Condo Construction- What’s Behind the Walls?

[Danderman123]

I am trying to put up shelving on my condo walls. My stud detector reports some solid objects behind the drywall (gypsum) maybe 14 inches apart. I tried drilling, but whatever is behind the walls is impervious to my drill. 
 

i have ordered masonry and tungsten bits in the event that I am trying to drill into concrete, but maybe something else is back there, maybe wood in metal sheathing, I just don’t know. I am not too anxious to blindly drill any further.

 

Anyone else put up shelving and had to deal with what’s below the drywall?

[CharlieH]

MOVED TO DIY

[bankruatsteve]

12 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

I tried drilling, but whatever is behind the walls is impervious to my drill. 

Sounds like a drill issue to me.  If using dry wall, it seems like there wouldn't be much to deal with.  So, you are getting a hole through the dry wall and then hitting something else?  Can you use a flashlight and small screwdriver to determine the substance.

[Crossy]

It's probably steel studs, you should be able to drill it with decent quality twist drills (start small).

 

The steel wont be very thick so once you have a hole regular self-tappers will hold.

 

What do you intend putting on the shelves? Load spreading cavity fixings on the actual drywall may be easier/better.

[Jai Dee]

If the walls were constructed using SCG Smartboard, you need to watch out for the galvanized steel frame:

 

[Danderman123]

16 minutes ago, bankruatsteve said:

Sounds like a drill issue to me.  If using dry wall, it seems like there wouldn't be much to deal with.  So, you are getting a hole through the dry wall and then hitting something else?  Can you use a flashlight and small screwdriver to determine the substance.

The drywall is no issue, it’s what is behind the drywall.

[Danderman123]

18 minutes ago, Crossy said:

It's probably steel studs, you should be able to drill it with decent quality twist drills (start small).

 

The steel wont be very thick so once you have a hole regular self-tappers will hold.

 

What do you intend putting on the shelves? Load spreading cavity fixings on the actual drywall may be easier/better.

The drywall is thin, and there is no gap with whatever is behind it, so cavity fixings would be too short to be effective.

 

Edit: my instinct is to drill into a stud and use that for support. But, if I just drill where there are no beams behind the wall, I can use large cavity fixings, as you suggest. That is probably what I will do.

[Danderman123]

7 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

If the walls were constructed using SCG Smartboard, you need to watch out for the galvanized steel frame:

 

My stud detector says whatever is behind the walls is 100mm+ wide.

[Jai Dee]

44 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

My stud detector reports some solid objects behind the drywall (gypsum) maybe 14 inches apart.

 

5 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

My stud detector says whatever is behind the walls is 100mm+ wide.

That is strange... most drywall sheets in Thailand are a standard 60cm wide, so 14" or 35cm is an unusual width.

 

How old is your apartment?

[bankruatsteve]

These beauties from Lazada (China) might be the best drill set I have ever owned.  Until the edge loses sharp (like from using on concrete) they will cut through steel like butter.  Unfortunately, sometimes it ships from China so have to wait a bit.

 

[WorriedNoodle]

1 hour ago, Danderman123 said:

have ordered masonry and tungsten bits

That's the only way I can drill into the precast concrete walls of our place, with hammer drill on.

[OneMoreFarang]

Maybe ask the management or engineers in your building. Possibly they will know.

[Danderman123]

49 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

 

That is strange... most drywall sheets in Thailand are a standard 60cm wide, so 14" or 35cm is an unusual width.

 

How old is your apartment?

I am measuring roughly, but it does look like the center of the solid objects behind the drywall appear every 60 cm. Maybe it’s metal used to join drywall sheets together.

[Danderman123]

31 minutes ago, WorriedNoodle said:

That's the only way I can drill into the precast concrete walls of our place, with hammer drill on.

I do have an impact driver, that might help IF I have to drill through steel. Right now, I am looking at drilling between the studs, using drywall anchors.

[bankruatsteve]

1 hour ago, Danderman123 said:

I do have an impact driver, that might help IF I have to drill through steel.

Hammer drill for concrete, not for steel.  ????

[Danderman123]

I ended up using drywall anchors to hold the screws in. The drywall is very thin, but hopefully, the screws will hold.