More DIY advice sought

[ciphergoth]

In masonery, is there anything you can do if the hole is too big for the rawlplug? I tried using a bigger rawlplug but then I find the screw is too small to make it expand properly, and I can't use a bigger screw because it won't fit through the hole in the bracket we're using for these blinds. I have this idea that if only it would stay put and not spin or push in then everything would be fine, which leads me to imagine things like dipping it in Polyfilla before shoving it in the wall, but that's probably not wise in real life. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

Put some matchsticks down the side of the rawlplug to fill the gap (uh, cut the heads off first, then cut the remaining part of the matchstick flush with the wall after you've put it in the hole, as you might expect).

[ciphergoth.livejournal.com]

Thanks - unfortunately the disparity isn't quite enough to accommodate a matchstick, it's barely a millimetre.

[pir.livejournal.com]

You can trim wooden matchsticks down lengthways with a sharp knife to get quite slim fragments.

Drill the bracket if you can.

I've filled holes with deep filler (rather than the surface/cosmetic kind) that sets nearly as hard as concrete and then redrilled, before. Or filled the hole and put the thing I was mounting slightly further over if the position didn't have to match against something.

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

This is what I was going to say. However if a matchstick is too thick then any old card or wood should do.

[zotz]

Use a particularly hard filler to make the hole smaller, or put other rigid things in besides rawlplugs - for relatively small holes, I've used matchsticks fairly successfully, but obviously it'd depend on what the hole's like

[feorag.livejournal.com]

I believe there's a trick using a length of wooden dowelling in the place of the rawlplug, but don't take my word for it - just use this as something to google on.

[nojay.livejournal.com]

Get a length of wooden dowel to fill the hole along with some wood glue or Araldite, any bonding glue (i.e. not superglue or Airfix glue) will do the job usually. Polyfilla might work too. Leave it for a few hours to dry/set then drill a new hole the right size for the Rawlplug into the dowel.

[kimble.livejournal.com]

Drill the bracket.

[juliet]

This is what I'd do, as well.

Otherwise, hard filler sounds like a good bet.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

I normally just wrap a little bit of newspaper around the rawplug if it's only a little bit bigger; works fine.

[sabledemon.livejournal.com]

Tissue paper works too.

[alienspacebat.livejournal.com]

These work very well http://www.screwfix.com/prods/77888/Fixings/Wall-Plugs/Fischer-Wet-N-Fix-Pack-of-50

My other favourite trick is a squirt of expanding foam then quickly put the plug in. Wait for it to try, trim the worm that has come out the middle and screw into it

[stgpcm.livejournal.com]

Not all plugs are equal.

If it's only a small size difference get a heavier duty style of plug

[conflux.livejournal.com]

You can get rawlplugs that have plastic fins down the side that should do the job. You can also get cheap ones that will collapse inwards if you hammer one that is too big into the hole. The trad way is to use wooden dowel but this can go wrong if it gets damp, which is why most plugs are plastic these days. When all else fails drill the hole in the bracket bigger.