Wall Plugs

A wall plug is a factory-made sleeve-shaped fastener that is rigidly fixed in a wall and serves as the base for another fastening element — a self-tapping screw, wood screw, or nail.

Together with it, the wall plug holds the structure in place, ensuring tight contact with the wall material.

Types and their applications

Wall plugs differ in purpose, design, size, and material. The main types of these fasteners are:

• Polymer expansion plug. Made of polypropylene or nylon, used together with self-tapping screws for fixing into concrete, brick, or stone bases.
• Plasterboard plug. Used for hanging structures on gypsum fiberboard, plasterboard, or porous concrete; made of plastic or metal.
• Nail-in anchor. The outer part is made of polypropylene or nylon, the inner part (nail) is steel. Used for fastening metal profiles, guide rails, battens, framing, and skirting boards to concrete or brick bases.
• Universal nylon plug. Used for installing window and door frames, suspended ceiling structures, and framing for battens into porous bases.
• Butterfly plug. A metal fastener for fixing into walls made of porous material, capable of holding heavy items.
• Insulation fixing plug. Consists of an umbrella-shaped plastic part and a steel nail.

Installation features

Installation depends on the plug’s design. In most cases, a hole is drilled first, the plug is inserted, and then a self-tapping screw is driven in. Nail-in anchors are hammered in. Metal plasterboard plugs have a pointed tip like a spade drill bit, so pre-drilling is not required.

Selection rules

To select the right fastener, determine its future location and the load it will bear.

• For light items installed horizontally into a brick or concrete wall, plugs with a diameter of 6–10 mm and length of 30–50 mm are suitable.
• For hanging a wall bars unit or heavy items, choose a plug with a minimum seating depth of 80 mm.
• For an existing hole, select a plug of the same diameter (or larger).