First off I’ll point out I’m no builder. I have grasp of the concepts but that’s it.

I have a 5yr old block construction garage that has been converted into a home office by the previous owner. It has lovely plastered walls and ceiling and a nice raised wooden floor. It’s just like inside our home.

However, that doesn’t work for me. It’s my workshop/garage/sports kit store. I’m not worried about trashing it a bit, probably already have a bit.

I need to make better use of the space so want to put a surfboard rack up on a wall and maybe have a few hooks to suspend bikes by their front wheel on another.

So how do I do this? Do I have to locate the wooden joists are will special plaster fixings work ok and be tough enough?

I’d also like to put a loft hatch in through the plaster ceiling to make use of the slightly pitched roof. It’s that just a case of cutting a hole and putting a shop-bought hatch in? Or do I need to find the joists again?

Years ago I tried a locating machine but it sucked.

Have they improved?

Any ideas welcome!

If you are putting up fixings for carrying a bit of weight, you would be better to have least have some fixings into the wooden structure. If you want a better fixings on the plasterboard parts use interset fixings, they open out behind the plasterboard and are stronger then screw in fixings.

You are going to have to fix a hatch to something solid, if you dont, you will just burst the plasterboard any time you climb up into the attic area.

A quick but possibly not the recommended method I have use is to work out roughly where you want the hatch. Smack the ceiling with a hammer. If it doesn’t go through the gage you have found a joist. If it does go through then you have the start of the hatch hole and keep hitting/feeling around until you find a joist.

Once you are in the roof space it is easy to measure where the joists are to hang your surf boards nicely.

Just use the fact you will be putting a hole in the riling for the hatch to your advantage.

I’ve never found a fixing that I am happy with for mounting anything heavy on plasterboard, tried the screw in ones, the sprung Interset ones Innes refers to above, but you need to get them to seat properly.

If I am hanging something heavy, delicate and expensive from dry lined walls I find these sort of fixings are the only ones I am confident will hold. They use the block behind the plasterboard, so no weight on the board.

Not cheap but better than dropping my road bikes off the wall. About a pound each on E-bay, under the trade name Rigifix.

Aye. Ideally you want to go through the plasterboard. I fixed a large horizontal batten in my garage by fixing it to the wooden uprights behind the plasterboard. That gives me free reign to put hooks into that where they are most appropriate for hanging bikes. Six will easily fit in a normal length garage that way.

I’ve just used some of these for plaster board and they worked a treat.

http://m.screwfix.com/p/fischer-self-drill-plasterboard-fixings-metal-35mm-pack-of-100/47347?kpid=47347&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%2520Listing%2520Ads-_-Sales%2520Tracking-_-sales%2520tracking%2520url&cm_mmc=Google-_-Shopping%2520-%2520Fixings%2520and%2520Fasteners-_-Shopping%2520-%2520Fixings%2520and%2520Fasteners&gclid=CKjhvfXrl8gCFQmNGwodZQ0Lfg&kpid=47347

Thanks gents.

I hadn’t thought of fixing some batton to the wall. Of course having that go through to the brick is going to be very strong.

The fixings above is what I was thinking of, could be worth a go for the lighter stuff (I want a rail to hang my riding kit on).

Cheers all

Find out if its plasterboard on battens against the blockwork, or insulated/non-insulated plasterboard dot and dabbed to the walls.

Buy 8×4 sheet of OSB or 18mm plywood and place over plasterboard and screw into joists, or suitable fixings (long screws and plugs) into the blockwork.

Paint white if bothered about the looks and then use to hang bikes/heavy stuff. Could cut into 8×2 or 4×4 to allow more versatile use of wall space.

^^ what he said, or alternatively get some of that interlocking chipboard loft flooring and screw it to the wall joists, paint it white.

I’ve used those screws Damascus linked to above ^^.

Work fine, though I’m sceptical of the self-drilling claim and drilled pilot holes.

Cheers gents. I’m going down the board screwed to the wall approach

The self drilling ones are fine for anything with only a downward force on it (say a piece of 2×1 that a shelf sits on); for something that cantilevers (like a shelf bracket of even a coat hanger) they are useless.