we've got insulated plasterboard walls in our house. Newly installed. When putting pictures etc up, do you need massive nails? Or will normal tacks hold?

depends on how heavy the picture is

just for peace of mind i use plaster board fixings

http://www.tool-net.co.uk/p-330382/itw-spit-driva-tf5-self-drilling-plasterboard-fixing-with-25mm-screw.html

Picture hooks only ever go into the plaster anyway. Fine for light things – anything with a bit of weight there are various specific plasterboard fixings. Lots of weight – you need to find something solid behind the plasterboard

Lighter items will hang on small tacks or nails but for heavier stuff use those plasterboard plugs (the ones that look like the end of a Dalek's exterminator thingy).

The plugs will usually fit neatly into a hole made with a phillips screwdriver.

we've got brick TJ, two inches of insulation to get through first though. Grrr.

I always find it quite sad when that first hole gets created in new plasterboard. It's a bit like the first scratch on a new bike

Just lean the piccies against the wall… 😀

The walls in question are going to have a Mint Sauce framed print, and…..ba ba ba baaaa……

a wall mounted bike clamp for repair duties. That's going on with 6" bolts though

😀

trust me am an expert…

over the last 5 years i have wrecked many a wall in our house.

as above depends on how heavy the item is.

those plugs are ok for certain things,

B&Q do some screws that have an outer part that expands in the gap and pulls against the board inside the cavity when you tighten it up

(im sure there is a technical word to explain all that 😉

B&Q do some screws that have an outer part that expands in the gap and pulls against the board inside the cavity when you tighten it up

I know what you mean. I have my shelves held up by those fellas

Welcome to my 'new build world'!
What you need is:

For light things.

These…

For heavier fixings!

I've recently mounted a 23" LCD to a plaster board wall, but I made an MDF mount first (about the size of an A4 bit of paper), and fixed the LCD mount to that, then fixed the MDF to the wall using 6 'spread out' heavy fixings.

DrP

Remember that you need something different for a fixing that just pulls downwards (like a picture) from a fixing that also pulls outwards (like the top screws on a cupboard).

I know someone who put up kitchen wall cabinets on a plasterboard wall in their office. Those who had advised against were most amused to watch the cabinet by now full of brand new crockery hitting the deck and smashing the lot.

For pictures.. photo's.. anything light to mid weight.. velcro is brilliant
( I wouldn't risk this on anything over 2 or 3 kilos though )

What would people suggest for say, I dunno, something like manacles?

What would people suggest for say, I dunno, something like manacles?

lube

Insyulated plasterboard is a pain, as a metal detector goes haywire when you scan the wall for metal pipes or cables, plastic wate pipes dont register,but tend to leave a nasty leak on the floor a few minutes latter.

Try and find a stud an upright piece of timber which should be every 16 inches centred,also check the other side of the wall to see if there are any pipes or cables running from switches or taps. cables and pipes should run vertically and horizontally, but some people run them diadonally to save cable or pipe.

Insert desired plug into wall and add a bit of silicon this will hold the plug tight when it sets.

Use screws long enough to go through theitem to be fixed ,the plasterboard and the the plug,the plug usually crimps up,and widens as the screw is tightened,try this on an old bit of plasterboard.