How to re-attach drywall back onto brickwall?

[pugsly]

Hello,

I have a large wall in my (apartment) living room that is drywall attached to brick. It seems to have come loose; you can shift the wall with your foot very gently. How do I go about re-securing this to the brick? Is this something that I could patch myself (the drywall is in otherwise perfect condition) or am I going to have to replace the entire wall?

I'm pretty handy with repairs, but I am not strong enough to move large sheets of drywall around so it will be a pain in the bum if I have to hire someone.

Thanks in advance.

[EricL]

Hello @pugsly 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your drywall.

If your drywall has a timber frame behind it, it might be possible to nail or screw it back on to prevent it from moving. However, if it was just glued into place, it will need to be moved so that you can put more adhesive at the back. It might be possible to screw it back into the brick wall with masonry screws. Would it be possible for you to post a few photos of the drywall? This will give our members a better idea of its current situation. We can then make recommendations on how to move forward.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[pugsly]

Ah, good point! I'm going to have to drill into the wall a little to find out if it's joists or some sort of glue/cement. The opposite wall adjoining the other unit (I'm sandwiched in) is definitely brick with glue but now that I think about it, my water & gas aren't running through that so there very well could be joists. I will get back to you and with photos. Fingers crossed for joists to make life much easier.

Thanks Eric.

[pugsly]

This is the wall, and yes appears to be cemented on. Excuse the moving mess.

Below are photos of two holes I drilled to check it out.

 

The yellow in the final pic is an exact match to the cement used on an opposite wall that I had to repair.

I hope there is a DIY solution!

[EricL]

Hello @pugsly 

Thank you for posting those extra pictures of your drywall. I'm so sorry, but I really can't tell from the last two photos if the drywall has a timber frame behind it or not. Is there any chance for you to perhaps lift a corner and peek inside to confirm what is at the back? Your second photo looks like there is a gap between the drywall and the bricks. The third picture looks like you drilled into something, but it looks more like plaster than timber. 

However, should you find a timber frame attached to your brick wall, I suggest using Zenith 8G x 30mm Gold Passivated Bugle Head Plasterboard Screws to re-attach your drywall. But if it is just a brick wall, I suggest using Selleys 350g Heavy Duty Liquid Nails in combination with Ramset Black Countersunk Masonry Screw. Please note that pilot holes will need to be made for the masonry screws.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric