Little Lesson

Anchors Aweigh! Wall Anchors, That Is

By Nancy K. Crevier

Life is a series of tasks. Some are easier to perform than others. Some are downright tricky. Some tasks we have mastered, while others remain, for one reason or another, a mystery. In the upcoming weeks, The Newtown Bee will present a series of short articles of Little Lessons meant to light the way to a new or easier way to tackle those day to day duties, or even those less commonly encountered tasks, each one accompanied by a video at newtownbee.com. Welcome to the classroom.

Choose the right wall anchor for the right job, take the time to drill the right-sized hole, and it is possible to successfully hang “anything with a hole in it that you need to,” said Newtown Hardware owner Michael Sorrentino.

Wall anchors are a means of securely mounting an item to a wall between studs. A plastic or metal anchor pounded into a predrilled hole expands inside the wall when a screw is tightened into it. “Mostly, anchors are used in dry wall,” said Mr Sorrentino. “If you do it right, you can pull on it and that thing is not going to move,” he said.

One item that does not need a wall anchor for hanging, though, is a picture. “People insist on using anchors, and it’s overkill. Use a picture hanger,” recommended Mr Sorrentino. “A little nail goes in at an angle and doesn’t damage the wall. They are perfectly safer for even the largest picture most homeowners will ever hang,” he explained.

Wall anchors are mostly too damaging to the wall to ever remove once inserted. They should be used for items like wall or ceiling plant hangers, heavy-duty clothes hooks, or to fasten shelves to walls.

The plastic anchor is the most common of four types of wall anchors, said Mr Sorrentino. Drill the proper size hole as indicated on the anchor package, tap the plastic anchor into the wall with a hammer or rubber mallet, then tighten in the screw. As the screw is tightened, the anchor expands inside of the wall. Plastic anchors are appropriate for items weighing up to 15 pounds.

The E-Z anchor is gaining in popularity, mainly because this anchor, while leaving a larger hole than a nail, is removable, Mr Sorrentino said. There is also no hole to predrill. Push and tighten the plastic anchor into the wall using a Phillips head screwdriver, then tighten in the screw. The E-Z anchor will hold up to 50 pounds.

The molly bolt is a little more trouble, but is the right anchor for items weighing up to 80 pounds, said Mr Sorrentino. Tap the entire anchor and screw unit into the drilled hole. Tighten the screw to expand the wings inside the wall. Then, unscrew the screw a bit back, and use it as the mounting screw. The molly bolt should be considered permanently installed in the wall.

For items weighing up to 120 pounds, the toggle bolt is the anchor needed, and is also the hardest to use. “When you put it in the wall, everything has to be assembled on it, including the item to be hung up,” stressed Mr Sorrentino. Fold the “wings” on the bolt and insert it into the drilled hole as a unit. Once it is inside the wall, the wings will open up, creating the strong brace. It is possible to remove the toggle bolt. Unscrew it, and the wings will drop off inside the wall. The bolt can then be removed and the hole patched.

Anchor bolts are great when the proper one is selected for the job, Mr Sorrentino said. To see Mr Sorrentino demonstrate the use of wall anchors, view the video at newtownbee.com.