- Wood screws — the everyday workhorse
- Masonry screws — for brick and block
- Plastic wall plugs — which colour does what
- Plasterboard fixings — hollow wall solutions
- Rawlbolts & heavy-duty anchors
- Quick cheat sheet: job → fixing
Wood Screws — the Everyday Workhorse
A standard wood screw (usually a cross-head or Torx drive, with a partly smooth shank) is what you reach for when fixing into timber — shelves, door frames, skirting, batons. They come in:
- Size: measured in gauge (e.g. 4, 5, 6, 8, 10) and length in mm
- Coatings: bright zinc for indoor, stainless or green-coated for outdoor use
Rule of thumb: the screw should go at least two-thirds of its total length into the fixing material. For a 50mm screw going through a 15mm shelf into a stud, you get 35mm of bite — plenty for most shelving jobs.
Plastic Wall Plugs — the Colour Code
Plastic wall plugs are used in masonry (brick, block, dense plaster) to grip the screw. The colour tells you the size:
| Colour | Drill size | Screw size | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | 5mm | No. 4–6 | Light loads — mirrors, hooks |
| Red | 6mm | No. 6–8 | Most common — curtain tracks, towel rails |
| Brown | 7mm | No. 8–10 | Medium loads — cabinet fixings, shelves |
| Blue | 10mm | No. 10–14 | Heavy loads — large shelving, brackets |
Plasterboard Fixings — For Hollow Walls
Standard wall plugs don't work in hollow plasterboard walls — there's nothing for them to grip. Instead, use one of these:
- Spring toggle / gravity toggle: the bolt folds up, goes through the hole, then opens behind the board. Strong, but you lose the bolt if you ever remove it.
- Plasterboard plug (nylon anchor): push in, screw in, the back wings out. Simple and reusable. Good for light loads up to around 15kg.
- Metal self-drilling plasterboard anchor: screws directly into the board without a drill — for lighter hooks and fittings.
For anything heavy: always try to find a stud (use a stud finder or tap the wall — solid thud = stud). Screw into the stud with a wood screw and you won't need a plasterboard fixing at all.
Rawlbolts — For Serious Heavy Loads
A rawlbolt (or expansion bolt) is what you use when you're fixing something heavy into solid masonry — a gate post, a structural bracket, a heavy shelving unit. You drill a hole, drop the bolt in, and tightening the nut expands a sleeve inside the wall that locks it in place. They come in different diameters (M6, M8, M10, M12) — the bigger, the heavier the load it can take.
Quick Cheat Sheet
| The job | Use this |
|---|---|
| Hanging a picture on a plaster/brick wall | Yellow or red wall plug + wood screw |
| Curtain pole on a solid wall | Red wall plug + No. 8 screw |
| Shelf on a hollow plasterboard wall | Plasterboard plug or toggle bolt |
| Shelf bracket into a wall stud | No. 8 or 10 wood screw, no plug needed |
| Heavy mirror or TV bracket on masonry | Brown or blue wall plug + No. 10 screw |
| Gate post or structural bracket | M8 or M10 rawlbolt |
| Joining two bits of timber | Wood screw, no plug |
We stock all of these — and we’re on Lavender Hill
Screws, wall plugs, rawlbolts, toggles, plasterboard fixings — all in stock. No delivery wait. Just come in.
248–250 Lavender Hill, SW11 1LJ · Open 7 days