If you're insanely lucky, you'll have a stud in your wall exactly where you want to hang something heavy. For the other 99% of the time, you're going to need to use a drywall anchor to hang that thing on the wall. (That's a sheetrock anchor for the American folks out there.)
I know. The drywall anchor! It's a big, scary looking thing but once I explain it, it'll be about as scary as a chocolate covered cotton ball. I'll be calling it a drywall anchor through this post by the way because that's what it's called in my area in Canada. You might refer to it as sheetrock and a sheetrock anchor, but it's the same thing.
We've all been there I'm sure ... hung a full sized cow on our wall only to have it fall down in the middle of the night, scaring the farts right out of the cat. It happens. But it doesn't have to.
For some reason people are under the impression that hanging things on the wall is frightening. This fear stems out of two things. The fear of filling your wall with holes (you can overcome that fear in this tutorial where I teach you how to fix nail holes in drywall), and the fear of having no idea what the hell you're doing, what the hell you're supposed to use and how the hell you're supposed to use it.
Also you hung something once before and it fell down. And it was traumatizing.
But that's only because you probably used the wrong types of drywall anchors. I bet you're using those little, brightly coloured plastic wall anchors aren't you?
It's O.K. Not knowing, making mistakes, asking questions and learning are all a part of your successful home improvement journey.
Table of Contents
Plastic Wall Anchors
I've used them too. I'll admit it. Those plastic anchors (expansion anchors) in bright colours that you hammer into the drywall. You keep screwing and screwing your screw into it and it just keeps spinning and spinning because it isn't actually grabbing onto anything. But you hang something off of it anyways because you paid for it and installed it and can't think of any other way to do it. Then your cow falls down.
It's because those plastic anchors aren't really meant for drywall. They're actually meant for solid walls like concrete. They *can* in certain circumstances be used for drywall but even the must robust plastic anchor can only hold around 10 pounds. So they're very definitely light duty and don't have a lot of holding power.
If you INSIST on using a plastic wall anchor in drywall, remember this tip.
Pull the wings out on your plastic anchor!Not all plastic anchors are going to have them, but if they do, pull them out. They'll squish back in when you hammer the anchor into the wall but they'll pop out again a bit once they're in there. They'll help (a minuscule amount) to keep the anchor from falling out of the wall.
So if plastic wall anchors are crap, what should you be using to hang your stuff on the wall?
Threaded Anchors
Threaded anchors, (also called self-drilling anchors and E-Z anchors) are the absolute easiest choice and one of the most effective. They have a point on the end so you can tap them into the drywall. Then just stick a screwdriver into them and screw them in the wall. An average sized threaded anchor can hold about 50 pounds.
But my favourite is the hollow wall anchor. Otherwise known as a Molly Bolt. It's more complicated to use than the threaded anchor but I like them better.
What is a Molly wall anchor?
Also known as the classic "Molly Bolt" or a molly wall anchor. THESE are the only drywall (sheetrock) anchors you should use. (bit of an exaggeration but honestly if you aren't sure what to go with they are the best.) How do I know they're the best? Just ask Bessie the cow.
These are my favourite anchors. Yes there are others like screw-in anchors, toggle bolts and a bunch of other things, but these Molly wall anchors are my favourites so that's why I'm talking about them and telling you to use them too.
When you buy a box of Hollow Wall Anchors there are 3 things you need to look for on the box:
What to look for in Hollow Wall Anchors
- Make sure what you're buying is indeed a Hollow Wall Anchor for drywall.
- Make sure they're the right size for your drywall. This box is good for drywall that is ⅜ths to ⅝ths thickness. (there are other Hollow Wall Anchors that are for very thin materials like hollow doors)
- Note the size of the drill bit that they recommend you use and make sure you own one!
Also make sure you own a drill. I have a couple of drills, a "vintage" electric one I found at a garage sale that's GREAT and this Ryobi cordless one, which is great when the battery actually works. If you have issues with 18V batteries suddenly not charging, read my post on how to get a seemingly dead cordless battery to take a charge.
How to use Molly Bolts To Hang Stuff on Drywall
- Mark the place on your wall where you want to hang something. Using the right sized drill bit, drill your hole. DON'T go wiggling all over the place with your drill. Hold it stead and drill straight in and pull straight out. If you wiggle you'll actually drill a larger hole.
2. Take the Hollow Wall Anchor out of the package and hammer it straight into the wall. You don't have to adjust it or fiddle with it or anything. Just whack it in there.
If you look back up at the first picture I showed you you'll see that there's tiny teeth under the flat edge of the anchor. These will grip into the outside of the drywall so make sure you hammer it in good.
3. Now you get your screwdriver and start screwing the screw in. I know it looks like it's already in (and it is) but what you're doing at this moment is creating Hollow Wall Anchor magic.
As you screw the screw in, a sort of flange is being pushed out at the back of the drywall. The more you turn the screw the tighter and tighter the flange gets. Just keep turning until you can feel some good resistance. It may take a while and you might get bored.
