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I did actually try asking about this on actual DIY forums and groups, but it either got ignored or nonsense replies so I'll try here.

I want to move a large(110x80 cm) heavy mirror through from one room, where it was mostly supported by a mantelpiece, to another room where the whole weight will have to be borne by whatever I fix it into the wall with. As far as I can tell, the wall is sandstone blocks(internal load-bearing wall in a Victorian tenement flat, drilling produces gritty powder similar to what we saw when a couple of the exterior window sills were crumbling away a few years ago - I didn't need to use a hammer drill to go in just a masonry bit on my standard cordless, but sandstone isn't exactly fired brick or concrete), and the largest masonry bit I have is 6mm - first I need to confirm that means I need the red wall plugs(or ones marked 6mm), right? And if so I'd need a 5mm/8 gauge screw?

The other thing that's baffling me is I found some fittings that look perfect, with a long nylon plug supplied with a screw that would leave a small threadless section and the head protruding from the wall for the mirror's hangers, which states "The size of the hammer type fixing is M6 x 70 mm" - so that means it's suitable for a 6mm hole?


I know that these are "dumb" questions, but the whole thing is just infuriating with all the different terminologies - if it's all in mm why not just state everything in bloody mm

Advice appreciated.

It's more likely to be brick than sandstone, but either way you need a good hammer drill and then put in Rawlplugs.

The diameter and depth (length) of them depends on the size of screws you are going to use.

The M6 x 70mm size sound fine.

I've put a number of mirrors and pictures into the walls of my house which are a mixture of brick, mortar and stone.

Hmm, the reason I suspect it's sandstone is exactly because I didn't need a hammer drill, I already did 50mm deep pilot holes using my thinnest masonry bit to test and it didn't require any more effort than drilling into hardwood.

I'll order the M6 fittings, install them, and hang something heavy from them that isn't a shatterable mirror for a couple of weeks to see if they hold up. Ta.