Hot take: I finally looked up how much weight a standard drywall anchor actually holds

I was hanging a heavy mirror and checked the box from a pack of generic plastic anchors. It said 50 pounds, but a deep dive on a builder's forum showed that's only true in perfect lab conditions with new drywall. In my 70s house with crumbly plaster behind, the real number is probably under 20. Anyone else have a better anchor type for old walls?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma66816d ago

Tell me about it. My walls are so old I'm scared to hang a calendar. Last time I used a plastic anchor, it came out with a fistful of what I can only call wall dust. Toggle bolts are the only thing that works for me now, even if drilling the bigger hole feels like a commitment. What are you trying to hang, a full set of encyclopedias?

the_jenny22d ago

Ugh, those plastic ones are junk in old walls. You need the metal toggle bolt kind. They spread out behind the plaster so they don't just pull straight out.

sanchez.robin22d ago

Spread out behind the plaster" sounds like we're doing surgery, not hanging a picture. How heavy is this thing?