Plasterboard is on almost every job — but on its own it's a weak, hollow material. A 15mm sheet holds almost nothing by itself, so the fixing you choose has to do one of three jobs: grip the board itself, reach through to something solid behind it, or spread the load across the sheet.
Get that choice right and the job holds first time. Get it wrong and you'll be patching holes and re-hanging whatever fell off. Here's the full breakdown — what each type of plasterboard fixing does, and which job it's for.
Quick reference — plasterboard fixings at a glance
|
Fixing type |
How it holds |
Best for |
We stock |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Drywall screws |
Screws board to the stud or frame |
Fixing boards — timber and metal framing |
Fine-thread bugle head & self-drilling wafer head, 13–90mm, 1,000-box packs |
|
Self-tapping metal fixings (e.g. Fischer PDM) |
Cuts its own thread into the board |
Pictures, skirting, switches, cable ducts, curtain rails |
Fischer PDM with pan-head screws |
|
Nylon toggle fixings (e.g. Fischer DuoTec) |
Opens behind the cavity; load spreads across the sheet |
TVs, radiators, brackets, heavy items |
Fischer DuoTec |
|
Dot & dab fixings (e.g. Fischer DDF) |
Bridges the adhesive cavity and pulls tight to the masonry |
Fixing to dry-lined (dot & dab) walls |
Fischer DDF range |
|
Insulation washers & discs |
Holds insulation batts against the board or frame |
Insulating and boarding out |
Insulation washers & discs |
Drywall screws — for fixing the board itself
First things first: if you're boarding out a room, you need screws, not fixings. Drywall screws attach the board to the stud or frame, and the two types follow the frame:
-
Fine-thread bugle-head screws for timber studs — the sharp point and coarse bite grip softwood cleanly, and the bugle head sits flush without tearing the paper face.
-
Self-drilling wafer-head screws for metal framing — they cut their own thread into the steel stud, no pre-drilling.
We stock both in black phosphate from 13mm to 90mm, in 1,000-box trade packs. As a rule of thumb: board thickness plus framing penetration — most single-board internal walls on 50mm studs work out around 32–38mm.
Shop the range: Plasterboard & Drywall Screws
Self-tapping metal fixings — for fixing into the board
When you're hanging something light straight onto the board — switches, cable ducts, skirting, curtain rails, pictures — a self-tapping metal fixing is the standard answer. It drills into the plasterboard and cuts its own thread, so the board itself carries the load.
The Fischer PDM is the one to reach for: it self-taps into single or double board, rear-insulated board and fibreboard, and comes with matching pan-head screws.
Just respect its limits — this is for light duty. Anything with real weight behind it needs the next section.
Shop the range: Plasterboard Fixings
Cavity toggle fixings — for TVs, radiators and heavy items
Here's the problem with hollow walls: the board is only as strong as the sheet, and a small plastic plug just spins or pulls out. A nylon toggle fixing solves it by opening out behind the cavity, so the load is spread across the whole sheet instead of one point.
The Fischer DuoTec is our go-to: push it in, the nylon toggle opens behind the board, and pulling the screw tight clamps the whole panel into play. This is the right fixing for wall-mounted TVs, radiators, brackets and anything you don't want coming back off the wall.
One warning worth repeating on site: never rely on standard masonry wall plugs in plasterboard. They're made to grip solid material — in a hollow wall they have nothing to bite. If you can't reach a stud or the masonry behind, use a cavity fixing.
Dot & dab walls — fixing to dry-lined masonry
Plenty of "plasterboard walls" aren't hollow at all — the board is dabbed onto masonry with adhesive, leaving a cavity of 10–25mm behind it. Standard fixings fail here because the board flexes away from the wall before it grips.
The Fischer DDF (dot & dab fixing) is made for exactly this: the long sleeve bridges the adhesive cavity, and the screw pulls the fixture tight back to the solid masonry behind. For very heavy loads — boiler brackets, wall-hung basins — pair it with our Fischer resin fixings anchored into the blockwork itself.
Insulating and boarding out
Lining a wall with insulation board? Insulation washers and discs hold the batts against the frame or masonry without pulling through, and longer drywall screws (up to 90mm) reach through board-plus-insulation into the framing.
Not sure which fixing fits the wall in front of you?
Give us a call on 01270 252 326 — lines open Mon–Fri, 8am–4:30pm — and we'll point you at the right fixing. With over 25 years supplying the trade, we fix into plasterboard every day.
Fastco Fasteners & Fixings — trade prices on screws, nuts, bolts and fixings, with fast UK delivery.
