The right anchors for our walls


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Old 06-21-21, 03:33 PM
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The right anchors for our walls

I need to start putting things up on the walls in our new apartment we've moved to and a couple of light duty things were easy enough but I have to put up some shelves and things now that are 20 pounds and more and I feel like I need to have a better sense of what these walls are made of. I saw online that peeking behind a light switch could be useful but you'll see in the photos that it was hard to see much. Some other holes where cables pass were more telling.

Sadly I don't know a lot about this, but I can tell you with the few holes I've made for light duty things like I said (a small mirror, a little kitchen shelf) the walls are really sturdy, they don't crumble like that cardboard-y drywall in modern apartments. I can also tell you these walls are all original from 1931 if that helps place the material. The drill holes were super clean, the wall feels about an inch thick and hollow behind.

So if any of you with more expertise than me could help me out with identifying the walls and then what my anchor options are. Most things will be 10-20 lbs but I do have a 35lb wood framed mirror that we'd like to put up again in this new place. A hardware store salesperson told me to use the anchors that are beige and drill themselves into the wall that you then screw into but I don't see how that kind would ever be able to cut into these walls.

Thanks for any advice!





 
  #2  
Old 06-21-21, 04:57 PM
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The only type of wall anchor I trust is toggle bolts. Plastic anchors are junk and even molly bolts can work themselves loose over time with any weight on them.
 
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Old 06-21-21, 06:22 PM
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Based on the age I'd imagine it's going to be plaster over probably wooden lathe.
Using a flashlight.... look in the holes where there are wires passing thru. See if you can see wood.
Toggles are a good choice. They require a hole to be drilled for the toggle to be inserted.
Those screw in type anchors are designed for sheet rock only. They won't work here.

Sometimes you can screw thru the plaster and directly into the wood lathe.
 
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Old 06-22-21, 03:41 AM
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There are studs behind the plaster and lath. In my opinion, the studs are the best anchor for hanging anything. The studs are usually 16 inches on center so once you locate one stud by knocking on the wall, measure to locate the others. Using a drill bit whose length is longer than the thickness of the plaster and lath and the correct diameter for the fastener to fasten, drill through the plaster/lath into the stud. Attach the hanger with the fastener.
 
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Old 06-22-21, 04:09 AM
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Toggle bolts are the way to go. They are easy to install and will hold more weight than most other wall anchors.
 
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Old 06-22-21, 12:03 PM
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What I don't understand with Toggle Bolts thought is how you know which length of the screw part to buy for any part of the wall when you don't know how deep it is in there? What if you buy a toggle bolt and the butterfly bit goes in but the screw is way too long and won't go through the lathe?
 
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Old 06-22-21, 12:44 PM
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The toggle bolts are long..... 3, 4, 5". You need the bolt to be long enough so that the butterfly can go thru, clear the lathe and snap open. For lathe..... use 4-5". Longer is better. You'll need to drill a 3/8" - 1/2" hole thru the plaster and the lathe based on size of toggle used. You can use 3/16" diameter for most hanging jobs. 1/4" would be considered HD.
Toggle bolt use
 
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Old 06-23-21, 10:30 AM
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If you have wood studs and can find them you can screw into the studs. Plaster about 1/2" no strength then probably wood lath 3/8" some strength if you happen to hit in the middle of the lath then whatever you are hanging. BE SURE TO HAVE A LONG ENOUGH SCREW TO GET INTO THE STUD after all the superfluous material and your object. With toggles you can put the hole anywhere except into the stud.
If this apartment is in a commercial building maybe, just maybe you have metal lath and plaster. Toggles are the best in this case. Light weight objects that pull down a wall, not out of it could be hung with wall dogs in plaster with metal lath. You know immediately when they fail and if they don't fail will hold well.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-8-P...ded/1000142883
 
 

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