Do I need Wall Plugs with Fix Direct screw products?

It all depends on the application and what screw fastener you are using. We have a range screw fasteners and most don’t need a wall plug. Our Concrete screws are self drilling which means they will anchor themselves into the masonry. All you need is a drill and 6.5mm masonry drill bit to make a pilot hole for our 7.5mm wide concrete screws. The pilot hole makes the driving in of the concrete screw a lot easier and quicker to do.

Our Baypole and Timber deck screws are, likewise, self drilling and will easily drive into the correct material without needing a pilot hole. Baypole are designed to go through PVCu window frames and cills to join the units together by easily self drilling into PVCu or thin metal sheet materials. Timber deck screws, as they sound, are used to going into timber decking, but they will self drill into any wooden material that you are looking to fasten.

Lastly our Multi purpose screws, which again are self drilling for most indoor materials however when used externally they are better suited to be fitted with a wall plug. For example when fitting a gutting down pipe to a brick wall the multi purpose screw gives a strong fixing when driven into a hole that has a wall plug in place.

What is a Wall Plug?

These are plastic plugs or sleeves that the screw will drive into and will aid in gripping the fixing in place. They are know as many names, wall plugs, anchors, rawl or raw plugs. They can be useful when hanging shelves, cabinets, heavy pictures/mirrors, pretty much anything that you wish to fix on a wall. They provide a plastic sleeve for the screw that expands, when the screw is driven in, that helps to secure and anchor in the screw into a strong fixed position.

We supply the Universal wall plugs

There are a variety of wall plugs and we supply the universal type made from a sturdy plastic material. When you tighten the screw the wall plug expands, so it anchors itself firmly in the hole. Use our multi purpose screws as they are suitable for use with our wall plugs, just check that the screw is the right length and thickness for the wall plug you’re using.

The step by step guide on how to fit our wall Wall plugs

Fixing wall plugs is easy if you know what you are doing and have the right equipment to start with, but if you get it wrong you could end up with screws that do not lock tightly into the wall plug, or wall plugs that extrude beyond the surface of the wall making the items you are hanging or fixing not sit flush against the wall. Wall plugs are used when hanging heavier objects to a wall such as shelving, cabinets, or larger mirrors where a simple picture hook (or small nail!) won’t do the job and a screw on its own wont grip.

Our Multi-purpose screws will not securely stay fixed in plasterboard or brickwork without a wall plug and attempting to do so will damage the wall or plaster They expand under the pressure of the advancing screw to securely grip the sides of the hole you have drilled.  The plug will then hold the screw in place without damaging your walls (providing the right hole size has been drilled, the correct wall plug, and screw size have been used.)

1. Once you know where the screw is to be place make sure you do a through check to make sure their are no hidden water pipes or electrical cables in that spot. There are plenty of detectors in the market that you can use that will alert you to this potential danger. When you know that your chosen spot it is safe to continue mark it in pencil with a cross. Using the pencil cross as your guide mark you will need to drill a hole for the wall plug to fit in to.

2. Based on what you need to fix securely choose the appropriate wall plug size. If you are using our 5mm wide Yellow wall plug then use a 5mm drill bit to create the hole

3. Measure the wall plug on your drill bit and mark its length so you know how deep the hole needs to be. You will need to drill slightly deeper into the wall than the length of the wall plug.

4. Carefully drill a hole to the length that you have measured on the drill bit. Make sure the drill is at square 90 degrees angle to the wall to make sure the hole is straight for the screw. Hold the drill steady to avoid drilling an misshapen and wider hole than required or you’ll end up with a misshapen hole that will not grip the plug evenly.

5. When inserting the wall plug into the hole it should be a tight fit, ideally only needing finger pressure to push it in. However you can use a hammer to lightly tap the plug flush into with the wall, if required. Your wall plug is now ready for you to securely drive your screw firmly into position.

We supply:

£1.00 for 100 Yellow wall plugs – 25mm length x 5mm width

£1.20 for 100 Red wall plugs – 35mm length x 5.5mm width

£1.65 for 100 Brown wall plugs – 45mm length x 57mm width

or Bulk Order Prices

£10 for 2000 Yellow wall plugs – 25mm length x 5mm width

£12 for 2000 Red wall plugs – 35mm length x 5.5mm width

£16.50 for 2000 Brown wall plugs – 45mm length x 57mm width

Great bulk prices for regular users of wall plugs