General tips incidentally gauge relates to the thickness of a screw s shank or body and only relates to imperial sized screws.
Wall plug size guide.
Gauge metric equivalent pilot hole clearance hole masonry plug size.
Moulded plastic wall plugs are produced on plastic trees with the size of drill bit printed on the tree.
2 x research source yellow plugs fit into 5 0 mm holes and work best with screw sizes 3 and 4 but can be used for screw sizes 3 through 8.
Size according to plug type and the weight of load.
There are several different sizes of wall plug all of which are different colours to match the different hole size and screw size.
More precisely the wall plug size will change based on the drill bit used to create the hole.
These alternatives to wall plugs and screws are good for fixing.
For more advice on the best wall plugs and fixings to use in your home read our buyers guide to nails screws and wall plugs.
Choose the correct size of plugs and drill bits for your screws.
The yellow plugs shown in.
14 16 orange wall plug masonry bit.
Wall plugs are the most commonly used type of fixing device they are simple to use and give good results with a simple wood screw.
If a small screw is used it might not provide the right expansion which might result in loose wall plug.
Gauge size clearance holes pilot holes and plastic masonry wall plugs.
Choosing a wall fixing to suit your needs.
Here s a table of screw data i ve put together based on my own experiences over the years because i find manufacturers recommendations are often too general or non specific.
As a general rule.
In masonry you always have the option to re drill the hole one size bigger drilling through the existing wall plug and use a bigger plug red up to brown for example.
The base material whether it is a solid concrete stone etc or hollow material brick breeze block plasterboard etc.
I provide a wall plug colour chart for quick iden.
So why bother with it.
Blue wall plug masonry bit.
In this video i show how to use wall plugs and how to select the right size wall plug screw and drill bit.
Installing a fixing will almost always require the use of a drill except when working with plasterboard or in certain other cases.
Some manufacturers make different sized wall plugs in different colours but take care as colours are not standard across all brands.