Old apartment with brick walls that have been plastered. If I go drilling a hole in the wall to hang paintings and clocks and stockings and stuff what might go wrong? I'm paranoid about a large chunk of plaster falling off.

Or, what is the correct way to do it. I know nothing about handyman stuff. I own one screwdriver, a shifter and a hammer.

I usually go to youtube when doing DIY stuff that I'm not sure about. Usually there are a few videos there to help.

You can buy a corded drill for about $10 from K Mart or twice that for a cordless. I bought a corded one about 7 years ago and its good for all these sorts of small jobs. You will need a masonry drill bit. Are you sure its plaster covering the brick walls? Usually in older places the brick walls are rendered in cement and then painted. That's what its like at our apartment and I can drill into the walls without any cracking or splitting of the render. Green plugs are your friend.

If you're only hanging pictures and clocks, go buy some picture hooks. They are held in by a nail which you have the correct tool for.

Golden rule when drilling holes into walls. Be aware of where water pipes, gas pipes and electrical cables lay hidden. Although I have never done it, I know of two mates who have put nice neat holes straight through hidden pipes beneath plaster.

Also find when drilling holes through plaster and into brick, it tends to make less mess and cracking of plaster if you drill the first 5mm without the hammer on. Then click it into gear and punch into the brick.



Good luck.

I think you can get things that detect wiring or pipes beneath the render. Not much use for plastic pipe, but if its an older unit, it will probably be copper or iron.

FormulaNova said..
I think you can get things that detect wiring or pipes beneath the render. Not much use for plastic pipe, but if its an older unit, it will probably be copper or iron.

Yeah, it's called a drill

orynoco said..

Hey mate don't bother drilling holes in the walls or hammering picture nails in either, go to bunnings and get the Velcro stick on picture hooks system. Made by 3M and can hold up to 5kg. All the pics in my house are held up by them, it's the way of the future!!!

+ 1 for the range of 3M self-adhesive Command hooks and picture hanging kits, especially for the lightweight stuff. But the trick, and it's not really a trick 'cos it tells you do it on the packet, is to clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol before applying the adhesive pad. It's about $5 a small squirt bottle, it lasts forever and it's buried away in the paint section at the hardware store. Plus the little bottle comes in handy for cleaning sunnies, helmet visors and glass.

FormulaNova said..
I think you can get things that detect wiring or pipes beneath the render. Not much use for plastic pipe, but if its an older unit, it will probably be copper or iron.

I think you mean a stud finder.

I used to have one but it kept going off when I walked past

Mobydisc said..

I usually go to youtube when doing DIY stuff that I'm not sure about. Usually there are a few videos there to help.

Me too.

Panda, if you make a mistake you could use this vid.

also try and drill a half mm below the size to be required. you can always go bigger but never smaller.

just out curiosity is that a straight bladed or Phillips head .

Apply a piece of masking tape to the wall where you want to drill and drill through the tape. Stops most plaster chipping. Drill slowly as some else has said.

Make sure its not inline with a tap or gaz lines or power point. drill away !@

saltiest1 said..
bit of false hope in my experience. be it a sparky, handy man, other plumber or anyone, if its in a wall it can be anywhere im afraid.itd be nice if there was some kind of standard to follow.

Isn't the location of cables and pipes defined by Murphy's Law?