how to drill through two different materials

Question

I installed blinds in my kitchen.

I put the screws into the wall. The wall was plaster and inside it was a thin metal sheet.

The screws were 1/8 inches. So I drilled two holes of 1/8 inches through the plaster and metal and screwed both screws in.

I noticed that one of the screws didnt become tight as I screwed it in. So I drilled a 3/16 inches hole through the plaster and metal (through the metal I didnt have a 3/16 inches metal drill bit, I made do...) put a screw plastic cap in - with a lot of trouble, beraly fit - and screwed the screw into the plastic screw cap.

So just to reiterate, one screw is holding to the metal material (I sincerely hope) through a 1/8 inches hole. The other screw, is holding to the plaster and metal though a 3/16 inches hole (and a plastic cap).

Is this arragement, is it something that makes sense?

Thanks.

Answer 1

What you need to use is a fastener called a "toggle bolt". They come in small sizes (1/8 inch, screw diameter) up to 1/4 inch. Depending on the weight of your item the larger the toggle the more it can support. A toggle bolt is a threaded machine screw that uses a pair of spring loaded wings (anchors) as a nut. Mark the location for the hole and use a slot head screw driver to bore through the dry wall. I'm guessing that the metal you encountered is most likely the lathing for the plaster (or stucco?) wall. Either way,try to make an oversized opening into the bay of the wall. Put the toggle screw through the item and thread toggle wings onto threads. Push the two wings together and wiggle them into the wall opening. The wings will expand behind the drywall. All that's left is to tighten the screwhead. Finito.