4. Once you've screwed it in to the point that you feel the resistance of the flange (I'm not really sure that's the right word to be using) against the back of the drywall you can start unscrewing the screw. Again. Totally boring.
I recommend doing it by hand though and not with a drill because you don't have enough control over the drill and if you screw your Hollow Wall Anchor in too tightly you could end up squishing your drywall and ruining it. Just do it by hand. Super exercise for your wrist anyway which will come in handy the next time you slap someone.
- If you're only hanging a mirror or picture then you can just pull the screw out enough to get your wire picture hanger over it.
- If you're attaching something to the wall like a bar or TV mount you might have to remove the screw entirely and then, yes, screw it back in again.
And don't worry. Undoing the screw doesn't do anything to the flange. It stays rock solid. That baby's in your wall for good now.
Seriously. To remove a hollow wall anchor you have to just hammer it into the wall and fill the hole it leaves with drywall compound. Yes. I know. That's scared you even more. Calm down. Remember? I showed you how to fix a hole in drywall. It's easy.
What are the Strongest Drywall Anchors?
If you use either the threaded anchor or the molly bolt you'll do just fine. They can easily hold 50 pounds.
If you want to hang something a very large, heavy picture or mirror these no stud picture hangers are the absolute BEST. They are hooks and specifically for hanging mirrors or heavy artwork and I've used 2 of them to hang the life sized portrait you see in this post. Each of these hooks will support 200 pounds.
You're still scared. You don't think you can do this. It seems ... scary and you're pretty sure you're never going to need to hang anything on your walls. Ever.
You say that now, but one day you'll be driving around the countryside, hit a cow by accident and need to hang it. Now you know how to do it and what to use.
Good job.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Scott Crawford
Had mixed experiences with these over the years. Often in softer drywall the small teeth wouldn't grip and it would just trash the wall. Until I found this.
Change your life!
Karen
Interesting! I will admit it's sometimes hard to judge when to stop setting the anchor before it starts crushing the drywall. I may order one and review it. :) ~ karen!
Scott Crawford
You just unscrew the fixing head a little, clip it into the gun, push it into the hole and squeeze the trigger. It pulls back the screw and squeezes the fins into place.
Saves complication and fatigue of my poor little wrists!
Dave Mennenoh
I agree these are strong, but I seem to always have issues with getting them started. Those little teeth just don't bite into the wall enough and end up just spinning and leaving a groove in the wall. I'd love these to work all the time as I like the strength, but I typically won't use them.
Going to go check out that anchor setting tool now.... Holy Wow! Just watched a video about the setting tool. Amazing. Ordering one now - cause home depot doesn't have them in stock.
Karen
Hi Dave. It could be that you aren't getting the right size of anchor. They come in different sizes for different thicknesses of drywall. That's the trouble I had with them when I first tried using the years ago. Once I figured out the whole testing the wall thickness before buying the anchors things got better. :) ~ karen!
Bill
If the teeth don't grip the surface of the wall you can hold the anchor out a tiny bit and grip it with pliers while you tighten the screw. It takes more torque to get the anchor setting started, once it has begun expanding it takes less torque on the screw to keep it going and the petals behind the anchor will start to grip the drywall and offer resistance to reduce spinning of the anchor.
Kevin Crawford
I've worked in the home remodeling and handyman industry for years. These are the worst anchors ever. That is why we only see them used in places that are really old when they have been there for decades. Technology has passed them by. Repairing walls in the wake of these are also a pain. There are much better products out there these days.
Karen
I too have worked in the home remodelling and handyman industry for years and respectfully disagree with you. ~ karen!
Bastette
Such as?
Wojo
Toggle Lock, Toggle bolts, EZ anchors, zip toggle....... on and on. Molly bolts are terrible compared to any of these. They cause unnecessary damage to drywall when you need to remove them.
Karen
I'd (obviously) disagree with you. In fact, I find toggle bolts to be among the most useless of wall anchors. ~ karen
Beth
What didn't I do wrong? I drilled the hole, tapped on the molly gently until it went into wall, and ended up screwing the screw completely through the drywall making a hole!
Beth
*What did I do*
Karen
I'm not sure Beth, I'd have to see what you've done. I'm not sure if you know how to take a photo and attach it to a comment, but that would help. Do you mean you kept screwing and screwing and ended up smashing through your piece of drywall? ~ karen!
Kurt
Post your address. I want to send you a more proper hammer for home use. (Hint: it's not a ball-peen.)
Karen
That's O.K. Kurt, lol. I have many, many hammers. That one was my father's and has sentimental value.~ karen!
Diana
Blue eyes, baby`s got blue eyes... trallallala... Was the first thing on my mind as I saw your photo;o)
Mark
You are right about those plastic "anchors". My name for them is "a scourge on the GDP". They belong in the trash. Seriously.
