Do you need to hang a picture, a lamp, a baguette under the curtains on the wall, attach a hammock to the ceiling - in general, securely fix some kind of structure? Alternatively, this can be done using dowels. They look like a pen or pencil cap and are made of metal, plastic or wood.
In short, we drill a hole, drive a dowel into it, then screw a self-tapping screw or screw into it. And your fastener is ready!
But everything is not so simple, because it is very important to drive in the dowel correctly so that your expensive painting does not collapse and will please everyone for many years.
First you need to prepare the following tools and consumables: dowel, electric drill, Pobedit drill, sharp nail or core, electrical tape, hammer.
Step-by-step instructions for installing a dowel
- 1. Mark and recess. Using a ballpoint pen or pencil, make a mark in the place where you plan to install the fastener. Then, using something sharp - a knife, nail or pin, make a small indentation there, which will help you position the drill correctly and drill the hole perpendicularly.
- 2. The size of the dowel must match the size of the hole and the screw itself. Prepare the “correct” dowel. It must match the diameter of our hole. The fastener should go in there with some effort. A dowel with a small diameter will dangle and fall out, while a large one may “crumple” when you try to hammer it in. Make sure that the length of the dowel matches the length of the screw you want to use.
- 3. Be smart! Did you run out of dowels? Then make them yourself! To do this, take a wooden block. Saw off a piece of it to the required length. Remember that the size of the dowel must match the size of the fastener. Use a knife to give the future homemade dowel a rounded cross-section. It is very good if it resembles a cone - slightly thickened at the top and slightly narrowed at the bottom.
- 4. Drilling depth control. Insert a drill bit into your electric drill that is the same diameter as your fastener. It is necessary to mark on the drill the depth of the future hole, which should be slightly larger than the length of the dowel. To do this, place the fastener against the drill, as if comparing them in length, and wrap a couple of turns of electrical tape around the drill. This will be a kind of boundary that will show you how deep you need to drill.
- 5. Make a hole. Find the mark you made and make a hole in the wall. When doing this, keep the drill perpendicular to the surface and do not tilt it to the sides. Clean the drilled hole from cement chips and dust. It is very convenient to use a vacuum cleaner for this!
- 6. Insert the dowel and light, hammer it all the way in with a hammer. Be patient and avoid powerful blows to avoid damaging the fastener. So, the dowel is installed, all that remains is to screw the screw into it and you can hang your picture!
Congratulations! You have successfully completed the installation of the dowel!
In recent years, professional builders and home craftsmen have increasingly used dowel-nails to perform various installation work; we will tell you how to use this product in this article.
1
A dowel-nail is a special product used to perform fastening work. It consists of two elements - a special nail and the dowel itself, and is used for mounting objects to concrete, brick, stone, and other solid, dense materials. There are also types of the described fasteners designed to work with chipboards and drywall.
The design of the dowel-nail is very simple. It is made in the form of a cylindrical rod, which consists of a spacer part (it expands during installation and allows for reliable fastening) and a nail that is familiar to everyone. In some cases, the fastener we are interested in may be additionally equipped with a special cuff that acts as a limiter that does not allow the fastener to fall into the hole made. The shape of this cuff can be different, for example, cylindrical or hidden.
Also, modern industry produces dowel fasteners with a thread applied to the nail and a slot, which is located on the head of the product. This element can be mounted using a screwdriver. Working with it is quite simple, since the process of inserting a nail into a dowel is made easier due to the presence of a “smoothed” thread in the product. Let us add that the top of the thread of this mounting device is directed towards the head. Purely externally, the dowel-thread is no different from the standard thrust thread.
Most often, dowels are made from polyethylene, polypropylene or polyamide. But the dowel-nail itself is made from steel alloys with a zinc coating. To be fair, we note that there are many fasteners of the described type on the market without additional coating. Standard dowel diameters are 5, 6, 8 and 10 millimeters, and their length ranges from 30 to 160 millimeters.
2
If you are installing a fastener in a brick structure, you should follow these steps:
- We choose the optimal place for the dowel (usually this is understood as the center of the brick).
- Using an impact drill, we begin to drill into the material. This process must be performed very carefully (especially when starting drilling) so that the masonry does not crack under the influence of the tool. You can increase the speed of the drill after about 10 millimeters of brick have been drilled.
- From the resulting hole, we blow out brick crumbs and the resulting dust with a vacuum cleaner, after which we boldly hammer in the fastener using a hammer.
When working with concrete surfaces, the fasteners are mounted as follows:
- A hole is marked with a punch and a hammer.
