7 Drywall Anchors and How to Install Each One

If you have ever hung something “lightweight” that immediately turned your drywall into confetti, welcome. Drywall is great at its job, but it is not great at holding weight by itself. The fix is simple: match the right anchor to the job, install it cleanly, and do not ask a hollow wall to do a stud’s work.

Below are seven anchor types I actually use, what they are good for, and exactly how to install each one. I’ll also be honest about the part most packaging glosses over: the number on the box is usually a best-case scenario.

Before you choose an anchor

• Find a stud first. If a stud is available, use a wood screw into the stud and skip the anchor. Anchors are Plan B, not a lifestyle.
• Know your wall thickness. Most homes have 1/2" drywall. Some have 5/8". Plaster is a different animal. Anchor ratings usually assume standard drywall unless stated.
• Think about load direction. A picture frame mostly pulls down (shear). A towel bar or coat hook often pulls out (tension), which is harder on anchors.
• Think about leverage. Deep shelves, cantilevered brackets, and anything that sticks far off the wall turns “downward weight” into pull-out force. The farther it sticks out, the worse it gets.
• Use a small pilot hole when you can. It reduces drywall blowout and helps anchors go in straight.

Tools that make this easier

• Stud finder (or a strong magnet)
• Drill/driver and bits
• #2 Phillips bit, and sometimes a flathead
• Awl or nail for a starter divot
• Tape measure and level
• Painter’s tape (for marking and reducing paper tear-out)

Safety note: Any time you drill into walls, you are playing hide-and-seek with wires and plumbing. Avoid anchoring near outlets and switches, and be extra cautious on kitchen and bathroom walls where pipes live.

Tile, skim coat, and other “hard surfaces” note: If you are drilling through tile over drywall or a plaster skim coat, go slower, use the right bit (often masonry or tile), and do not lean on the drill like it owes you money. Then choose an anchor that is actually designed for the wall behind that surface.

Quick cheat sheet

Use this as a starting point, then follow the install steps for the anchor you pick. These “typical holds” assume decent 1/2" drywall in good condition and are mostly in shear unless noted. Tension and leverage can cut these numbers fast.

Important: These ranges are not promises. Brand, screw size, drywall thickness, and wall condition matter. Old, crumbly, water-damaged, or previously patched drywall can cut capacity dramatically. When in doubt, go up an anchor type, spread the load across more fasteners, shorten the lever arm, or move to a stud.

1) Plastic expansion plugs

What it is: A simple plastic sleeve that expands as the screw goes in.

Where I use it: Lightweight mirrors, small frames, smoke detector brackets, little wall organizers.

Typical hold: Roughly 10 to 15 lb in shear in good 1/2" drywall with a well-fit hole. In tension, treat it like light-duty.

How to install

1. Mark your hole. Use a level if it’s anything with two holes.
2. Drill the correct size hole. The package usually lists a bit size. If not, choose a bit that matches the plug’s body diameter (not the flange).
3. Tap the plug in. It should be snug. If it slides in with zero resistance, the hole is too big and the plug will spin.
4. Drive the screw. Stop when the fixture is tight. Over-tightening can strip the drywall paper and the plug will lose grip.

Pro tip: If the plug spins, back the screw out, pull the plug, and step up to a threaded anchor or toggle. Do not keep “sending it.” Drywall always loses that argument.

2) Hammer-in anchors

What it is: A light-duty plastic anchor you tap in, then drive the included screw.

Where I use it: Super light stuff where failure is not a disaster, like a small cable clip or a lightweight sign.

Typical hold: 5 to 10 lb in shear. In tension, assume less.

How to install

1. Pre-drill a small hole if the packaging calls for it. (Some are “no drill,” but drywall paper tears easier that way.)
2. Tap the anchor in until flush with the wall.
3. Drive the screw until snug.

My honest take: These are quick, but they are the first anchors I retire when something feels even slightly “not that light.”

3) Threaded anchors (plastic)

What it is: A larger plastic anchor with aggressive threads that bites into drywall. Often sold as “self-drilling” or “no pre-drill.”

Where I use it: Coat hooks (light coats), small floating shelves (decor only), curtain rod brackets when studs are not available.

Typical hold: Around 15 to 25 lb in shear in decent drywall. In tension or with leverage, treat it as less.

How to install

1. Make a starter dimple. Press an awl or nail into the drywall to keep the anchor from wandering.
2. Drive the anchor in slowly. Use a screwdriver or a drill on low torque. Keep it straight.
3. Stop when the flange is flush. If you keep going, you will chew out a crater and the anchor will get loose.
4. Insert the screw through your bracket and drive it into the anchor until snug.

Failure mode to watch: If the anchor starts to auger the drywall and never tightens, the wall is too soft or the hole got oversized. Switch to a molly or toggle.

4) Threaded anchors (metal)

What it is: A metal version of the threaded drywall anchor, usually zinc or steel, sometimes called a “metal EZ anchor.”

Where I use it: Medium-duty fixtures like heavier hooks, small wall-mounted racks, and items that get tugged on.

Typical hold: Often 20 to 40 lb in shear in real drywall for common sizes. Some setups can do more, but tension and leverage are where people get surprised.

How to install

1. Check for plaster. These are for drywall. If your wall is plaster, pre-drill and consider a different anchor.
2. Start the tip in a small dimple so it doesn’t skate.
3. Drive it in with a drill on low torque or by hand. If you feel it suddenly get easy, stop and reassess.
4. Run the screw in with the fixture in place, then tighten until secure.

My rule: The anchor is not a lug nut. Tight is good. Hulk-tight is how drywall turns into dust.

5) Molly bolts

What it is: A metal sleeve that expands behind the drywall as you tighten the screw, creating a clamped backside grip.

