The wife

The Weegie · Post by **The Weegie** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:54 pm

Why does she never listen

I am putting a handrail on the landing wall.

So says to the wife that due to the wall being plasterboard, I would put a batten onto the wall and then attach the handrail to the batten.

NO WAY she says. I am not having a big piece of wood running down my wall

When I explained that due to the strain and pressure on the handrail the fixings will probably not hold.

Her response. Oh honey I have every faith in your skills.

She will just not listen

So people should I stick to my guns and put the wood on the wall or take the chance and use these handrail supports on fixings.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/42644/Iro ... 5mm-Chrome

IDontBelieveIt · Post by **IDontBelieveIt** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:57 pm

Stick to your guns!!

No doubt about it YOU are right and SHE is wrong!

Give way and you will regret it all your life.

And if you do as she says and when it (not if) falls off the wall with her holding it (the rail Weegie, pay attention) it will be your entire fault.

Women have a remarkable aptitude for forgetting what they don’t want to remember

gib_goblin · Post by **gib_goblin** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:02 pm

That won't hold on PB for very long, the first person to slip & grab the handrail will almost certainly loosen it.

Are you able to secure through the PB to the battons behind it with longer screws?

....or another trick I tried once with curtain rails on plaster:

- For each screw, drill an oversize hole in the Plasterboard
- Then fill the void between the Plasterboard & wall with pollyfilla (may need something stronger for the handrail)!
- Once it's dry, drill into the wall through the pollyfilla and then just rawlplug & fix as normal (make sure you get a fix into the wall not just the filla)
- You won't see the oversize holes when the brackets are fitted.

Steve the Gas · Post by **Steve the Gas** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:52 pm

Good call

uropachild · Post by **uropachild** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:25 pm

Can't you recess the wood bit into the wall so you can't see it?

feva · Post by **feva** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 5:40 pm

i would bit it on how she wants then after a coupke of days when your coming down the stairs pull it off then spend 3 days doing the i tols you so bit!!!!!!!

The Weegie · Post by **The Weegie** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:07 pm

Thanks for the reply guys.

Gib Goblin. The oversize holes is a good idea. I might just try that if she doesn't budge. What about using expanding foam in the void??

Uropachild. I think the wife would come at me with a knife if I suggested that. It was re- plastered only 2 days ago.

uropachild · Post by **uropachild** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 6:37 pm

Oh, right.

Well, a bit o smoothing over and sanding and no one need ever know!

Tryanything · Post by **Tryanything** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:07 pm

You could be looking at a life threatening accident if the hand rail is not fixed properly

You need to find the vertical timbers in the stud wall to achieve a good fixing

Use a stud finder or small drill bit and drill a horizontal row of holes till you find the centre of a timber

Once you find one timber the others will probably be at 400mm centres

And doing it this way you can keep OH happy unless you want to kill
her/him then just fix it to the plasterboard

Handy Angie · Post by **Handy Angie** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:09 pm

I have shoes racks on plasterboard walls and by god do they take some weight. Hollow wall fixings - you can swing on them. Thats the way to do it!

Tryanything · Post by **Tryanything** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:15 pm

Handy Angie wrote:I have shoes racks on plasterboard walls and by god do they take some weight. Hollow wall fixings - you can swing on them. Thats the way to do it!

"Rubbish" and anyway what are you up to trying to swing off the walls

gib_goblin · Post by **gib_goblin** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 7:40 pm

The Weegie wrote: Gib Goblin. The oversize holes is a good idea. I might just try that if she doesn't budge. What about using expanding foam in the void??

I wouldn't recomment expanded foam, the idea with polyfilla is to provide a solid packing to give you a secure fitting raised from the wall / flush with the plasterboard. The foam would crush under pressure then you'd get movement and eventually failure.

Maybe fill the plaster void with a little mortar or cut a giant wooden dowel the same diameter as the bracket, same depth as the void & PB for fixing?

The Weegie · Post by **The Weegie** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:01 pm

Gib Goblin you are right about the expanding foam

I know that the right way is to find the studs, but you try and tell my wife that you are going to drill small holes in a newly palstered wall. Not a good idea.

I decided to use these plugs
http://www.tooled-up.com/ManProduct.asp?PID=7347

knowing that over time they will not hold.
However the wife will not believe me until it comes away from the wall. So watch this space.

It will come away one night when I am pis..d and try and grab hold of it before I fall

bobbie-dazzler · Post by **bobbie-dazzler** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:05 pm

feva wrote:i would bit it on how she wants then after a coupke of days when your coming down the stairs pull it off then spend 3 days doing the i tols you so bit!!!!!!!

Funny enough Feva, I agree with you.

Tryanything · Post by **Tryanything** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:15 pm

Now l know why Scotsmen wear skirts because the women are wearing there trousers