You are also right about Molly bolts. They are intended for things you don't want to remove. They can be removed, but it's not quick. I don't know how many times I have had to repair drywall where someone bashed a big hole trying to remove one, or else clumsily mudded on top (true story!). In this context, anything more than zero is "too many".
My go-to wall hanger are these (link below) that I get from Home Depot. They come in several sizes, in plastic and metal, do not require pre-drilling, are easy to install and remove with just a screwdriver, and hold a lot of weight. https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.papc-6-e-z-drywall-anchor-wscrews.1000427287.html
Mindy
Yes, those are a BITCH to get out. I like to find the tiniest nail in the house, and hope for the best. ;)
Pat Kichinko
"Something scaring the farts out of the cats" is now my absolute favorite expression. We have eight cats, so it could get pretty bad here. EEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
Cussot
Great little tutorial. Nice novel title, too - Resistance of the Flange.
Nancy Blue Moon
Ok..I am not afraid to try this myself anymore!!..The last time I hung a cow the damn thing mooed all night..It was nice to reach up there and squeeze me a fresh jug of milk every morning though...looking forward to a new DIY...
nancee
Thank you for the photos along with your explanation. I learn to do things mostly by watching. I remember my mother always telling me to "be sure to read the instructions!"
I usually just studied the diagram/pictures and did just fine.
But it's putting a big old hole in the wall that scares me.
Thanks for making it look a bit easier.
Lauren
I hung a grouping around my 46" flat screen so the TV wouldn't dominate the wall, and it's always been a tidge off because I thought the mirror had to be hung on a stud. Now I can fix it! And I learned how to patch a large drywall hole to boot. You explain things way better than the menfolk do Karen. Waaaaaaaay better.
Maryanne
Hi Karen,
Great post - I'm a touch more confident, but my problem is more that I'm scared of messing up the drill. Maybe I'll get there one day.
BTW - what lovely eyes you have :)
Hope you are enjoying the extended fall - what's it done to your garden?
Maryanne
Nancy S in Winnipeg
I'm with Maggie. My 90 year old house has lathe & plaster walls. Are the plastic thingies OK for them?
Maggie
I've been experimenting, and so far the plastic ones have only worked in certain situations. These metal ones Karen posted work the most consistently, and never break apart when nailing them into a more solid section (as the plastic ones sometimes do).
Jennie Lee
Thanks, Karen, for explaining one of the most confusing-looking DIY products known to man. I must say, however, that for most things you hang up, those colored plastic drywall anchors are fine, and hollow wall anchors would be overkill. If you're just hanging up a wall calendar, for instance. The easiest thing to do is to buy a little box of about 40 anchors and 40 screws. They give you the right size anchor for the screws, and they tell you, on the box, what size hole to drill. I've never had a problem with them. Then, any time you have the urge to hang something, you're all set. They come in different sizes. Just use a bigger one to hang a bigger object. But for heavy things, like mirrors, draperies, or cows, break out the hollow wall anchors.
Maggie
Any tips for plaster & lathe walls?
I just bought "triple grip" cobra anchors because trying to mount ikea Hugad bay window rod system became an exercise in frustration this weekend, but haven't tried them yet.. seems similar but plastic.
First screw would not go in at all (predrill hit a scary mysterious *something* and would go no further, second screw hit nothing and was completely loose.. I will buy anything that works.
SunGold
See Monkey Hooks (http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=52367&cat=3,40914,50630,52367)
They might do the trick.
Carol Hogan
The first thing ever, I think, that you posted and I already knew. I am so proud :)
Karin
ooooooh, I love your hammer, looks super sturdy. for some reason i always manage to kill mine. perhaps i should trade up some, perhaps i should seek help for my anger issues.
the last one i killed trying to get rid of some ice on the roof... *hackhackhack* i went, *floop* went the hammer head into the bushes below. meh.
either way, thanks for the very helpful post. the husband will have no clue what i'm talking about, but that's aright. we know now, ooooh yesssss, we know...
Erin
CLiffhanger! Augh!
Irene
Erin Haviland, by any chance? :-)
Mary W
Question: I have set up all around my little house, all the things I need to hang. They have been sitting under or near their intended place for almost 6 months now. I hate to nag my son-in-law and he has been so busy but I'm so afraid I will run a screw or nail into wiring. I know where all the wiring is since I took pictures of it before the dry wall went up but can't find the pictures. I see the light switches and plugs so I know where the wiring is suppose to be but what if it goes sideways -- I'm still chicken. Those screws look soooooo long, and my cow will needs hanging before the holidays just in case I want to string him with lights. Suggestions?
Jennie Lee
There is a thing you can buy, called a stud finder. Some of them also sense where wires are, in the wall. Something to remember: you need to know where the wall studs are. If you're putting in a screw where the wall stud is, you'll drill a smaller hole, because you won't need a wall anchor. You can't put a wall anchor where the stud is! But then, you don't need to!