using polyfilla around a rawlplug

Have just been drilling into a dividing wall in a 1936 terraced house in
London, to hang up a cupboard in the bedroom.

What I'm drilling into is almost like soft sand. I guess it must be some
kind of breeze block mortar that has deteriorated? The only thoughts I have
is to pack some polyfilla around the rawlplug to fill in the hole and get
some grip. Is that a good idea? Novice appreciates any advice on what best
to do. thanks.

Posted by Curious on December 18, 2006, 4:46 am

"torge conrad maguar" wrote:

> Have just been drilling into a dividing wall in a 1936 terraced house in

> London, to hang up a cupboard in the bedroom.

> What I'm drilling into is almost like soft sand. I guess it must be some

> kind of breeze block mortar that has deteriorated? The only thoughts I

> have is to pack some polyfilla around the rawlplug to fill in the hole and

> get some grip. Is that a good idea? Novice appreciates any advice on

> what best to do. thanks.

Unlikely to be breeze block in a 1936 property, and breeze block doesn't
usually deteriorate with age. You are most likely drilling into the mortar
between the bricks. You can't put filler around a wall plug and expect it to
stick. The easiest and safest solution is to hang the cupboard in a slightly
different lateral or vertical position; wall plugs should be fixed in brick.

Posted by Roger Mills on December 18, 2006, 4:49 am

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

> Have just been drilling into a dividing wall in a 1936 terraced house

> in London, to hang up a cupboard in the bedroom.

> What I'm drilling into is almost like soft sand. I guess it must be

> some kind of breeze block mortar that has deteriorated? The only

> thoughts I have is to pack some polyfilla around the rawlplug to fill

> in the hole and get some grip. Is that a good idea? Novice

> appreciates any advice on what best to do. thanks.

How many holes have you drilled, and are they *all* the same? If you've only
drilled one or two it's possible that you've just been unlucky and hit a
mortar joint. You could try moving your fixing points a couple of inches
diagonally and see whether you then get something a bit more solid.

Actually, when you say a 'dividing' wall, do you mean the party wall between
two houses or simply an internal wall between two rooms? If the latter, it
could be a stud partition covered with lath and plaster. Does the wall sound
hollow if you tap it with your knuckle? If it is this sort of wall, you'll
need to drill a lot of small test holes to find where the structural timbers
are, and then screw into those.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

Posted by Doug Miller on December 18, 2006, 6:48 am

>Have just been drilling into a dividing wall in a 1936 terraced house in

>London, to hang up a cupboard in the bedroom.

>What I'm drilling into is almost like soft sand. I guess it must be some

>kind of breeze block mortar that has deteriorated? The only thoughts I have

>is to pack some polyfilla around the rawlplug to fill in the hole and get

>some grip. Is that a good idea? Novice appreciates any advice on what best

>to do. thanks.

Interesting questions. As Churchill said, the U.S. and the U.K. are "two
nations divided by a common language."

So help this American understand what you're talking about, please.
What is a breeze block? What is a rawlplug? What is polyfilla?

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Posted by Roger Mills on December 18, 2006, 7:05 am

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

> Interesting questions. As Churchill said, the U.S. and the U.K. are

> "two

> nations divided by a common language."

> So help this American understand what you're talking about, please.

> What is a breeze block?

A building block, typically measuring 18" x 9" - used in bits of walls which
don't show - typically for the inner skin of a cavity wall. Original ones
made of furnace ash and cement or somesuch. Current ones much lighter in
weight, and with good insulating properties. Much faster to build than
bricks since each block takes the place of 6 bricks.

> What is a rawlplug?

Originally a fibre plug, inserted into a drilled hole in brickwork to allow
a screw to be screwed in. Rawlplug is/was a trade name
- but is now used generically for any such plug. Modern plugs are made of
plastic.

> What is polyfilla?

A powder which, when mixed with water, makes a plaster-like substance for
filling cracks in walls.

HTH!
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

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