Hanging weight (clock) on dot and dab wall

It does sound like a dot-and-dab wall, but not every part of the wall will have a cavity behind it. If you've drilled through the plasterboard and then immediately met solid material, you've most likely hit either a large adhesive dab, the original brickwork with a very thin adhesive bed, or a section where the plasterboard has been bonded almost directly to the masonry.

Before drilling more holes, pull the drill bit out and check the dust. Fine white dust indicates plaster or adhesive, while red or brown dust suggests brick. If you aren't getting brick dust after drilling 40–50mm with a masonry bit (using hammer mode once through the plasterboard), you may have hit a mortar joint or a particularly thick adhesive pad.

For a lightweight clock, you may not need to reach the brick at all. A plasterboard fixing such as a GripIt, spring toggle, or self-drilling plasterboard anchor is often more than adequate, depending on the weight of the clock. If it's a heavier clock and you want to fix into the masonry, try moving the hole 30–50mm to one side and drill again.

If you're unsure, post a photo of the wall, the hole you've drilled, and the clock you're hanging. That will help determine the best fixing without turning the wall into Swiss cheese!

Can plug into drywall adhesive witjout a problem....so many types of plasterboard fixings available now...grip it...hollow wall anchors etc

For a wall clock, a standard plasterboard fixing should be more than enough, and there is no need to go into brickwork. These dot and dab walls aren’t hollow everywhere, so you might have hit mortar instead of a brick.

Sounds like you’ve hit a dot/dab adhesive spot, not brick — that’s normal on this type of wall.

You won’t always get a cavity or clean hit on brick because of the dabs.

Answer to post:

You’ve likely drilled into a dot/dab adhesive, which is why it feels solid and not hollow or brick.

For a light item like a clock:
• Use a plasterboard fixing (e.g. GripIt, toggle, or hollow wall plug) and fix into the board only

If you want to go into brick:
• Move slightly left/right to avoid the dab and drill again until you hit the cavity, then continue to brick

Don’t keep drilling the same spot — just reposition slightly.

It does sound like a dot and dab wall and you’ve likely hit a dab (adhesive) rather than open cavity or solid brick. That’s pretty common, especially around corners or older extensions where the dabs can be quite thick.
If you’re not hitting brick, you’ve got a couple of options depending on the weight of the clock:
• For lighter items – use plasterboard fixings (like GripIt or hollow wall anchors) directly into the board
• For heavier items – you’re better going through to the masonry behind. Try drilling slightly higher/lower or to the side to miss the dab, then use a longer screw and plug into the brick/block behind
• Another option is corefix or similar fixings, designed specifically for dot & dab walls — these bridge the gap and anchor into the solid wall behind
If you keep hitting solid with no void, you may be close to a corner or a fully bonded section, so just adjust position slightly rather than drilling loads of holes.

• You probably drilled into a dab of adhesive or mortar, not brick.
• Dot?and?dab gaps aren’t consistent — some spots have no cavity at all.
• Move 3–5 cm left or right and try again; you’ll usually find the void then brick.
• For a clock, you don’t need brick anyway — a plasterboard fixing (toggle, GripIt, or self?drill anchor) is more than enough.

Certainly! Here is the professional advice for your wall situation and the specific hardware recommendations translated into English:

Part 1: What’s happening with your wall?
It sounds like you’ve encountered a classic "mystery wall" scenario. If you expected a hollow space but found none, here is the likely anatomy of that corner:

Thick Render/Mortar: In corners, builders often use a very thick layer of mortar (sand and cement) to ensure the corner is perfectly square. You might be drilling through 3cm to 5cm of solid mass before hitting the actual brick.

Concrete Column (Pillar): Corners often house structural concrete posts. If the drill slowed down, made a higher-pitched screeching sound, and produced fine light-grey dust, you’ve hit concrete. Standard drills won't penetrate this without the "Hammer" function and a high-quality masonry bit.

Solid Engineering Brick: Older houses often use solid bricks. In this case, there is no "hollow" space; it’s solid resistance all the way through.

Part 2: Professional Recommendations (Hardware)
For a standard wall clock, you don't need heavy industrial fixings. Here is the "Golden Standard" setup:

1. The Right Size: 6mm Wall Plug (Rawlplug)
Why? It’s small enough to be discreet but strong enough to hold 15kg to 20kg in solid walls.

The Screw: Use a 3.5mm or 4mm thick screw, roughly 40mm (4cm) long. Ensure the screw is slightly longer than the plug so it expands fully inside the wall.

2. The Best Type: Universal Nylon Plug (e.g., Fischer UX)
The Benefit: Since your wall feels solid, a Universal Nylon Plug is best. It expands against the sides of a solid hole but can also "knot" itself if it happens to find a hollow cavity further in.

Pro Tip: Avoid cheap plastic plugs (the shiny, brittle ones). Use Nylon plugs; they are more flexible and won't snap inside the wall.

Part 3: Step-by-Step for the Perfect Hole
Masking Tape: Stick a piece of masking tape over the spot. This prevents the drill bit from skidding and scratching your paint.

Mark the Depth: Hold the plug against your drill bit and wrap a piece of tape around the bit to mark the plug's length (plus 5mm). Stop drilling once you reach the tape.

Hammer Mode: Since you felt resistance, make sure your drill is switched to Hammer Mode (the hammer icon).

Clear the Dust: After drilling, blow the dust out of the hole (or use a vacuum). If dust remains inside, the plug won't grip the walls properly and might feel loose.

Tip for the Clock:
Most clocks have a "keyhole" slot on the back. When driving the screw in, do not screw it flush to the wall. Leave about 5mm of the screw head protruding so the clock can hook onto it easily.

You’ve likely hit either:
• An adhesive “dab” (common with dot & dab), or
• A mortar joint, or
• Blockwork (which feels softer than brick)

If you didn’t feel a hollow gap, that’s normal if you drilled straight into a glue spot.

What to do next:
• Drill a little deeper (40–50mm total depth) with a masonry bit.
• Check the dust:
• White = plasterboard
• Grey/soft = mortar or block
• Red = brick
• Move 30–40mm sideways and try again if unsure.

For a normal clock, you don’t need to hit brick. Use a Corefix (dot & dab fixing) or a long screw + plug (80–100mm) into masonry.

Don’t drill loads of holes — just shift slightly and try again.

Use specialized dot and dab fixings: These products are designed with a long plug and a metal core that bridges the gap between the plasterboard and the solid masonry behind, transferring the load to the blockwork. Brands like Corefix or Fischer DDF are highly recommended by professionals for their strength and reliability.

Typically older corners would be solid dab adhesive meaning no void between the board and wall. Sometimes if a wall is out of plumb the dab could be thicker than you expected so you wouldn’t hit brick where you’d have thought. Unless it’s a very heavy clock it may not be needed to hit brick to get a sufficient hold.

There are different options to this unique situation, first option is to get a plasterboard metal cavity wall fixing. This can help transfer the weigh of the wall clock and any other fixture that needs hanging to the back of the plasterboard.

The second option is to get a longer drill bit and and wall plug that is proportion to the depth of the wall that needs to be drilled. And the clock can be hanged.

Likely you hit a dot, drill deeper to ensure you have sufficient space for the screws and wall plugs

I use (brand)raw plugs for plaster board walls which are also good enough for brick and block walls