- A hole of the required depth is punched (with a hammer drill). Please note that the marking of the dowel-nail, which indicates its cross-section, must coincide with the marking of the drill. It is also important that the length of the dowel is 5–6 mm shorter than the hole being punched.
- Using a vacuum cleaner, concrete dust is removed, and then the dowel cartridge is deepened with a hammer.
- After all these steps, the nail is driven in. It is advisable to leave 2-3 millimeters of free space from its head, which will be required for hanging.
3
When installing drywall, you should take into account in advance the weight of the load that is attached to it. In cases where the weight of the load is quite high, it is impossible to use a dowel fastener, since it will simply destroy a fairly light plasterboard surface. In other situations (light load weight), driving a dowel-nail is a very simple procedure:
- a hole of the required cross-section is made in the drywall;
- the fastener is inserted all the way into the hole (in this case, you should not hit the fastening element with a hammer with all your strength, but only lightly tap);
- The screw is tightened manually or using a screwdriver.
When working with tiles made of tiles or ceramics, installation of fasteners is also simple, but the work should be done with extreme caution, given its high fragility. The fastening diagram is as follows:
- a marker marks the point of entry of the fastener into the tile (this can be either a seam or the surface of the material);
- Lightly tapping a metal screw using a self-tapping screw makes a hole on the surface of the enamel (up to 0.5 millimeters), and only after that use an impact drill, which drills through the tile (ceramics) to its entire thickness.
Do not forget that you will also need to make a hole under the tile in accordance with the instructions for brick or concrete (they are outlined above), and then install the fastening device into the tile and brick or concrete surface.
4
All the previously described options for driving dowel fasteners imply that the nail is driven into the dowel. But there is another way to install the mount in question, which involves using a construction gun. This modern mounting device allows you to “shoot” the structure being fixed to the base using a dowel-nail.
In this case, a special dowel fastener is used, which by and large does not involve the use of the dowel itself. The presence of a special washer on the nail ensures a tight fit of the fastener into the solid material. The essence of the technology for operating the gun is that after shooting the dowel-nail, the washer on its tip moves to the head of the fastener and is tightly fixed there.
This dowel-nail is used when fastening metal structures to solid bases made of natural stone, concrete, steel with low carbon content, and brick. The gun and the described type of fastener are very often used when installing canopies on the balconies of buildings. They produce “nails with washer” with a length of 30 to 80 millimeters, a cross-section of 4.5 and 3.7 millimeters from steel coated with zinc. It is extremely rare to find nails with a cross-section of more than 4.5 millimeters on sale.
I think you already understand how to use a dowel-nail. Humans do not encounter any particular difficulties with this fastener. In this case, it is very important to choose the right type of fastener, since dowel-nails, which, for example, perfectly connect the surface and the concrete base, are absolutely not suitable for fastening chipboard or plasterboard.
It is enough to contact the consultants (sellers) of a hardware store that sells various types of fasteners (for example, or) to obtain comprehensive information about the types of dowel devices. They will also advise you on how to use dowel nails. However, after carefully reading the article we have prepared, you will probably no longer need this information. You can easily mount fasteners into any type of surface without outside help!
When carrying out repair work, it often becomes necessary to drive a dowel into the wall. This may be required, for example, when installing suspended ceilings or in other cases. Even hanging a simple shelf or picture on the wall without this procedure is extremely difficult. In this regard, it will be very useful to know how to drive dowels into a wall.
Before we begin describing the technological aspects of the work, it would not be superfluous to decide what a dowel is and what it can be.
A dowel is usually called a device that serves to firmly hold fastening elements in any surface. In other words, simply screwing a self-tapping screw into concrete will not be enough. Besides the fact that this is quite difficult, it is also pointless, since such a connection will be fragile. It will be impossible to rely on such a fastening. To increase reliability, a plastic sleeve is inserted into the prepared hole in the wall, into which a self-tapping screw is then screwed. This sleeve is the dowel.
Based on the design features and application options, we can conditionally distinguish at least two types of these fasteners.
- Expansion type dowels, which are usually used to attach something to walls made of solid material. They are plastic bushings that are fixed inside the hole due to the protruding elements of their design.
- Universal dowels. They can be used when fixing elements on walls made of hollow materials. The essence of their action is that when the screw is tightened, the dowel expands and becomes deformed, filling the voids and providing a strong fastening.
It is worth saying that it is not enough to simply install a dowel into the wall, but you need to know how to do it correctly.
- First you need to determine the required location. This is necessary so as not to drill into the wall several times. Therefore, you need to mark the exact location of the hole with a pencil. It is better to spend more time on the necessary measurements and markings than to later look for ways to fill unnecessary holes.
