Guide to Wall Plugs

Reviewed by Karl Ralph, Technical Support Engineer (December 2024)

Just before the First World War, in 1911, John Joseph Rawlings, a British mechanical engineer, invented the first wall plug. (The name still sometimes used for wall plugs, ‘Rawlplugs’ comes from him.)

Prior to Rawlings’s innovation, making a fixing to a brick or masonry wall meant chiselling a hole in the mortar and hammering in a wooden plug, a time-consuming and inflexible process.

But Rawlings’s invention changed all that and found favour in the postwar building market, with early wall plug types made from thick-walled fibre strings bonded with glue. Roll on to today, and plastic and sometimes metal wall plugs are ubiquitous tools of the trade in building, construction, and for DIY jobs. Let’s explore what these nifty devices are and why they are used, and then consider how to use a wall plug correctly.

What are wall plugs? They are soft, tapered inserts – typically made from plastic – that allow a screw to be attached in a brittle material such as plasterboard or masonry that might otherwise struggle to support the object attached by the screw. How does a wall plug work? There are lots of wall plug types, but the basic principle is to insert a tapered plastic tube into a drilled hole. When a screw is inserted and tightened, the plug expands to tightly fit the hole in the wall. Different wall plug types are suited to applications where different levels of strength are required or different materials are used.

Wall plugs are used for lots of different purposes and in situations where screws or other fasteners would be ineffective by themselves. Wall plugs are used to hang picture frames, clocks, cabinets, paintings, mirrors, and shelving, and as such are an essential part of the toolkit of DIY enthusiasts.

If you’re wondering about how to insert a wall plug or want general advice on how to put a wall plug in, read on for some top tips.

• Before you drill the hole for the wall plug, ensure the area is clear of pipes or wires. Using a commonly available cable tracer helps do this safely.
• Next you’ll be wondering, what size drill bit for a wall plug? Wall plugs come in lots of different sizes, so you need to think about the appropriate size of drill bit to drill the hole for the plug. You also need to make sure the wall plug you have selected can withstand the weight of the load it will carry.
• The next step is to drill the hole. You need to consider the correct depth of hole to drill, which should be slightly longer than the length of the wall plug. You can use some tape and apply it to the drill bit to show you how far to go. Hold the drill steady and keep the bit square to the wall you are drilling into.
• Push the wall plug into the hole you’ve drilled. The fit should be tight, but you should be able to push the plug in with your fingers.
• Finally, insert the screw into the wall plug and drive it in using the drill or a screwdriver. As you do this, the wall plug will expand slightly to create a snug fit with the hole. This enables whatever object you want to hang to be secure.

At some point you may need to remove a wall plug. If you’re wondering how to remove a wall plug, or how to remove a wall plug that is stuck, read on.

When it comes to how to get a wall plug out, it’s sometimes possible to remove the wall plug simply using a pair of pliers. Grip the wall plug and pull it straight out of the wall. When it comes to old, stubborn wall plugs you want to remove, one method for how to get a rawl plug out is to insert a screw part of the way into the plug with a drill or screwdriver (not too deep, or the plug will just expand further and tighten) and then pull it out with a claw hammer or pair of pliers.

Another straightforward method for how to remove a wall plug is simply by inserting a screw and pulling it with your fingers. There are thus a few different ways when it comes to removing a wall plug.

Are you puzzled at how to know what drill bit to use for a wall plug? You need a bit that is the same diameter as the wall plug you've chosen and a screw that’s about 1 to 2 mm smaller. 

Want to find out how to measure wall plug size, or what size rawl plug is right for your project? Wall plug sizes are often moulded into the wall plug, or the wall plug packaging might list the dimensions. But if you’re trying to measure the plug yourself, the correct size is the diameter at the widest point of the plug taper.

The weight of the object you are fixing should dictate the diameter of the wall plug you aim to use. Wall plugs with larger diameters hold heavier loads.

To recap, here are some of the key considerations when you decide you need to use a wall plug to fix an object in place on plasterboard, brick, or masonry.

• Wall plugs come in a range of types, colours, and sizes. When selecting the right size wall plug for the job, remember that larger diameter wall plugs can accommodate heavier loads, and that the drill bit you choose to drill the hole should be the same diameter as the wall plug itself. Wall plugs are colour-coded for size, but there may be some variation between manufacturers. Don’t forget that some wall plugs are suitable for specific materials such as plasterboard or are designed for heavy-duty applications.
• Before you get started, don’t forget to scan the area you want to drill the hole in for wires.
• When drilling, make sure you drill to the correct depth. The correct depth of hole is a little longer than the wall plug itself.
• The correct screws to use with your wall plug are typically one or two millimetres smaller than the plug.

Follow these simple instructions, and you’ll soon be using wall plugs with confidence for building, construction, and do-it-yourself applications.

Wall plugs are just some of the wide range of fasteners and fixings supplied by RS. Visit us today to explore more.