All edges of all sheets of drywall must land on a solid surface such as a stud.
Drywall nails
The nails drive into drywall and plaster walls at an angle, which allows them to use the wall surface as leverage and support. These are perfect for hanging items up to about 20 pounds. If you have a picture that is heavier than that, use a flat-mounted hook and anchor.
When you don't have a stud located in just the right spot, a drywall anchor can fix that for you. That said, whenever possible: use a stud. Even if it means only one screw is hitting a stud, and you use anchors for the rest, it's always going to be better than no stud at all.
Not really. The drywall will be loose. You will see it move if you press on it. This will lead to the mud cracking and the seam will show. If you encounter a situation where there is no stud you can add a stud or cut the drywall to make it the proper length to hit the middle of the closest stud.
While drywall alone can hold about 1.6 pounds to 2 pounds per square foot, mounting an object to the stud with the proper hardware allows the drywall to support up to 100 pounds.
All edges of all sheets of drywall must land on a solid surface such as a stud.
Drywall anchors can hold anywhere from 10 to 200 pounds, depending on the type and installation. Always choose an anchor rated for more than the weight of the item you are mounting. Are drywall anchors as strong as studs? No, drywall anchors are not as strong as studs.
Of course, studs don't encompass the entire space of a given wall. You'll only find them every 16 to 24 inches. You can still install objects on walls — even if there's no stud available. You just need to use drywall anchors.
Unfortunately, depending on your living space and the construction of your home, the wall that you choose for your TV may not have studs. The good news is that you can still mount your TV despite the hollow walls with Mount-It's No Stud TV Wall Mount that hangs on your wall like a picture frame.
Know the Distance Between Studs
Stud boards run vertically through the walls, from the ceilings to the floors. Inside your house, they're covered in drywall or plaster, so they aren't immediately visible.
The short answer is – it depends. Picture hooks do not necessarily require a stud in order to be functional and useful. The best rule of thumb to apply is that heavy items (think: mirror, heavy frame etc.) will require a hook that is anchored to a stud.
The short answer is yes, but with significant precautions. Drilling into a stud that has an outlet on it can be safe if you take the necessary steps to avoid damaging electrical wires and maintain the structural integrity of the wall.
No wall stud is needed when hanging lightweight items. For heavier items: Large frames with glass, mirrors or anything that feels heavy when you're holding it against the wall will need extra hanging power. Consider using two nails, hooks or screws for each piece, which will help equally distribute the weight.
Mounting a TV with drywall anchors or bolts is a great option if you can't drill into a stud.
If you are securing wood to drywall where there are no studs, use a strong construction adhesive. Only use nails if you are securing trim and baseboards. Mark your hanging point with a pencil. Take a nail-set, awl, or nail, and with a hammer tap a “pilot hole” into the wall.
In this case, you can mount the TV to any section of drywall that has no studs behind it. Hollow-wall drywall TV mount installations are limited to total weights (TV, peripherals, and mount) of about 100 pounds.
Walls are framed with a horizontal header at the top of the wall and a footer along the floor, so you can always guarantee to find a solid piece of wood along the top or bottom of your room. Vertical studs stand between the header and footer across the wall. They are usually placed 16 inches apart on all walls.
Threaded drywall anchors are suitable for objects weighing up to 25 pounds and are ideal for use on drywall. Hollow-wall anchors can hold up to 30 pounds per pair on plaster, paneling and other hollow walls.
Installing an item in a stud behind drywall is the best option for strong support, so try to find studs first. Use anchors if studs aren't available.
The holding strength of a screw in drywall is very close to nothing. Anyone can easily tear a screw out of drywall with just their bare fingers. If you need to mount something to a wall, you either need to hit a stud or you need to use a hollow wall anchor. Today I'll cover both.
Threaded anchors – Being thicker than expansion anchors, these can hold between 25 to 75 pounds, but they shouldn't be used on ceilings. They're easier to install than expansion anchors because they don't require a pilot hole. Sleeve type anchors (molly bolts) – These can hold between 25 to 50 pounds on walls.
Pop Toggle
This anchor clips to the back of the drywall and creates a tight bond. In our test, it held more than twice its rated weight.
On this basis, a stack of drywall (laid flat) should not exceed approximately 9” in height (example: 18 sheets of 1/2” drywall or 14 sheets of 5/8” drywall). In some areas, it is common practice to temporarily shore up the floor system in order to stack more than 9” of drywall.