Wallboard Anchor
Product Description of Drywall Anchors
Want to hang things on drywall? You need Drywall Anchors!
When you want to hang picture frames, shelves, small cabinets, or even TVs securely on drywall? Simply screwing screws in won’t work, as the drywall itself is too soft to handle the force. That’s where Drywall Anchors come in. These little gadgets come in a variety of types: plastic expansion bolts that simply screw in are the most common and most affordable; self-drilling plastic anchors that require drilling and then inserting are better at bearing weight; for hanging important things like TVs, you’ll need metal wing anchors or spiral anchors, which expand or tighten behind the drywall to form a solid support point.
Their core feature is that they are designed specifically for drywall, using a clever physical structure (expansion, opening, spiraling) to distribute the weight over a larger area of the drywall, preventing the screws from being pulled out directly. The advantages are obvious: installation is usually simple (many can be done by hand or with a screwdriver), there is no need to find the wall studs behind (the position is more flexible), and it can provide a reliable load-bearing capacity far exceeding that of direct screwing, allowing you to hang things with more peace of mind. Choose the right type and load-bearing level, and everything from photo frames and mirrors to TVs and wall cabinets can find a stable support on the gypsum board wall. Don't be fooled by its small size, it can be very useful!
Types Of Drywall Anchors
Butterfly Drywall Anchor
Sinsun's butterfly wall plugs are usually made of metal + plastic. The core lies in its unique design: when installing, you need to drill a hole of the right size in the gypsum board and insert the "body" part of the anchor into it. When you start to tighten the matching screws, the anchor wings will automatically open and tighten on the back of the gypsum board, just like a butterfly spreading its wings, tightly "hugging" the inside of the gypsum board.
Heavy Duty DryWall Anchor
Sinsun's Heavy Duty Drywall Anchor: Designed for hanging medium to heavy items (such as TVs, large mirrors, and bookcases). Usually made of metal, it greatly distributes the weight to the back of the drywall or cavity through strong expansion, toggle wing expansion, or deep thread bite mechanism, providing a load-bearing capacity far exceeding that of ordinary anchors (often up to 50-150+ pounds).
Ceiling Drywall Anchor
Want to hang something safely on the ceiling plasterboard? Ceiling anchors are key!Sinsun's ceiling plasterboard anchors are designed specifically for this purpose. They are usually stronger than those used on walls, and are designed to take into account the downward pull of gravity. When installed, they expand behind the plasterboard, or have special barbs or threads that can tightly fix the plasterboard to resist the downward pull
Self Tapping Drywall Anchors
Sinsun's These anchors have a drill-like tip and coarse threads that can be screwed directly into the drywall with a screwdriver without pre-drilling. As they are screwed in, the tip pierces the wall and the threads cut a channel into the drywall to create a grip. Used to quickly install light to medium-weight items (such as picture frames, small shelves, hooks)
Drywall Self Drilling Anchors
Sinsun's self drilling drywall anchor is a fastener designed for fixing items on hollow gypsum board walls. its drill-like sharp tip and thick threads, which can be screwed directly into the gypsum board with a screwdriver without pre-drilling.the thick threads cut into the gypsum board material to form a tightly engaged threaded channel. It is mainly used to hang light to medium items such as picture frames, small lamps, shelves, hooks
Metal Drywall Anchors
Sinsun's Metal Drywall Anchors: Refers to drywall anchors made of metal, covering heavy-duty types. Its core advantages are high strength and good durability. Common types include self-tapping threaded anchors, expansion anchors that require pre-drilling, and toggle bolts. The main purpose is to provide a more reliable and heavier-bearing fixing point, suitable for scenes where heavy or important items need to be safely hung.
