Thin drywall will hold 1.2 to 1.6 pounds per square foot without some type of support. Thicker drywall will hold 1.5-2.1 pounds per square foot without additional support.
Toggle Bolts Can Hold the Weight on Drywall
Plastic can hold about 20 pounds, while the metal holds up to 100 pounds such as a drawer or a floating shelve. They are also great to use on the ceiling, but only up to 15 pounds.
How much weight can drywall hold without a stud? Typically around 20 pounds. For heavy items, you may need to double up or hang from a stud. With a cheap plastic wall anchor, like the ones most products include in the box, drywall can hold about 20 pounds.
A nail is drywall is only able to hold a few pounds at most and should not exceed 10 pounds of weight. To can significantly increase the weight capacity by using drywall anchors or nailing into a stud.
If you want to hang anything heavier than 15 pounds on your ceiling, you'll need to attach it to a ceiling joist that's been properly reinforced. Drywall might seem fragile, but it's capable of holding nearly anything you might want to hang on your wall as long as you hang it properly.
Even though a drywall can support a TV up to 100 lbs, the device is still brittle and the mount can require additional support, or else the TV will land on the floor. Wall studs make up the frame for the TV that supports your walls. They provide a sturdy anchor point, ensuring that both the mount and TV stay in place.
Instead, use a threaded drywall anchor to securely hold objects between 10 and 25 pounds such as heavy picture frames, bulletin boards, mirrors, and light-weight shelving. No power tools are required for this self-drilling fastener. Use a screwdriver to screw it in until it's flush with the wall.
A screw in a stud can hold between 80 and 100 pounds. Be sure to distribute the weight across as many as you can. The easiest way to increase the amount of weight a screw in a stud can hold is to simply double up.
What are the Strongest Drywall Anchors? If you use either the threaded anchor or the molly bolt you'll do just fine. They can easily hold 50 pounds. If you want to hang something a very large, heavy picture or mirror these no stud picture hangers are the absolute BEST.
Hang Items From Ceiling Joists
If you hang an item at the joists, the average drywall ceiling can hold up to 30 pounds. If you double the joists, the average drywall ceiling can hold up to 50 pounds.
For pictures that weigh between 5 and 20 pounds, a good option is plastic drywall anchors and for pictures between 20 and 50 pounds, you can use a metal wall anchor or make sure to use a wall stud. For anything heavier, or a good all around solution for hanging multiple pictures, use a rail cable hanging kit.
Typically when you want to hang a heavy item on the wall where there is no stud, you have to get out your drill, drill a hole, hammer in a wall anchor, and then screw in a large screw.
How much weight can drywall hold without anchors? This can be 5 to 10 pounds, but keep in mind that the drywall is an extremely brittle material and, it is not strong enough to hold the weight for a longer period of time.
Best Drywall Anchors Heavy-Duty—RIFAA
When you're in need of reliable, strong wall fixings for securely hanging items of up to 50 pounds, RIFAA's self-drilling drywall anchors are the solution. They are made from heavy-duty durable nylon and have a unique design that once in place, will not budge.
Wall anchors, also called molly plugs, will help you build a sturdy foundation for your shelf. Regular hollow wall anchors are fine for plaster; for drywall you will need butterfly or toggle anchors. Before deciding which anchors to buy, consider what you want your shelves to hold.
Able to hold between five and 25 pounds, depending on brand and size (larger anchors hold more weight). Not suitable for use on ceiling drywall as downward pressure could cause the anchor to slip out.
OVERVIEW. Strongest and most secure of all hollow-wall anchors. Holds up to two times more than wing toggles of the same bolt diameter: up to 802 Lbs. in concrete block and up to 238 Lbs.
A "puny" 1/8" toggle can safely hold 30 lbs.
Since the purpose of a drywall anchor is to stabilize a screw, it must be at least one size bigger than the screw.
A 2×4 can hold up to 40 pounds or 300 pounds when laying on its edge without sagging when laying horizontally. Several factors can lower or increase a 2x4s strength, including wood species, lumber grade, and moisture content.
In general, a 2×4 can hold a horizontal load of around 20 to 40 pounds per linear foot if the weight is evenly distributed. If the weight is centered between the span, that number could drop to 20 pounds total or less for longer 2x4s. Other factors can increase the weight that a 2×4 can support as well.
If a joist is running perpendicular to the wall, or happens to fall directly above/below the wall, it can be load bearing. If there's a single top plate, the wall most likely isn't load bearing, unless the wall uses deeper studs than 2x4 (such as 2x6).
Drywall — especially the commonly used 1/2-inch-thick size — supports heavy weights when the shelving is properly installed. You can install heavy shelves with confidence that they will remain stable and secure, by using brackets.
Ceilings are another matter, though, thanks to the direct downward pull of gravity. The average 2×4 ceiling joists can't safely hold more than around 15 to 20 pounds regardless of the hanging hardware you use.
Drywall is a flat panel made of gypsum plaster sandwiched in between two sheets of thick paper. It adheres to metal or wood studs using nails or screws. Sheetrock is a specific brand of drywall sheet. These terms are often used interchangeably.