How to hang things on a wall with a cavity?

[dannyrus]

Hi folks,

I've drilled into my bedroom wall expecting to hit bricks behind the plaster, as I have elsewhere in the house.

However, on this wall there seems to be a huge cavity, maybe 40mm, behind the ~30mm of plaster before I reach the brick, like this (cross section view):

((I think it's plaster anyway, not sure how to tell. It's white and quite crumbly. Apartment complex built in the mid-90s).

How can I hang things off a wall that's built like this?

Will I be looking for studs behind the plaster, or do I need super long screws to reach the bricks? My stud finder hasn't told me much with any consistency...

Thanks a mill for any hints, I understand it's hard to diagnose like this! Photos of the holes I've drilled don't say much, so I'm prepared to do some exploratory drilling if needed. I just want to hang some shelves, haha.

Cheers, Danny.

[EricL]

Hi @dannyrus 

Would it be possible for you to post a photo of the item you are planning to hang? Is it very heavy and does it have a hanging cord or hook? 

The type of wall anchor you need to use depends on how heavy the item is. I often suggest using the Ramset Super Wallmate Toggle Anchor. It's made of metal and has a gravity toggle that anchors it in place behind the plaster board wall. 

However, before you make any purchase, please double check the thickness of the plasterboard wall. If it is 30mm in thickness, I'll need to recommend something else.    

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Jason]

Hi @dannyrus,

In addition to providing more details and/or a photo of what you'd like to hang, you might like to check out this comprehensive guide from @Adam_W - How to hang just about anything.

Thanks,

Jason

[Adam_W]

Hey @dannyrus what sort of 'things' are you hanging? Do you have an idea of weight?
It is always best to find a stud but failing that...

Screw-in anchors can hold around 10kg each and you don't need a stud.
Toggle-anchors are similar but have an extra wing that drops down and braces on the back of the plasterboard. They can take 20kg each. Again, no stud needed.

Butterfly or toggle-anchors are great but they need quite a large hole so no good if you can't hide that.
There are also hollow-wall anchors but in my experience they can be a bit hit-or-miss.
The real trick when anchoring into a hollow of a plasterboard wall is to fit the anchor very carefully and don't overdrive or over-tighten it. Plasterboard is very unforgiving and basically disintegrates if you stress it too much.