Plastic Anchors And Screws
Sinsun's Plastic Anchors And Screws: The most common economical solution for lightweight hanging (picture frames, small shelves, hooks). Plastic anchor bolts need to be drilled in the drywall before being inserted. When the matching screws are screwed in, the anchor bolts expand and get stuck in the gypsum board, providing grip for the screws. The advantages are cheap and easy to install, but the load-bearing capacity is limited (usually <50 pounds)
Blue Drywall Anchors
Blue: Usually medium size/load-bearing (such as 1/4 inch, load-bearing about 30-50 pounds), used for medium items (such as slightly larger picture frames, small shelves)
Expanding Drywall Anchor
Sinsun's Expanding Drywall Anchor is general term for a type of anchor bolt that describes its working principle. When the screws are screwed in, the anchor bolt body (plastic or metal) will expand radially and tightly support the inner side of the gypsum board hole wall to obtain fixing force. It has a wide range of uses, covering suspension needs from light (plastic expansion bolts) to medium and heavy (heavy metal expansion bolts), and is one of the most mainstream working principles.
White Drywall Anchors
White: Usually smaller size/lowest load-bearing (such as #6 or 1/8 inch, load-bearing about 10-25 pounds), used for the lightest items (such as small picture frames, hooks, decorations).
Toggle Anchor Bolts
Sinsun's A heavy-duty metal anchor. Consists of a bolt, nut, and foldable metal wings (butterfly). When installed, a larger hole is drilled and the folded wings are fed into the cavity behind the wall. When the bolt is tightened, the wings unfold behind the wall, providing maximum support area and extremely high load-bearing capacity (often over 100 pounds). Used to hang very heavy items (such as TVs, large cabinets).
Yellow Drywall Anchors
Yellow: Usually larger size/higher load-bearing (such as 5/16 inch, load-bearing about 50-75 pounds), used for heavier medium-sized items (such as larger shelves, mirrors). Core use: Provides an economical and simple solution to fix light to medium-weight items
Product Size of Expansion Raws Plugs & Screws
Product Use of Wallboard Anchor
Wall Anchors For Drywall
Drywall anchors are small devices designed to reliably fix objects on gypsum board (drywall). They allow thin drywall to bear a certain amount of weight and are an indispensable helper for hanging things at home.
- Fix light equipment brackets:Install a router bracket at home, or install a night light/reading light bracket at the head of the bedroom bed away from the bed frame
- Support the hanging rod system:When installing curtain rods or shower curtain rods, especially longer rods or hanging heavy curtains, certain types of heavy-duty drywall anchors (such as threaded anchors, umbrella anchors) can form sufficient support surfaces in the drywall
- Temporary fixing solutions:If you want to hang a towel rack (not in the bathroom on the load-bearing wall), a key hook board, a small bulletin board, a lightweight decorative grid (hanging photos/green plants), drywall anchors provide almost the only reliable option
Drywall Anchors For Shelves
Anchor bolts can make drywalls "sturdier", but they are only suitable for small shelves for light items! For large bookshelves and large shelves for heavy items, you must find wall bones (wooden pillars) and fix them directly with long screws. Before choosing anchor bolts, be sure to see how much it can bear
- Small bookshelf/display shelf: A small shelf for placing ornaments, photo frames, green plants or a dozen books, use suitable anchor bolts to fix the bracket
- Small kitchen/bathroom shelf: Place small items such as seasoning bottles, toiletries, and scented candles that are not too heavy
- Entrance key rack/small storage board: A place where you can put keys, change, and small bags when you get home. Use light anchor bolts to fix a narrow board, which is convenient and practical.
- Small bedside partition: Don't want to use a bulky bedside table? Install a narrow board to place mobile phones, glasses, and bedtime readings, and use anchor bolts to fix it. It is completely sufficient.
Toggle Anchors For Tv Mount
Drywall anchors are small devices designed to reliably fix objects on gypsum board (drywall). They allow thin drywall to bear a certain amount of weight and are an indispensable helper for hanging things at home.
- Fix light equipment brackets:Install a router bracket at home, or install a night light/reading light bracket at the head of the bedroom bed away from the bed frame
- Support the hanging rod system:When installing curtain rods or shower curtain rods, especially longer rods or hanging heavy curtains, certain types of heavy-duty drywall anchors (such as threaded anchors, umbrella anchors) can form sufficient support surfaces in the drywall
- Temporary fixing solutions:If you want to hang a towel rack (not in the bathroom on the load-bearing wall), a key hook board, a small bulletin board, a lightweight decorative grid (hanging photos/green plants), drywall anchors provide almost the only reliable option
Drywall Anchors For Hanging Pictures
When we hang a picture frame with a certain weight, if the position is not on the wall stud, it is very likely to tear the thin drywall and break the picture. At this time, choose the right drywall anchor bolt with appropriate load-bearing capacity and insert it into the hole you drilled. Once the screw is tightened, the weight of the picture frame is distributed to a larger area of the wallboard.
