There’s never a stud when you need one. In most situations you can use a hollow-wall anchor, which is designed to attach to the wall in the hollow spaces between the studs. How can I make my drywall stronger?
Another frequent question is “Are drywall anchors necessary?”.
“Because drywall is too weak to hang things from, a drywall anchor is necessary, ” explains Matt Michaels, a spokesman for Lowe’s Home Improvement in Charlotte, NC. The anchor essentially allows you to insert screws into the wall without causing the soft drywall to crumble around it.
Decorating your walls can lead to times when there is no stud available for the screw, bolt, or nail that you are going to use. When this happens, a wall anchors come into play.
How do you anchor a stud to a wall?
Use a stud detector to locate the center of the stud and mark it. Drill a hole that is the same diameter as the anchor into the wall and the stud. Make sure that the drill is held perpendicular to the wall as any type of movement will make the hole too large for the anchor.
To use dry wall anchors, start by drilling a hole into the wall you’re installing the anchors in at a 90-degree angle. Use a drill bit that’s the same size as the dry wall anchor. If you don’t have an electric drill, press the tip of a Philips head screwdriver against the wall and twist it back and forth to create a hole.
What are the best wall anchors for drywall?
Drywall will probably pull off the wall before this anchor pulls out. Big hole is helpful for some repair jobs. Skinny #8-32 size screws are easier to use for some brackets.
The most usefull answer is, before you buy an anchor, grab a stud finder to see if you can find a stud—the sturdy pieces of wood that contractors use to frame the wall. If there’s a stud located where you want to hang your item, you might be able to avoid installing a drywall anchor—the wood will provide the appropriate resistance and keep your item in place.
Instead of a simple drywall anchor that is basically a molded plastic sleeve that a screw is driven into, you will need different types of wall anchors for securing something to a wall stud. These can be toggle bolts, carriage bolts, and compression type anchors that spread out as the screw is turned.