A Guide to Drywall Anchors

Most of us enjoy hanging things; from shelves to speakers, the ability to put fixtures and frames on our walls opens up our home and gives us additional space. Unfortunately, this is not always as easy as simply putting a couple of nails in the wall, especially not if one has a great deal of drywall that they are attempting to deal with. If you aren’t careful, this can soon turn into a disaster of worthless holes and loose nails that won’t support any kind of objects. The use of drywall anchors can alleviate this stress and make your drywall seem just as capable as a wood wall, when it comes to supporting things on its surface. Continue reading, if you’d like to learn more about drywall anchors, including what they are, how to find the right ones, and how you can put them to use for you.

What is a Drywall Anchor?
Drywall anchors can be found at just about any local hardware store and are fairly inexpensive. Usually made of plastic, these are pieces that you place in your drywall, providing a more solid base that a screw can then be put into. They come in various strengths and can hold anywhere from 20 to 60 pounds as a rule, with some even being capable of supporting more. These small anchors, such as Hercules Hooks allow us to hang pictures, shelving, or even electronic equipment, such as speakers, without having to worry that the nail will pull free from the wall and send our prized objects crashing down onto the floor. Fortunately, drywall anchors are also very easy to install, making them a project that you needn’t worry will be too difficult to master.

Plastic Anchors
Perhaps the most common and easiest installation of the different types of anchors, plastic anchors only require that you drill a hole, that is smaller than the size of the anchor, into the drywall and then drive the anchor into this hole. When you purchase your anchor, there should be a screw included with it, and this can be screwed right into the anchor for you to hang objects. That’s all there is to it! Plastic anchors come with various weight support limits, so be sure that you get the proper kind for the work that you want it to do.

Drill Point Anchors
Like their plastic counterparts, drill point anchors require that you drill a hole into your drywall that is slightly smaller than the diameter of your anchor and then drive this anchor into the hole. Little teeth in the anchor will help to grip onto the drywall, providing you drive it in flush with the wall. Once this is done, you then screw your screw into the anchor and continue turning it until the anchor has tightened into the wall, nice and snug. The screw can then be removed, replaced, or used to hang your objects. Drill point anchors are a bit more complex than the plastic ones, and are designed for different thicknesses of walls. Be sure to ask a sales representative, if you don’t know the proper ones to purchase.

Drive Point Anchors
Unlike the plastic and drill point varieties, drive point anchors do not require that you first drill a hole in your wall (though it won’t hurt if you decide you want to). To install these anchors, all that one needs to do is simply drive the anchor into the wall and, using the accompanying screw, finish screwing the anchor in, until it feels tight. This causes a part inside the wall to mushroom out, thereby locking the anchor securely into your wall. When you’re done, you simply unscrew your screw a bit and you can use it for hanging.

Drywall anchors are available for various wall thicknesses and are capable of handling different weight limits. The main thing to keep in mind is how heavy the objects are, that you are attempting to hang, and simply going from there. None of the anchors are difficult to install and, thankfully, all the different varieties are usually easy to locate. If you’re having difficulties, be sure to ask your local hardware sales representative and they’re sure to be able to help you out.