[Help] What kind of walls do I have?

[Bjorm]

Hello,

We have an apartment in a house built in the late '30s and were planning to put up bracket shelves on a larger wall (approximately 2300x2500) to hold films, books, and records.

We made several trips to the hardware store and asked questions, as well as drilled a test hole. Initially convinced it was double drywall because the wall sounds hollow but duller than a regular drywall when tapping it.

When drilling, it feels porous and after just a few centimeters, it's empty.

Since I thought it was drywall, I tried to put up a smaller shelf on another wall of the same material using the following drywall expanders http://www.norwesco.se/_images/library/mini.jpg. However, the hole collapsed when I started to screw into the expander.

Is there anyone who can help us figure out what kind of wall it might be and what could be used to attach items to it? Almost all the walls in the apartment are of the same type.

Best regards,

Björn and Hanna

 

[Larsa]

Some type of hollow brick, I would guess. What do you mean by the hole collapsing?

Drill, plug with barbs, and pl400 is what I would go for...

 

[Bjorm]

Some type of hollow brick, I would guess. What do you mean by the hole collapsing?

Drill, plug with barbs and pl400 is what I would go for...

Thanks for your response.

Okay, but isn't it strange that it becomes completely hollow after 2-3cm in. My drill that I used to test was no longer than 5cm, but I can insert a drill up to 10cm without it hitting anything.

By the hole collapsing, I mean that it crumbles so that the drywall anchor I used doesn't hold.

 

[noone70]

In my old apartment, one of the walls was some form of plastered reed (or similar), and the building was from 1930.

 

[Jan-Å]

Does it crumble "all" 2-3 cm? so it becomes a big hole?
2-3 cm could be hollow brick that is plastered, but a plasterboard anchor that is long enough should work better than just "collapsing" the hole, an anchor for double plasterboard might work but Fischer has special plugs for hollow brick that are better in that case.

Are they the original walls?

 

[MMR]

in my old apartment, one of the walls was some sort of plastered reed (or similar), and the building was from 1930.

Then there are often vertical planks behind it, in that case, you can try to screw directly and see if it grips; try a new screw 2-3 cm to the right or left if the first one doesn't work.

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[noone70]

In that case, there is often standing planks behind, if so you can try to screw directly and see if it grips, try a new screw 2-3 cm to the right or left if the first screw doesn't work.

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I don't think that's the case in my apartment or there was about 10 cm of plaster and reed before the plank.

 

[Demmpa]

Can you take a picture of the crumbled hole? It will be easier to help if there are one or more pictures of the problem.

 

[krijo1]

Then there are often standing planks behind it, in that case, you can try to screw directly and see if it grips, try a new screw 2-3 cm to the right or left if the first screw doesn't work.

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I believe that too. Old apartments are usually like that, sparsely planked (gaps between the planks) and then reeds or chicken wire with plaster. Regular wood screws work well, but if you're unlucky, you might hit between two planks, so first test drill with a small drill. If possible, you can let the bracket rail rest against the baseboard, which provides some relief.

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