I am trying to work out what the inner walls of my house are made out of. I want to attach some shelves but have no clue what anchor to use.
I've attached a photo of the area around a light switch, it looks like breeze block ? ( I have a faint memory of someone telling me that it was many years ago but can't remember for sure ).
In some places, although not around this light switch for example, tapping the wall sounds very hollow.
It's an old barn conversion from the mid 20th century, if that helps!
Cheers in advance !
Best Answer
It's drywall, also called sheet rock, and it is very typical. It is made of gypsum with a thin paper layer on each side. It is applied directly to the studs with nails or screws. The sheet size is typically 4'x8' which is a size that can fit both 16" oc and 24" oc stud spacing. Longer sheets are available at 10' and 12' The seems are covered with mud and tape.
It is relatively strong and can support normal household level loads such as shelving. There are a large verity of anchors that can be used to attach items to it. They vary in how much load they can hold, how big a hole it makes, and how it is in stalled. My favorite is the self driving screw-in type.