How to Hang Things on Your Walls

Builders like to use drywall or Sheetrock to build walls because it’s relatively easy to work with, goes up fast and it’s cheap (OK inexpensive). However, drywall has some drawbacks to a homeowner. It’s easy to dent and scuff and because it’s essentially made from gypsum powder and paper, which isn’t strong enough to hold a heavy object, like a shelf, a mirror or a large picture. Luckily, you can get specialized hangers at your home or hardware store that will allow you to hang or mount heavy things on your walls or even your ceiling.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drywall hangers (various types, see below)
• Drill
• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Tape measure
• Pencil

Hang Light Things

1. 
   Expanded plastic wall plug

   Consider using conical plastic anchors for objects that aren’t too heavy, say up to 15 pounds. Plastic anchors are inserted into the wall and when a screw is driven into them, the cone opens up into arms that stop the screw from pulling out of the hole.

2. Use your tape measure to determine where you want to install your anchor and mark the spot with your pencil.

3. Drill a pilot hole in your drywall sized to accommodate the plastic anchor. Anchors come in various sizes and different sizes require different sized pilot holes. The size of the hole and the weight they will support should be marked on the package.

4. Tap the anchor into the hole, so it’s flush with the wall surface

5. Install the proper sized screw (correct size should be marked on the anchor packaging), either through the object you’re hanging or leaving the screw head sticking out a little to hang a picture or mirror.

Hang Medium Weight Objects

6. 
   Closed Molly bolt. Note the metal teeth on the underside of the bolt head.

   Choose “Molly” bolts if you need to permanently hold something weighing up to 50 pounds. A Molly bolt consists of a round flat head (about the size of a dime) with metal teeth protruding from the bottom, and a machine screw inserted through the head and metal legs.

7. Measure and mark where you want to install a Molly bolt.

8. Drill the proper size pilot hole. Again, it will be marked on the package.

9. Tap the Molly bolt into the hole until the head is flush with the wall surface and the underlying teeth dig into the drywall.

10. 
    Molly bolt showing the legs drawn up as against the backside of the wall.

    Tighten the Molly bolt's screw. This will make the metal legs of the Molly (inside the wall) fold up against the inside of the drywall and give you a strong anchoring point.

11. You can remove and reinstall the screw on the Molly bolt, but the head is now permanently embedded in your wall.

Hanging heavy objects

12. 
    Toggle bolt as it would go into a wall.

    Consider using toggle bolts for heavy objects you want to hang on your walls or ceilings, like light fixtures or bookshelves. Since toggle bolts can be removed leaving only a hole to be patched and they can be used on ceilings, they're a good choice for mounting something that might need to be taken down or moved in the future. Toggle bolts are essentially spring-loaded metal wings and a long machine bolt

13. Start installing your toggle bolt by measuring and marking where you want it to go, then drill the proper sized pilot hole. Toggle bolts usually need a fairly large hole typically 3/8-inch or even larger.

14. Insert the provided machine screw through the object you’re mounting then screw the bolt partway into the toggle itself.

15. 
    Toggle bolt with the spring loaded wings open.

    Push the toggle into the wall through the hole, far enough that the spring-loaded wings of the toggle open up behind the drywall.

Tips & Warnings

• Probably the best way to install a heavy object on your wall is to screw directly into a solid wall stud. Try to locate a stud before deciding to use any wall anchor. See related eHow, How to Find a Wall Stud.
• Molly bolts are a permanent installation. Because of the metal teeth, the head can’t be removed from the wall without some major surgery. However, you can remove the screw and reinstall something into the permanently mounted Molly bolt.
• Toggle bolts can hold a lot of weight because of their open wings work well to spread the weight of an object. However, once the toggle is installed, if your remove the screw the toggle will fall down inside the wall so you can’t remove the screw (to change the fixture for example) and reinstall it.