Tried a new way to hang a shelf and it almost fell off

I used those plastic drywall anchors that came with the kit, but after a week the whole thing started pulling out. Learned you really need to find a stud or use the metal toggle bolts for anything heavier than a picture. Anyone have a good trick for finding studs in an old plaster wall?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_carr25d ago

Man, that feeling when you see it start to pull out is the worst, right? I've got a few shelves hanging on prayers because of those plastic anchors. @butler.mark is totally right about them being useless for real weight. Why do they even include them in the box? I'm all about the magnet method now, it's the only thing that works in my place without guessing.

butler.mark25d ago

Those plastic anchors are basically useless for anything with real weight (learned that the hard way too). For stud finding in plaster, a rare earth magnet works way better than an electronic stud finder. Just slide it along the wall until it sticks to a nail in the lath. Toggle bolts are the right call if you miss the stud, but hitting wood is always best.

wesleyburns25d ago

Yeah the magnet trick is a total game changer for plaster walls, my old house is full of them. I keep a few in my toolbox just for that, way more reliable than those beeping stud finders that go off over nothing. Toggle bolts can save you if you mess up, but man they make such a huge hole to patch later. Nothing beats the solid feel of a screw going straight into a stud.