- Hanging a picture frame with glass or fragile materials:This kind of painting is most afraid of falling, and requires higher reliability of fixation. On the drywall, use a good quality anchor bolt (such as plastic wing/butterfly anchor bolt, heavy-duty self-tapping anchor bolt) to fix the hook
- Hanging decorative paintings on the gypsum board partition wall:Many study rooms and bedroom partition walls are made purely of gypsum boards. For this kind of scene that purely relies on the strength of drywall, lightweight plastic expansion anchor bolts are the first choice.
- Hanging paintings on soft gypsum boards in old houses:The wall itself is a bit loose. Choose anchor bolts with strong bite force and less damage to surrounding materials (such as fine-threaded metal anchors) to provide more reliable grip in relatively fragile drywalls
Wall Anchors For Metal Studs
Mechanical locking: Mechanical interlocking is formed by thread cutting (Self-Drilling/ Tapping), clip opening (Toggle), physical penetration or stuck on the thin steel keel, rather than relying on expansion friction.
- Fixing equipment on office partition walls: Installing flat-panel display stands, phone stands, network equipment boxes, small whiteboards, bulletin boards, signboards, wall-mounted lockers, etc.
- Installing bathroom hardware in apartment/hotel bathrooms: Installing towel racks, toilet paper racks, bathroom shelves, bathrobe hooks, small mirrors, etc.
- Fixing interior decorative components and light ceilings:Install decorative lines, small wall-mounted sculptures, light art installations, curtain boxes, or some light ceiling keels/edges that need to be hung on the wall.
Product Video of plastic wall anchors
Wallboard Anchor Installation Instructions
Core principles: choose the right anchor, make the hole right, and pay attention to the strength!
What you need to prepare:
- Choose the right Wallboard Anchor: Choose according to the weight of the item you want to hang and the type of anchor (plastic expansion, self-drilling, butterfly, threaded, etc.). The packaging will indicate the load-bearing capacity and the required drilling size!
- Electric drill or hand drill: Used to drill holes in gypsum boards.
- Drill bit: The size must strictly match the hole diameter required by the anchor you choose (usually slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the anchor). Common sizes include 1/4 inch (6mm), 3/16 inch (5mm), etc. If you are not sure, look at the packaging instructions!
- Phillips screwdriver or electric screwdriver: Used to screw in the anchor and finally fix the item.
- Screws: Usually the anchor will be provided with screws of the right size. If not, the screw diameter should match the inner hole of the anchor, and the length should be able to pass through the anchor and penetrate at least 1/4 inch (6mm).
- Tape measure/level (optional but recommended): For accurate positioning.
- Hammer (required for some anchors): For gently tapping the anchor in.
- Detector: Extremely important! Always detect whether there are wires, pipes, or studs behind the drilling location before drilling. If you hit the stud, just fix it with long wood screws without anchors! If you detect wires and pipes, definitely avoid them!
Installation steps:
- Location and marking:Determine the exact location where you want to install the object and mark it with a pencil.Use the detector again to confirm that there are no wires, pipes, or studs behind the marked point. Make sure it is in a pure drywall cavity.
- Drilling:Select the correct size drill bit and install it in the electric drill/hand drill.Drill a hole at the marked point, perpendicular to the wall, and smoothly.
- Depth: The drilling depth should be slightly deeper than the length of the anchor (about 1/8 inch/3mm deep). This ensures that the anchor bolt is fully inserted into the hole and will not be pushed out due to the shallow hole.
- Action: Use a gentle and even speed to avoid the drill bit shaking in the hole and expanding the hole. If the hole is too large, the anchor bolt will not be able to bear the force! Stop when you feel the resistance suddenly decreases (drilling through the drywall) at the back.