- Once the wall is marked, you can start drilling holes with a special drill. This is best done using a hammer drill or an electric drill with a perforation function. The tool must be positioned strictly perpendicular to the surface to be drilled. Otherwise, the drill is likely to break. Next, with slight pressure on the tool, a hole of the required depth is drilled, which must correspond to the length of the dowel.
- When the holes are ready, you need to insert the dowels themselves into them. To do this, you need to lightly push the fastening element with its end into the hole, after which, with light blows of a rubber or wooden mallet, hammer in the dowel over its entire length. With correct calculations and work, the dowel should be tightly and firmly fixed in the hole, level with the wall.
It is worth saying that in order to properly fix the dowel in the wall, you need to choose a suitable drill. In addition, the dowel should be driven into the hole. It should be equal in diameter to the dowel. This is the only way to avoid worrying that a mirror suspended on such a fastener, for example, will not fall.
Video
In this video tutorial you will learn how to attach dowels to a concrete wall:
Today there is a huge number of fasteners that allow you to install certain items. One of the most popular fasteners is the dowel. This is a special element that has a large number of varieties. Now let's look at the most popular types of dowels and learn how to attach a dowel.
"Quick Installation"! Dowel nail
Another common name is “quick installation”. Its popularity is mainly due to the fact that there is no need to use a screwdriver or tighten a screw to secure it. In this case, everything is much simpler. A hole is pre-drilled in the brick/concrete, then a dowel-nail is inserted into it and driven in with a hammer. Installation of certain items on this type of self-tapping screw is very quick and easy. Where is it used most often?
Very often it is used for installing skirting boards. In most cases, skirting boards already have the required number of holes. The hole should only be made in the wall, in previously marked places. It is very important that installation of skirting boards using a dowel-nail is very convenient, quick and simple. When all the holes are ready, a dowel-nail is inserted into the holes on the baseboard, which is driven with a hammer all the way to the edge. As for the size, for skirting boards it is best to use 6x40 dowel nails, and a 6 mm drill for drilling holes. It is best to use a dowel with a fungus. A hidden cap will not provide the necessary stability, unlike a fungus. However, for plastic skirting boards, a hidden cap will be sufficient.
It should be noted that the dowel-nail has different types and sizes. As mentioned above, the dowel-nail has a secret cap and a mushroom-shaped cap. The secret one has a small side, the fungus, in turn, presses much harder. The dimensions of the dowel-nail are:
- 6x40.
- 6x60.
- 6x80.
- 8x60.
- 8x80.
- 8x100.
- 8x120.
As for choosing a drill for drilling a hole, it should be chosen directly to the diameter and length of the dowel-nail you have chosen.
Note! The nail in this dowel has a head with slots for a Phillips screwdriver. This is done for the purpose of dismantling if necessary. It is not designed to be screwed in; it just needs to be driven in with a hammer.
The design of the butterfly dowel and its installation
A fastening device that resembles a butterfly in shape. During the process of twisting, the dowel is compressed, due to which special legs are pressed against the back wall of the drywall. One of the advantages of this fastener is that it increases the area of pressure generated when hanging an object. In other words, the specific shape of the butterfly dowel evenly distributes the entire resulting load on the drywall. Several design features should be highlighted:
- Used for installing single and double sheets of drywall, respectively. The butterfly dowel can also be used for fastening chipboard, gypsum fiber board and other sheet building materials that are suitable in thickness.
- Sold complete with a self-tapping screw according to the length and type of thread. However, if for some reason it does not fit, you can replace it with another type of screw.
- The part of the dowel that is inside the drywall sheet does not rotate around its axis. This is achieved thanks to the ribbed surface of the element.
- Internal threads on the far head facilitate clamping and folding. And the presence of special internal legs, which are attached to this head, provide greater rigidity when the butterfly dowel is twisted.
Fastening this dowel is quite simple and reliable. A few minutes are enough for this. The installation sequence is as follows:
- Where it is planned to organize the fastening, a mark is made with a pencil.
- A drill makes a hole. It should be of such depth that the plastic dowel fits completely.
- Then fasteners are put on the self-tapping screw. It could be just a bracket, a hook, a special plate, a clamp, and so on.
- At the last stage, a self-tapping screw is screwed into the dowel until it stops. During the screwing process, the plastic dowel behind the sheet of drywall folds. This can be felt during the process of twisting it. To check the strength, lightly pull the dowel towards you. But be careful not to tear it out.
