How do you hang things on plaster walls?

Question

I am trying to hang curtain brackets (with heavy curtains) on my plaster walls a plain screw goes right through...what type of spcial hardware do I need to hang stuff on a plaster wall?

Answer 1

Anchors won't hold the weight you're talking about. What you need is called a "toggle bolt". You can find a picture of one here:

http://alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/howto_hang_pictures.html

On that site, you will also find something called a Molly Bolt which may also suit your needs. That is the bolt that T is describing. Mollys are used for heavy objects that will not move, like your curtain brackets, but moving the curtains will place added stress on them, and they may not be up to the task if your curtains are as heavy as you are suggesting.

My money is on the Toggle Bolt. Get the Toggle Bolts with the metal nut, not the plastic ones. It will only cost you a few cents more, but will take about 5 times as much stress.

-SD-

Answer 2

Plaster Wall Anchors

Answer 3

Are you sure it it plaster and not "Drywall".
Usually plaster is quite strong, whereas Drywall is very soft and difficult to work with.

There are screw bases that will screw into either type of wall and allow heavier things to be attached.

You cannot do it with simple screw, even if they have inserts. The inserts are simply not big enough.

The inserts that I am writing about are about a half inch in diameter and they look something like an oversized screw. You use a Philips Head Screwdriver to drive them into the wall and they really make a strong fit. The mounting screws for your brackets will easily go into them.

If you go to a large hardware store and describe what I have just mentioned, I am sure they can help you.
Stay away from any kind of plastic anchor and Toggle bolts.
The Plastic anchors don't hold and toggle bolts put to big a hole into the wall, for just the small diameter screw.

If you would like further assistance, you may write to me and I will try to help you more.
P.S. Be sure to get the metal ones, you may want to remove them at some future time.

Answer 4

OK there are several ways to hang heavy things on plaster if they are lath and plaster you need to use a a butterfly type, if just hand trawled plaster you use a plastic insert, if they are drywall type you use dry wall anchors, they make these in metal and plastics, go to Lowe's or and good home improvement center and tell them what kind of wall you have and they will give you what you need they will also have a set up of wall anchors display cut away view so you can see the workings behind any wall you Will like this and and you sound to me if you see this display you will need no ones help you will figure it out on your own , cause you already know you need something stronger so that tells me your OK, so determine the real type of walls you have if its a new place its drywall use the screw in anchor each one will hold up to 50lbs each one

Answer 5

Heavy Objects

Heavier objects can be supported with a molly bolt or toggle bolt.
Drill a hole through the wall to fit the size of molly bolt be sure not to get the hole too big or you may have difficulty turning the bolt without having the connector turn. If the only drill is too small, use a small screwdriver, knife, or other object to ream out the hole until the fastener will slide in snugly. Push it in and turn the bolt clockwise until it feels tight. Now the fastener has expanded and should stay tight. Remove the bolt and attach the object screwing the bolt in tight. Do not over tighten or you may pull the fastener loose. Remember plaster is soft.

A toggle bolt can be used similar to a molly bolt but with less care taken when installing. Select a bolt long enough to include the object plus the wall plus the length of the toggle then folded up.

Drill a hole through the wall. If you do not have a drill: Drive a nail through the wall. Wiggle it until it comes loose and you can pull it out. Put a small screwdriver, knife, or piece of metal into the hole and carefully enlarge until the toggle will slide through. Assemble the object on the bolt and push the toggle into the hole until you can feel it spring open. (Now you cannot remove the bolt without losing the toggle in the wall). Tighten by turning clockwise.

A toggle bolt should be used where the object will be drawn up tight to the wall because the hole must large enough to receive the toggle. The object should be large enough to cover the large hole that is necessary.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How do you hang things on plaster walls?
I am trying to hang curtain brackets (with heavy curtains) on my plaster walls a plain screw goes right through...what type of spcial hardware do I need to hang stuff on a plaster wall?

Answer 7

You can get a professional to hang them like a decorater or possibly find information in such. YOu can go to a hardware store and ask them there. You can hire someone like a carpenter to find the studs in your wall so that it can be hung where there is more support. There are also a group of different things that first you drill a hole in the wall then you put these special supports in that spread out. But keep in mind if it is very heavy and someone pulls on it then the hole when it comes out will be bigger.
Go to the hardware store and look around at them there are lots of different ones out there let me see if I can find something online.

You can put more than one support on it like two at the ends and one in the middle where it opens. Or even more if you have several panels.

Have you considered different curtains. I know you like these but what I did was I did two rods on mine. One was a sheer that went underneath and then a thicker cotton curtain over it. The layering helps with insulation and when I wanted sun I got privacy.

The person who said that about the drywall is right be careful if the dry wall is not in good condition you may end up with a big patch job like I had when putting something in my closet. Fortunately I tried there first and learned it was in such bad condition I had to use something else to hang things on. When you drill a hole through it if it seems crumbly you may not want to do this. I do not think I got very far before it began falling apart on me. I was living in an above garage apartment in an older section of town during college. I think I found a stud that worked ok cannot remember. I think Most of the hardware stores have sites with information at them from what I can recall looking up making a door for a storage shed. Putting on a stud is the best idea for support the problem is where you want to hang it may not have a stud.
Be careful about getting it too close to the windows as often they put some sort of framing around the windows such as a metal edging I found which does not do well with anchors near it as it is weaker. May end up patching like I had to.

Answer 8

toggle bolts. when assembled, they look like little grappling hooks. small ones like quarter inch or half inch should do the job. simlpy find a spot where there is fresh drywall, drill the appropriate sized hole and insert. essentially all you need to do is thread the bolt through the mounting bracket and then the "nut" and that's it. once done, insert the whole shebang into hole until you feel the click of the "wings" expand. pull back slightly and tighten. once you get the correct tightness on the bolt, then you can either screw or tighten to the final desired depth. after that, just hang the curtain rod and you're done. not sure how many curtain rods you intend to hang up but usually for a pack of 4 bolts it costs like 1.89 or something like that from home depot.

DO NOT use those screw in anchor bolts for drywall. they will totally mess up your drywall BIG TIME.

Answer 9

You need whats called an anchor, its usually a plastic piece that goes into the wall when you drill in a screw- sold together at hardware stores. Once you put it into the wall it will expand out in the inner space between walls. Best advice do not use these as they will eventually loosen over time. Its best to use nails at the point where the stud beams are. They are usually spaced 12 inches apart and sometimes 16 or 24 inches-use a stud finder tool. Start from the corner of the room closest to the window then tap the wall with a hammer if need be. You can tell the hollow area from the stud if you listen closely.

Answer 10

Mr. Murphy once said: "If it can happen, it will happen."
So what's the worse that can happen? How about Curtain Climbers? Let's make this installation just for them.

Buy yourself a piece of 1x4" hardwood (not pine) that's the length of your curtain rod, and some 2" drywall screws. Paint it and install your curtain assembly here, while it's still on the floor.

Next, get your boyfriend to bring over his stud finder, his drywall screw gun, and his buddies. Tell them that you don't believe the top of the window is plumb with the floor--and that you're going to the store to get them some beer. "Do you need anything else while I'm going?"

By this time, the guys will realize that the bottom of the curtain must be parallel to the floor, and it takes two drywall screws into each stud to make the installation sturdy. "Oh, you guys are so smart! Anybody wanna beer?"

NOTE:
When you hang a fourty pound kid anywhere along your curtain, his weight (and consequent torque) will be distributed across all of the studs.