- Cleaning the hole (optional but recommended):Gently blow off or use a small brush to clean the gypsum powder in the hole. A clean hole allows the anchor bolt to make better contact.
Install the anchor bolt :
A. Plastic expansion anchor bolt (most common cone and umbrella shape):
Align the tip of the anchor bolt with the hole.
Use your thumb or a hammer to gently knock it into the hole until the outer edge (flange edge) of the anchor bolt is flush with the wall or slightly lower than the wall. Do not use too much force to crack the drywall! It is OK when you feel that you can no longer knock it and the outer edge is against the wall.
B. Self-tapping anchor (plastic or metal with threaded tip):
Align the tip of the anchor with the hole.
Use a Phillips screwdriver or electric screwdriver (on low speed) to slowly thread it directly into the hole. Let it cut through the drywall to form threads.
Tighten until the outer edge of the anchor is flush with the wall. Do not force it!
C. Toggle bolt:
Tuck the wings together and carefully push it all the way through the hole you made and into the cavity behind the wall.
Once you feel the wings pass through the hole, gently pull on the exposed bolt or sleeve. You will feel resistance (the wings are opening behind the wall).
The body of the anchor (the wings) should now be behind the wall, with the bolt/sleeve exposed. Pull the anchor tight so that its flange is against the wall.
D. Threaded anchor (common metal, such as E-Z Ancor):
Align the anchor with the hole.
Use a screwdriver or special installation tool to screw it into the hole. It will tap into the gypsum board like a screw.
Screw it until the threaded part of the anchor is completely inserted into the gypsum board and the head flange is close to the wall.
Fix the object:
Align the object to be fixed (hook, bracket, etc.) with the mounting hole.
Take the matching or appropriately sized screw, pass it through the mounting hole of the object, and screw it into the center of the installed anchor.
Use a screwdriver or electric screwdriver (low gear, control the force) to tighten the screw gradually.
Key: Tighten the screw until it feels strong and the object is stable and does not shake. Never tighten it hard! Over-tightening can cause:
Plastic anchors expand excessively and crack the gypsum board.
Screws slip.
Twist the entire anchor in the hole and it will completely fail!
Check:
Gently shake or pull down the fixed object with your hand to feel whether it is firm. Make sure there is no looseness or abnormal noise.
FAQ
1. Q: How much weight can this anchor bolt hang? Is what is written on the package reliable?
A: The package load-bearing capacity is the vertical static force test value under an ideal laboratory environment, for reference only! In reality, you have to make a discount:
50%-70% discount: The actual safe load-bearing capacity is recommended to be calculated at 50%-70% of the package value. For example, if it is marked as 50 pounds, it can only hang 25-35 pounds at most.
Consider dynamic forces: door vibration, children pulling, pets bumping, impact of picking up and putting items... These dynamic forces far exceed the weight of the items.
Gypsum board condition: The strength of old, damp, and repaired walls will decrease.
Installation level: Over-drilling the hole, not installing it in place, and tightening it too much will weaken the load-bearing capacity.
Suggestion: Better big than small! Choose an anchor bolt that can bear a load far exceeding the actual weight of your items.
2. Q: How to determine whether there is a stud behind it? Do I have to use a detector?
A: It is strongly recommended to use a detector! This is the most accurate. The traditional method (knocking and listening to the sound, looking at the socket position to guess) has a large error.
Find the wall stud: Fix it directly with a long wood screw! It is N times more secure than any anchor bolt! This is the preferred solution.
No wall stud: This is where drywall anchor bolts come in handy.
The detector also detects wires and water pipes! Safety first, hitting wires and water pipes will have serious consequences!
3. Q: What if the hole is accidentally drilled too big/drilled crooked? Can it be remedied?
A: Large holes are the number one reason for anchor bolt failure! The remedies are limited:
Replace with a larger anchor bolt: This is the most reliable way. Find a heavy-duty anchor bolt that fits the current hole diameter (such as a larger expansion anchor, toggle anchor bolt).
Move the position slight
