Drywall vs Handrail

[AronD]

Soon it will be time to plan next year's projects. One of them is to install a handrail/stair railing to replace the old one we tore down, and this time, it should actually be secure.

The previous one was a typical pine plank with "finger grooves" in it. It was fastened with some giant screw that I guess goes straight into a stud. On one wall there is single drywall, and on the other, double drywall.

We are going to replace it with a round design with brass fittings. The problem is that the wall is made of drywall. The mounting is done with three screws in a circular plate. Our previous attempt was to measure and hit the studs, which turned out to be really difficult since at least one or two screws missed, resulting in the handrail crashing down after a week of use.

Aesthetic requirements:
No plank on the outside as suggested in this thread https://www.byggahus.se/forum/threads/hur-montera-handledare-pa-gipsvaegg.316332/

Brass screws to match the brass fitting (no molly toggles in other words).

Does the collective knowledge here have any solution suggestions?

Thoughts.
Embed a wooden board in the wall, preferably get something that is a few mm thinner than the depth of the drywall and then apply a finish with compound over it, but not sure if that's the smartest.

Happy New Year to you all!

 

[Robert-san01]

Fiber gypsum? Maybe something like Gyproc Habito might work.

Otherwise, you can reinforce with plywood/blocking behind the plasterboard.

 

[sinuslinus]

Take a hole saw and make a hole in the plasterboard. Insert a slightly narrower piece of wood or plywood through the hole, which you glue behind the plasterboard. Glue the cut-out part from the hole saw, spackle, and paint. Then screw in the brackets, and the wood screw will grip the wood piece behind.

 

[AronD]

Fibergips? Type Gyproc Habito might be able to hold.

Otherwise, you can reinforce with plyfa/shortening behind the plasterboard.

Good thought, combination of wood behind + fibergips might be something.

 

[AronD]

Take a hole saw and make a hole in the drywall. Insert a narrower piece of wood or plywood through the hole and glue it behind the drywall. Glue the cut-out part from the hole saw back into place, then putty and paint.
Then screw the mounts in place, allowing the screws to anchor into the underlying wood piece.

One hole feels a bit too narrow to insert something properly, but two side by side or a cut-out rectangle might be a better option.

 

[sinuslinus]

A hole feels a bit thin to properly thread something through, but two slots in a row or a cut-out rectangle might be an option.

Established method for handrail mounting when it's just a plasterboard wall without noggins.
The whole point is that you only need to fill the center hole and the circular saw cut.