I've noticed that drywall screws are ok for most things, but what's the best approach for something heavy? I was not able to drill all the way into the wall with the equipment I have. Are there any safety considerations such as avoiding electrical components? This would be on an interior wall, not concrete. Thanks!
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This is a great question Josh, and one I think a lot of folks have been thinking about since they moved in. Thanks for kicking off the Ask Advice section!
Our walls are a hollow wall construction built with metal heavy gauge studs and drywall (likely 1/2 inch or 3/8 drywall). Studs in Canada are generally placed 16 inches on centre apart.
*Slight edit to this that though most walls are hollow wall construction, some folks actually have one or two walls in their unit that is just concrete, without any drywall on it. If you have a solid concrete wall, regular wall plugs should work ok for you, I have used those plugs in concrete in the past and have been very successful. It really depends on the quality of the concrete, and make sure you don't drill the hole too big, a small hole is better with the plug jammed in tight.
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/paulin--8-12-x-1-1-4-inch-plastic-wall-plug-with-screw-225pcs/1001076211
When hanging something heavy on a hollow wall construction your best bet is to always sink a few screws into the studs if you can. Normally a metal stud will not hold much weight, but the heavy gauge they used in construction for this building will hold quite a bit. It’s estimated that each screw into a stud will hold about 100 pounds.
If your TV mount has many holes, and some of the holes will line up to a metal stud, I would sink a few screws into the metal studs. Hold up your TV mount where you want it and mark the holes for mounting. If you can line some up with studs, pre drill a small hole in the stud and then use a metal screw to drive through and fasten the mount to the wall. Something like this will work:
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/paulin--6-x-1-inch-pan-head-square-drive-steel-metal-screws-zinc-plated-100pcs/1000139710
If you aren’t wanting to pre-drill a 1/8 hole in the stud you can also try self drilling metal screws. If you get good ones they work amazing.. however, if you end up with cheap ones they are useless. Something like this should be ok:
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/paulin--8-x-1-inch-head-hex-washer-drive-steel-metal-screws-self-drilling-zinc-plated-100pcs/1000140232
To find the metal studs, you can just use a strong magnet and slide it along the wall. When it feels the strongest on the wall, that is likely the centre of the stud. Put tape on the magnet so you don’t mark your wall.
For the holes that do not line up with the metal studs or if your TV mount is not lining up with any stud at all, you have a few other options to choose from. You also might find that the studs in your unit are not as heavy a gauge as the studs in my unit, which there is a small chance could happen depending on supply of products at the time of build or the architecture of the building.
Your other options for hollow wall heavy item hanging are toggle bolts or drywall anchors. There is a variety of these available but I’ll just show you the two I might choose.
The toggle bolt option is not my favourite because you need to make a larger hole in the wall for the bolt, and if you want to move your TV or someone decides it is in the wrong spot, you have some pretty big holes to deal with.. not a huge deal.. but annoying. Though each toggle bolt will hold 150 pounds or more.. in ideal conditions with the right bolt and drywall thickness you might get up to 500 pounds per bolt! Thats a lot of weight. In our scenario you might get 200 pounds per bolt. A toggle bolt like this would work:
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/paulin-1-4x3-toggle-bolts-2pcs/1000409794
To install a toggle bolt you need to pre drill a hole in the drywall. Push the part through that collapses into the shaft of the bolt. When it is through it will spring out and the friction of the drywall will hold it still, allowing you to screw the bolt down and tighten your TV mount against the wall. You will need to fasten them to the tv mount before they are pushed into the wall though. Unless your TV mount has elongated holes that allow you to slip the head of the bolt over.
If you don’t want to go the toggle bolt route the last option is drywall anchors, the small ones you usually use are no good for this, you need something with more hold. I have used these often and they will hold about 100 pounds each. They make a little less of a mess than toggle bolts, but there is still clean up if you want to move the TV later. These are my ideal drywall fasteners and I use them a lot. They are also used by professional cabinet installers, so a good bet if you go this route. I also find them very easy to work with.
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/e-z-ancor---8-twist-n-lock-tm-self-drilling-drywall-anchor-in-nylon-with-screw-225-pcs/1001076379
These can be screwed into the wall using a regular screw driver twisting themselves into the drywall sheet. You then thread your screw right into them. I find they screw in better with a small 1/4 inch or smaller pilot hole.
As far as the electrical question, it is generally not an issue, the electrical components are pretty well protected in the wall. I have never really considered it and I have installed hundreds of things. Just don’t put screws into the wall within 12 inches of a plug or switch, the wires will be more secure there and there is a higher chance you could puncture one.
The internet tells me a 60 inch flat screen TV weights about 100 pounds, add the weight of your mount, maybe 30-50 pounds and your total weight is maybe 150 or 200 pounds on the very high end. This tells us that two screws in a stud would cover it, only one toggle bolt would hold it or two self drilling drywall anchors. At the minimum.
The rule I use is, the fastener I use should hold at least twice the weight of what it needs to hold. This will cover you for any anchor failures or install mistakes on any screws. It also helps when someone decides to lean on your TV mount.. So use double the hardware (or more) in the examples I used above and you will be more than fine. I would use at least 3 toggle bolts, at least four/five screws in a mix of studs and/or hollow drywall. Depending on your TV, mount size and location of course..
Hope this helps!
Anthony