Most of the time, you prefer to hang heavy things using a stud as an anchor but that is not always ideal. Especially if you want to hang things from your wall at some exact location and there is no stud there. Now you may think of driving screws straight into your walls without giving much thought. But with just driving screws into your drywall, the brittleness of the wall would not all the threads of the screw to fully bite in. As a result, the holding strength of the screw will be pretty weak, which would eventually lead to the falling of the screw off the wall. Now you may be wondering how to insert drywall anchors?
Well! I have come up with a guide that tells specifically about how to use drywall anchors. But before moving forward you must first have a quick read about its types and the things you need to get along to use them. Depending upon what you are hanging in drywall, you can choose a specific drywall anchor. Acknowledge the type that suits you the best from a list of drywall anchors.
Here is when a drywall anchor comes into the scene and plays wonders for you. A drywall anchor goes right between the screw and your drywall. You can now screw into the anchor. It grips the drywall much more effectively than the screw would. With this anchor now combined with the appropriate screw, you can mount it anywhere on the drywall or similar panel.
Things to Get Along Before Knowing How to Use Drywall Anchors
Selecting the right size of the screws for the drywall anchors is an important step before you learn how to put anchors into drywall. Choose the anchor as per your requirements and then purchase a screw for the same. Drywall anchors can be purchased separately from the screws but it is wise to buy them in a package so that they have the right size of screws paired with the anchor. If you don’t have the wide size of screws handy, then choosing the right-size screw for you is going to be messy if not brought together with anchors.
Also, if you choose the anchor that needs a pre-drilled hole, it becomes important for you to know the corresponding drill bit size. To make your work easier, the packages of various anchors come up with the desired drill bit size displayed right on it.
Choose the Appropriate from a Variety of Drywall Anchors
Before you pick up any drywall anchor and start getting curious on how to use a wall anchor in drywall, think about the amount of weight of the item that it needs to withstand. Narrow down your options based upon the weight and size of the item that you are intending to hang on the wall. Largely distinguished by the item they are holding, they are of 4 types.
1. Expansion Drywall Anchors
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Expansion drywall anchors are the most used type of drywall anchors and are always included in the shelf kits that you buy at the store. Anchors are fairly basic, small in size, and made up of plastic. These are called expansion screws because when you mount screws into them they expand according to the screw and push against the drywall to have perfect holding. They are mostly designed to weigh light items.
Key Features
- Often made up of plastic but you can also find them up of nylon or zinc-coated metal.
- Easy to use and are DIY-friendly.
- Holds about 5 to 25 pounds depending upon the brand type.
- Affordable.
How to Insert Drywall Anchors (Expansion Drywall Anchors)
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Source: howtogeek.com
Image Source: howtogeek.com
Source: howtogeek.com
Source: howtogeek.com
To use an expansion anchor, you should start by drilling a hole into the drywall. Make sure that the drilled hole is rough of the same diameter as that of the anchor. After drilling a hole, gently hammer the anchor into the wall. Hammer the expansion anchor till it flushes against the wall. This is where you will get to know if the drilled hole is of the appropriate size. The anchor should go in smoothly with a little bit of resistance.
Position your shelf or what so item you are hanging up to where you want and then drive the screw into the anchor. However, if you are just hanging a mirror or something that needs to be placed right with the wall, you can drive the screw in it by itself and hang the mirror afterward. Remember to stop driving the screw when it starts snuggling.
2. Threaded Drywall Anchors
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These are kind of larger screws. Threaded drywall anchors come up with much larger threads than screws do and can hold heavier weights. Anchors feature sharp shanks and do not compulsorily need a pre-drilled hole. They hold weights comparatively higher than expansion anchors. They are pocket-friendly and do not cost you much.
Key Features
- Holding power of 25 to 75 pounds depending upon the size.
- Self-drilling and requires no pilot hole necessarily.
- Not suitable for ceilings.
- Easy to install.
How to Put Anchors into Drywall (Threaded Drywall Anchors )
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Image Source: howtogeek.com
Source: howtogeek.com
Start drilling the drywall panel about the size of the tip of the anchor. Next, take your power drill and drive the threaded anchor into drywall the same as you would do with a screw. Flush the anchor against the wall and when so take your screw and drive it into the anchor. Drive in the screw right before it starts snuggling.
Sometimes, the tip of the anchor may break but it should not be a bother as the anchor has survived well to tightly fix the screw against the drywall.
3. Molly Bolts
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These are metal sleeve-type hollow wall anchors that provide medium holding power. They come up with a unique feature that is they can remove the screw and reinsert it if necessary in the future. Molly bolts are easy to install but make sure you can the right size depending upon the thickness of the drywall.
Key Features
- Holding power of 25 to 55 pounds depending upon the size.
- Require pre-drilled holes.
- Have permanently attached shanks.
- Can be used for ceiling drywall for small weights like smoke alarms.
How to Use a Wall Anchor in Drywall (Molly Bolts and Anchors)
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Image Source: howtogeek.com
Source: howtogeek.com
Image Source: howtogeek.com
To install a molly bolt, drill a hole into the drywall with the same diameter as the molly bolt. Insert a molly bolt into the hole. Hammer it until the anchor sits flush with the wall. The underside of the anchor’s head has a sharp tip. The tip pierces the drywall surface. When the screw is inserted, each twist of screw forces the shank of an anchor to compress lightly lengthwise and expand slightly sideways.
After the anchor is correctly inserted, remove the screw from the anchor that remains fixed to the wall. You’re ready to mount or hang something on reinserting the screw. This makes it handy if you are replacing items in the same spots.
4. Toggle Bolts
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Toggle bolts are most suitable for high holding power. These anchors are the strongest of all anchors and are vastly different when it comes to installing them. They come up in a variety of sizes, designs, and material types including metal and plastic. Traditional metal toggle bolts and anchors can hold the highest weight when compared to the bunch.
Key Features
- Maximum holding power for metallic ones is 100 pounds while for plastic ones is 20 pounds (depending upon the size).
- Can be used for ceilings with 1/3 holding power listed for the walls with a capacity of up to 15 pounds.
- Metallic toggles are difficult to keep level in the wall during installation.
How to Use Drywall Anchors (Toggle Anchors)
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Start drilling a hole that is big enough for a toggle when it is folded. This hole should be large enough for the head of the screw to fall through. This makes it optimal for the mounting shelves or other items where they act as a washer of sorts and stop the screws from completely falling through.
Make sure to first unscrew the screw from the toggle first and then feed the toggle bolt onto the item you’re mounting. The next step will be feeding the screw through the shelf mounting hole and then screw the toggle back to the anchor. Now fold down the toggle and insert it into the hole drilled on the wall. Once inside the wall, the toggle will spring back open; this is the time when you have to start screwing the bolt gently. Tighten it and stop right before it snugs.
Source: moneypit.com
Conclusion
If you are a home person and love to do home décor but inserting nails or screws directly into walls does not support your wall décor ideas. I have come up with a solution to use drywall anchors that are designed to spread within or behind drywall. They create a perfect pressure to lock wall hangings perfectly.
Drywall anchors are mostly made up of compressed gypsum and they can save your day to create wonderfully smooth walls. Understand the tricks on how to use drywall anchors from the above read and be the master of your home décor. Uplift your creativity by innovating amazing wall decor ideas and hang different pieces of art and crafts with different drywall anchors.
I hope you like this blog and keep coming to Homedesignnow for more interesting tips and ideas on home improvement and decoration.