\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. Be warned, that this may damage the object youre working on, so if youre fixing a bolt in the trunk of your car, its advisable not to get this violent. First drill your hole using an electric drill. Then hammer it in until it sits flush with the wall. Once you place a significant weight (such as a TV or a floating shelf) on the mounting screw, the drywall can crumble or break. Last Updated: October 25, 2022 They're just a bit too big, and since it's tile, there's no give so it can't slide in. This causes the bolt to anchor in the drywall. When the screw is tightened, it pulls the wings flat against the back of the wall. If you plan to drill a lot of holes, you can buy a small scope camera and thread it into the hole to have a better look. If you use an electric screwdriver, you wont get any feedback from the bolt, this could mean you overtighten and destroy the anchor in the wall. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. You simply unscrew the bolt from the front with a screwdriver. There is a chance that the bolt was not sufficiently tightened in the first place. When you want to attach a heavy item to the wall, you need a solid surface. There's several ways to fix this, depending on a few things. Cookie Notice No matter what anchor you use, drill pilot holes in your wall first. A toggle bolt is a two-part, heavy-duty metal wall fastener consisting of a bolt and a spring-loaded pair of wings. It acts as a lubricant. Get your hands on a crowbar and pry the bolt out of the hole. Drill bits - " and a larger bit depending on your toggle bolt size. Hopefully this makes the process clearer! Keep in mind that the wall may have wires, wood framing, and other components behind it. I am fitting a window blind on a wall. Hi! With all the bolts through the component, bring the toggles close to the holes in the wall, this can be quite fiddly, but close the toggles enough so they go through the holes. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. What screws can be used with Aluminum windows? This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Bolt lengths range from 3 inches to 6 inches. Advertisement The next step is a little tricky. When mounting very large Samsung TVs, a bolt length of 50 mm is the solution. Once the bolt is reasonably tight, the wings won't turn, so you can release the tension and finish tightening the bolt. How to Install Toggle Bolts Drill Hole Drill a hole in the wall to the diameter specified on the product package. Before you place the screw into the toggle, thread a nut onto the screw, then a washer larger than the hole. Another option to consider is the molly bolt. Pull back on the screw while you tighten it. Can someone please tell me what is written on this score? 1. Or a different kind of 1/2" tile anchor, something better than toggle bolts? You only have one chance to use a toggle bolt. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. This bit should be the size of the butterfly nut when folded. It helps pay for web hosting. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. At my wits end. With the component in position, slowly tighten the bolts until they provide a bit of resistance back. I have found toggle bolts to be a good option for plaster. Metal toggle bolts are the best choice for heavy shelves up to 50 pounds (23kg) in drywall, plaster, and hollow-core concrete. Insert the anchor bolt through the item you're hanging, thread it into the collar and bar, and tighten as needed. Drill another hole in the bracket that is about a centimeter or so away from the original hole and insert a screw through that hole. If the installation steps arent followed correctly and the process doesnt go right, many a professional has got very frustrated in this situation. Why hasn't the Attorney General investigated Justice Thomas? Although they are described as "self-tapping", I prefer to give them a small pilot hole for alignment and then proceed to then drill all of the necessary anchors at once after preparing a surface. You don't need to worry too much about filling the hole perfectly flush - it'll be covered by the plate anyway. 7 April 2021. Unscrew the screw completely but hold the butterfly with the magnet (hollow wall plates are not that thick, usually made of plaster, the attraction of a magnet is strong enough). The wings fold in so they can fit through the hollow wall opening. If youre using any of these extreme measures, youll need to patch up the hole before you start drilling a new one. Even if you need to tighten the boltfor the work youre doing, chances are youll have to remove the spinning one and replace it. Let's get started! Install the toggle the same way mentioned above, and the tighten the nut to apply the force to the toggle. Posted by draxula16. Thread the bolt onto the pair of wings. I am Anika! @vikingsteve Which #3? Your other option is to plate the area under the curtain rail with some solid wood as reinforcement. Ease the flat head of the screwdriver under the bold and push it upwards. You blink and rub your eyes. Take a bad knitting needle and fold a small hook in L-shape at the point, the size of the hook (= diameter of the screw) slightly less than the diameter of the butterfly hole. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. If the particular hole in question try inserting an anchor first. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Note, once installed, none of these plugs are going to come out without leaving a large hole. These anchors are suitable for TV brackets . You'll find toggle bolts in many sizes and different weight ratings. Here's how to use toggle bolts the right way! Also, use the appropriate-sized drill bit. Drywall systems have 3 1/2 inches of hollow space, so the longest toggle bolt you'd want to use here would be 3 inches. Almost all of your kitchen wall cabinets are installed with just a few screws in the studs! Hi Anika Belgium calling. (Your hardware store will have various kinds, but the simple plastic ones usually work fine for light loads.) This is how toggle bolts are designed to work. Mounted onto 3/8-inch wallboard, it can support up to 30 pounds. Sorry, this post was deleted by the person who originally posted it. I have drilled a hole on wall bigger than the screw size. Take a hammer and hit the heads of each of the screws. With all the bolts through the component, bring the toggles close to the holes in the wall, this can be quite fiddly, but close the . In your case, if you have good wood behind the plaster, but you have drilled too large a hole for the screw, just use a long enough anchor to fit an inch or more into the wood and thread in the screw. If its too tight or theres too much space, youll probably end up stripping your bolt. For this you can use wall drilling anchors as shown in the images below. Use the larger drill bit to make a hole in the wall. drywall is 60 lbs. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Interior walls made of drywall are hollow beyond the first 1/2 or 5/8 inch. The choices, in order of increasing strength, include: The weight a toggle bolt can support depends on the size of the bolt and the thickness of the drywall. Place a heavy magnet against the hollow wall as close to the screw as possible. Then pull the wings of your toggle bolt to the bolt body and push the entire piece through the hole.