Artwork, shelving and other wall decors can make a huge difference to a space, and your walls shouldn’t hinder you from taking advantage of these items. Decorating drywall takes some planning, but.
How much weight the drywall is able to hold will depend on the location and method by which the weight is positioned. A single nail in drywall with hollow walls could leave a image frame on your floor however, use the proper tools and methods and your wall could support up to 100 pounds.
Wall Studs and Ceiling Joists
As flexible and robust however, it can be fragile and won’t be able to hold the weight that nails can, the way the wood, plaster or brick wall might. A nail made of drywall is able to hold just the weight of a couple of pounds and even then it’s not able to hold for long. A tiny picture frame will remain up for a few minutes but, in the end, the nail will break off or the drywall may crumble and the nail will fall.
In lieu of hanging the décor in a hollow area of drywall, try to place it on an affixed wall. Wall studs are vertical framing elements that are placed between 16 and 24 inches in front of your wall. If you don’t own an stud locater to locate studs, you can do so by tapping the wall along a horizontal line until you can hear a clear sound instead of the typical hollow sound.
The weight you are able to hang from the stud is contingent on the stud’s size and what you use it to hang it with. An 1 1/2-in (4d) nail driven at an upward angle of 45 degrees could hold up to 20 pounds. This is enough for a small to medium-sized picture frame, or even a tiny lamp for the walls or even a potter. If you’re planning to hang an 8×10 inch framed photograph, a lamp for night, or a stylish tillandsia planter using a nail inside the studs will do perfectly.
Screws provide even more capacity for holding, and a few screw sizes of #4 or greater can support up to 100 pounds when inserted into the wall stud. For instance, you could have a three-foot shelf that weighs 20 pounds, or one foot of books that are average size which weigh about 20 pounds for each foot.
This is a total of 40 pounds, however the screws that are properly that are driven into studs will not have problem securing this weight onto walls made of drywall. Select screws that can go through 1 inch of the stud. If they’re less, they won’t stick to the wood, but any greater than that puts the screws in danger of harm.
Ceilings are an entirely different issue, because of the direct downward pulling of gravity. The typical 2×4 ceiling joists cannot safely support more than about fifteen to twenty pounds, regardless of the hardware for hanging you install. A 5-inch flower pot that has the weight of water, soil, and a plant will easily exceed the weight. It’s also the typical weight of a tiny ceiling fan, but they require a special type of reinforcement because of the pressure they create.
By using 2×6 and 2×8 joists you’ll be able hang heavier, but for any weight greater than 30 pounds, you’ll have to brace the joists , and perhaps to double the size. Installing 2×4 blocks behind the ceiling joints can be a good option to boost their capacity to bear loads.
You can’t find a stud when you’re in need of one? You’ll still be able to put a heavier object on the drywall however, you’ll require specialized hangers to do it in a safe manner.
Bolts and Anchors Bolts
The toggle and drywall anchors provide hangers which provide additional holding power to screws. Through increasing the area the screw has to hold onto the drywall they produce pressure that helps to brace the screw and anchor against the wall. To make use of this tool it is necessary to first place the anchor bolt or toggle bolt into the wall, and then insert the screw.
A variety of anchor types are available, and choosing the best anchor for your needs will depend in large part on how much weight you’d like to hang. The anchor’s holding capacity is usually listed on the package. The anchor’s holding capacity must meet or surpass what weight is required by the object that you plan to put up. The location is also important. For ceilings, only use toggle bolts or molly bolts.
Beyond that the anchor’s packaging must include a list of the different thicknesses of drywall it is able to utilize. The majority of home drywall is 1/8 inch thick, however, if the studs are spaced 24 inches apart, a more substantial 5/8-inch drywall can be employed.
Selecting the Best Hardware
Expanding anchors also known as plugs for drywall, these are able to be used to hold up to 25 pounds of weight on walls, according to their dimensions, but they’re not ideal for ceilings. Wall-mounted products such as towel racks are often fitted with wall plugs made of plastic, however for those who require dependable holding capacity then you’ll need to be with a stronger type of anchor.
Anchors with threaded connections are more robust than expansion anchors, they can be used to hold up or 75 pounds however they shouldn’t be installed for ceilings. They’re less difficult to install than expansion anchors since they do not require the pilot hole.
Sleeve-type anchors (molly bolts) – These can support between 25 and 50 weight on the wall. On ceilings, they could be used to hold smaller items like light bulbs or smoke alarms weighing less than 10 ounces. The right dimension for the thickness of your drywall is crucial since a molly bolt that is too large will not be able to hold securely.
Bolts for toggles (butterfly anchors) – For serious holding power These are the most reliable option. While the power of the plastic toggles is around 20 pounds, the metal toggles can hold as much as 100 pounds for walls. They’re the most suitable option for ceilings. However, in this instance the toggle bolts only have 1/3 the power of holding they have for walls and they’re unable to reliably hold more than 15 pounds.
They’re more challenging to set up than other anchors since they have to be placed through the holes in your pilot in a correct manner in order to allow for the opening to the walls. If you’re planning to install anything greater than fifteen pounds to your ceiling then you’ll need to secure the ceiling beam that’s well-constructed and strengthened.
Drywall can appear fragile however it’s capable of supporting almost anything you wish to hang on your walls as long that you hang it in a proper manner. Utilize the wall’s studs whenever you can however, if you can’t the use of drywall anchors can give you the additional stability that you require to hang your shelves, photos and plants.
