Stop using drywall anchors for everything heavier than a picture frame

I pulled 12 anchors out of a bathroom wall last weekend in Omaha after the previous owner used them for a towel bar. They stripped the paper and crumbled the gypsum so bad I had to patch 6 holes. If you need to hang cabinets or shelving with any real weight, use toggle bolts or find a stud. Why do people still think those plastic anchors can hold 50 pounds?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_rose2d ago

I pulled 20 plastic anchors out of a kitchen backsplash last month after the old owners used them to hang heavy spice racks. Three of them had completely snapped off behind the tile, leaving me with chunks of drywall to dig out. For anything over 10 pounds, I just use toggle bolts now. They cost a little more but you never have to worry about the whole shelf crashing down at 3am. Have you tried the metal ones with the little wings that flip open?

grant_hart2d ago

Respectfully gotta disagree on toggles for every situation. Sure they hold better but I've had the spring-loaded ones fail on me when the wings didn't flip right inside a tight spot lol. Plastic anchors are fine if you get the good ones and don't overload them like those spice racks clearly were.