Attach Handrail to Plaster Wall


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Old 12-05-17, 08:39 AM
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Question Attach Handrail to Plaster Wall

I need to attach a lightweight wood hand rail to a plaster wall using 2-3 lightweight metal brackets. Given the wall is plaster lath, what is the best type of bolt/screw to use? Each bracket has screws (two small ones at top and larger one at bottom), and I thought a toggle might be best to use for the larger bottom screw.

Any suggestions are very welcome!
 
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Old 12-05-17, 09:24 AM
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Best thing to do on any handrail bracket is to find the studs... And that's where the brackets have to go. You can usually do that on plaster with a magnetic stud finder because the lathe will be nailed to the studs. Anchoring to lathe only is just asking for trouble. It will last a while but it has the potential to bust out a lot of plaster when someone yanks the lathe off the wall.
 
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Old 12-05-17, 10:06 AM
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I agree, not having the rail secured to a stud is a safety hazard! If you have trouble finding the studs with a stud finder you can drill 1/8" holes where you think the stud might be .... until you find them. The little holes are easy to fill and make disappear.
 
 

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