In some cases, it can be problematic to use a butterfly dowel. This is due to the fact that the space between the drywall and the wall is very small. In this case, you need to drill a small hole in the wall. This will allow you to screw the self-tapping screw into the plastic dowel without any problems. This method will avoid using a long dowel and screw to secure it to the wall. Thus, the suspended structure will rest securely on the drywall.
Molly dowel attachment
This type of dowel also has some installation features. A hole is drilled with an eight millimeter drill. Then a dowel is inserted into the drywall, which has a side with two teeth and is pressed tightly. This action will prevent the anchor from twisting when it is fixed. After this, using the screw that comes with the kit, using a screwdriver or screwdriver, the dowel is screwed tightly to the drywall. In this case, the central part of the sleeve is twisted, thereby providing excellent fixation to the object that will be secured.
Dowel molly has a number of advantages, for example:
- Has the ability to withstand loads of up to 35 kilograms.
- The screw and dowel are sold as a set.
- If necessary, the structure can be dismantled.
In turn, it has one significant drawback, namely the high price. However, a molly dowel for drywall is ideal!
Drywall dowels
Particular care must be taken when choosing and, accordingly, installing dowels for drywall. To secure a shelf or cabinet to drywall, you will need special dowels. Their choice will largely depend on the weight of the suspended structure. If you make incorrect calculations, there is a high risk that the structure will simply fall.
One of the most common types of dowels is the plug dowel. It consists of two parts, namely a cork and a dowel, respectively. In most cases, it is used for fastening certain objects in a concrete wall. Its spacer part consists of three nylon sections. There is a passage hole in the tail section. It is this that greatly facilitates screwing, as well as good movement of the screw during the process of tightening it. Thanks to the expansion, which is carried out simultaneously from three sides, the dowel is securely held in the wall. In some cases, the dowel plug can also be used for fastening in drywall. However, as experts recommend, it is better not to take risks. Although some people consider a dowel-plug to be a universal fastener, it is best to use a special dowel-nail. In general, all specialized dowels for drywall have one main difference - the harpoon expansion principle. It is he who ensures high-quality fastening of the structure. All drywall dowels can be divided into two groups:
- Unclamping.
- Walkthroughs.
Spring pass-through
Walk-through dowels are practical in cases where the fastening should be carried out in the ceiling, for example, when installing a chandelier. The spring pass-through dowel has a threaded metal rod, a spring mechanism, and folding locking wings. During its installation inside the plasterboard structure, the spring mechanism opens when acted upon by the locking hook-wing. This creates a reliable fastening. In this case, the other end of the spring dowel can have a different shape: in the form of a ring, a rod, a screw, etc. The choice of shape is directly influenced by the object that will be suspended. This mechanism is also practical in cases where drywall lined with ceramic tiles.
Self-tapping dowel
This type of drywall dowel is made from two different materials:
- Nylon grade TT22.
- Metal DRIVA.
As a rule, they are used in cases where it is necessary to attach to a single-layer or multi-layer plasterboard sheet. Moreover, it may have a decorative coating and insulation on the inside. The main difference between self-tapping dowels is their size. When choosing it, you should make sure that it will not stick out on the other side. As for the DRIVA self-tapping dowel, it is made from an alloy of aluminum and zinc. It is noteworthy that to attach them there is no need to pre-drill a hole in the drywall. The end of such a dowel is equipped with its own drill. They screw very easily into drywall, providing a secure fastening. They can withstand quite a lot of weight of an object. The dowel itself is tightened using a simple screwdriver or screwdriver.
Note! If the sheet thickness exceeds 15 millimeters, then it is recommended to first drill a thin hole.
Dowel umbrella
Its shape resembles an umbrella. The umbrella dowel provides a reliable support. It opens in the space behind the stove. It is especially popular for fastening objects to the ceiling. For example, it can be used to mount a chandelier. To install it you will need to pre-drill a hole in the drywall. Thanks to its full opening, an even distribution of the load is organized over the entire area. Here is the sequence of installation of the dowel-umbrella:
- The first step is to drill a hole in the plasterboard ceiling. The hole should be slightly larger than the diameter of the dowel itself. This is an important requirement, since at the time of fastening there is a risk of damaging the sheet.
- Then you should screw the dowel into the drywall. This must be done carefully so that the last turn does not twist in the drywall.
- At the next stage, the object itself is attached, and the resulting hole near the fastener can be covered with special putty. It is advisable if it is acrylic putty, as it has a rubber base, which will prevent cracking.
So, we have looked at the most common types of dowels that are used for fastening objects in drywall and more. If you want the item you are hanging to be held firmly, you should carefully select the fasteners. We welcome your comments. You may also know some other types of dowels that can be used to secure objects in drywall.