightening the screw into the fixing with the manual screwdriver.
Conclusion
And we’re done, all the fixings featured worked seamlessly - the Bullfix perhaps being the most tricky, requiring the hammer to help force the fixing open, and obtained a really secure fixing.
It was time for the big reveal and I prise the insulation off the plasterboard with my mini utility bar from Faithful.
And the end result - all the fixings have worked beautifully in spite of having to force their way open through the insulated plasterboard. You’d obviously expect the two lighter weight fixings - Duopower and Stella - to operate regardless of the insulation but it’s more impressive that the other three heavier duty fixings have also operated as if the insulation wasn’t even there.
So I think those results are pretty impressive, and what’s more they mirror the results I got when I ran these those tests in the larger, comprehensive video that I recorded last year. The only slight doubt I need to throw into the mix, is that this is a PIR board, and the insulation that you typically get on your Kingspan K118 plasterboard is a phenolic type of insulation, so I don’t know if the phenolic and PIR are the same density of foam. It could throw the results a little bit.
In spite of that, I reckon most, if not all of these fixings will operate in either plasterboard.
WESHOP
As I draw to a close, I thought I’d mention the platform that I’ve been using recently. WeShop is a new concept merging social media with shopping. You can get 20% of the value of each order you make through the platform in shares - they’re giving away 90% of the business to those who shop on it.
Over the last ten years, I’ve been a bit addicted to Amazon, so I’m trying to start helping and reconnecting with other UK retailers who are signed up to the site. I’ve bought anything and everything from dishwasher tablets to nail guns.
You also get access to an exclusive connection of my own videos because I post regularly about all of the things I like using. If you recommend friends, you get a small referral commission (as I do from you if you come onboard). You can download the app from Google Play or the Apple Store, and simply need to sign up using my name ‘charliewhite’ - all one word. Have a bit of fun and let me know what you think!
Now I don’t know quite how this will pan out, I don’t know what will happen to the WeShop platform or how well it will be taken up by the British public. But I’m buying things I would be buying anyway, I’m supporting British retailers, and getting a potential nest of shares. Have a play around with it and let me know what you think.
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