Where I use it: Towel bars, toilet paper holders, hand towel rings, and fixtures that see regular use.

Typical hold: 25 to 50 lb in shear, sometimes more depending on size and wall condition. Still, repeated yanking is its own kind of load.

How to install

1. Drill the specified hole size. Mollies require an accurate hole. Too small and you can deform the sleeve or blow out the face paper while forcing it. Too big and it spins.
2. Insert the anchor sleeve. Some have little teeth that bite the drywall paper. Seat it flush.
3. Snug the screw to set the anchor. As you tighten, the sleeve collapses and flares behind the drywall.
4. Remove the screw if you need to place a bracket over it, then reinsert through the bracket and tighten.

Tip: In a normal finished room, mollies are a nice middle ground when you want better hold than a threaded anchor without the bigger toggle-bolt hole.

6) Toggle bolts

What it is: A machine screw with spring-loaded wings that open up behind the drywall and spread the load over a wide area.

Where I use it: Heavy mirrors, larger fixtures, and anything where you want maximum strength in a hollow wall.

Typical hold: 50 to 100+ lb in shear depending on toggle size and drywall condition. The drywall often becomes the limiting factor, not the toggle.

How to install

1. Choose the right bolt length. You need enough length to pass through the fixture, drywall, and still fully engage the wings.
2. Drill the required hole. Toggle bolts need a bigger hole than most anchors. Use painter’s tape to reduce paper tear-out.
3. Thread the wings onto the bolt. Make sure the wings open toward the bolt head (so they open behind the wall).
4. Push the wings through the hole. You will feel them pop open behind the drywall.
5. Pull back gently on the bolt while tightening. This seats the wings against the backside of the drywall.
6. Tighten until the fixture is secure. Stop when snug. Over-tightening can crush the drywall core.

One downside: If you remove the bolt later, the wings usually fall into the wall cavity. Not harmful, just something to know.

7) Strap toggles

What it is: A modern toggle where a metal channel flips behind the drywall, held in place by plastic straps. You then install a machine screw into the channel.

Where I use it: Heavy items like larger wall shelves and big mirrors when studs are not an option. If studs are available, use studs.

Typical hold: Often 75 to 150+ lb in shear depending on brand and size. That number gets less meaningful the moment you add leverage (deep shelves, pull-out loads, or anything that gets tugged).

How to install

1. Drill the hole size listed on the package.
2. Fold and insert the metal channel through the hole.
3. Pull the straps toward you so the channel seats flat against the backside of the drywall.
4. Slide the plastic collar tight to the wall while keeping tension on the straps.
5. Snap the straps off at the wall surface.
6. Install the fixture using the provided machine screw into the metal channel.

Why people like these: You get toggle strength without wrestling spring wings while holding a bracket, a level, and your patience.

When not to use anchors

• Grab bars and body-weight handholds: Do not mount these into drywall with anchors. Not toggles, not mollies, not “heavy duty” anything. These need studs or solid blocking, period.
• Heavy cabinets and upper shelving systems: If it can seriously hurt someone when it fails, treat anchors as a last resort and follow the manufacturer’s mounting requirements.
• TV mounts: Most mounts are designed for studs or specific substrates. Hollow-wall installs are manufacturer-specific and often not allowed. If a manufacturer does allow hollow-wall mounting, follow their instructions exactly and be extra cautious with tilting or cantilever mounts (torque is brutal).
• Over-the-range microwaves: Follow the installation manual. Most require a cabinet and wall attachment into framing or specified structural members. Do not freelance this one.

Install tips

• Do a paper check. If the drywall paper is bubbled, torn, or soft, move the anchor location a few inches.
• Stay at least 2 inches from edges (corners, window trim, cabinet sides) to reduce cracking and blowout.
• Use the right screw. Many anchors are engineered for the included screw. Swapping to a random screw can reduce hold or cause spinning.
• Do not overtighten. Most anchor failures are drywall failures caused by crushing gypsum or stripping paper.
• Spread the load. Two anchors are better than one for anything wide, like a shelf bracket rail.

Common questions

How much weight can drywall anchors hold?

It depends on anchor type, drywall condition, and whether the load pulls down (shear) or out (tension). As a rule: plastic expansion plugs are light-duty, threaded anchors are medium-duty, and toggles are heavy-duty. If something will be yanked on, leaned on, or slammed (like a coat hook near the door), treat it like a heavier load than it weighs. And if it sticks far off the wall, assume leverage is working against you.

Can I use drywall anchors in plaster?

Some can, but plaster likes to crack and crumble, and it often has lath behind it. Pre-drill carefully, go slow, and consider toggles that grab behind the wall. When in doubt, test in an inconspicuous spot or use a specialty plaster anchor.

What if I drilled the hole too big?

For a small oops: step up to a larger anchor size, or switch to a toggle or strap toggle that uses a larger hole anyway. If it is in a visible spot and you are relocating the hardware, patch the bad hole with spackle, let it dry, sand, then touch up paint.

Do I need anchors for curtain rods?

If you can hit studs, do that. If not, I like metal threaded anchors or toggles depending on the rod and curtain weight. Curtains get tugged, so choose an anchor that handles repeated movement.

My quick pick list

• Light picture frames: Plastic expansion plug
• Medium hook or small shelf: Metal threaded anchor (or go up to a toggle if it sticks out)
• Bathroom accessories: Molly bolt (or toggles if the accessory gets tugged)
• Heavy mirror: Toggle bolt or strap toggle

If you tell me what you’re hanging, how far it sticks out from the wall, and whether you can hit a stud, I can help you choose the best anchor type and size without overbuying a box of “maybe.”