Wall Anchors Station Guides
This series of six stations is designed to provide students with exposure to basic anchor installation principles and facilitate a boat load of practice installing anchors, hanging items on those anchors, and testing the strength of the placed anchors. The station guides below are designed to outline the core activities to accomplish at each station. Refer to the anchoring basics page for guidelines on installing various types of anchors.
Station List
- Nail anchors
- Expanding Plug anchors
- Positioning and hanging a picture frame
- Stud finders, tension types, and comparing anchor strengths
- Self-tapping anchors
- High-Strength Anchors
Station 1: Nail Anchors
Station Goals:
Layout and install two nail-based hook anchors to hang a lightweight wall decoration level on the wall.
Opening Comments:
A nail-based anchor uses a nail to fasten a hook flat against the wall on which an object is hung. The strength of this anchor setup is derived from the nail's "downward" angle into the wall. The sheer force transfered from the hanger to the nail is responsible for transferring the weight of the object to the gypsum board. These anchors are rated for the smallest wight loads because nails have a relatively small diameter compared to a formal anchor plug. This means less force is needed to cause a substrate failure--meaning the nail is ripped through the gypsum and gravity then pulls the nail out of the wall completely.
Materials Needed:
- Assorted nail-based hook anchors (hook anchor and an appropriately sized nail
- Hammer
- A wall
- Measuring and leveling stuff
- Trapezoidal Wall Decoration with wire head leads
Guide Bullets
Study the following suggested list of sub-tasks or principles, create a plan, and implement it:
- Examine several sizes of nail-based hook anchors. Notice how the nail fits through the hook. We fit the hook over the nail before pounding the anchor into the wall.
- Your installation task is to position and hang the trapezoidal wall decoration in the pre-determined location and make sure it's in as close to the desired point as possible and as level as possible.
- Imagine we are mounting this plaque in an arranged set of other plaques on the wall and it needs to be in the correct location based on a plan. For our exercise, here are six planned locations for the plaques. The reference location for this task is the midpoint of the bottom of the trapezoidal wall plaque with respect to the lower left corner of the sheet rock (you'll need to locate or verify this point). Choose one location from the list below and position the plaque to this location. Check it off the list below so that other groups have a new location target to match.
- 7" from the lower left corner of the wall and 3" up from the bottom edge
- 10-3/4" from the lower left corner of the wall and 2-1/8" up from the bottom edge
- 15-1/2 " from the lower left corner of the wall and 4-1/4" up from the bottom edge
- 12-1/2" from the lower left corner of the wall and 3-1/8" up from the bottom edge
- 8-5/8" from the lower left corner of the wall and 1-1/8" up from the bottom edge
- 16-1/8" from the lower left corner of the wall and 1-1/4" up from the bottom edge
- "Half of home improvement is careful positioning and measuring" so take your time to measure and mark out any tracking points on the wall. Take measurements on the plaque and it's mounting points. Measure the anchors and coordinate their location on the wall so the mounted plaque is level. Double check everything.
- To make this challenge interesting, do not alter the length of the mounting wires on the top of the plaque.
- Once you have checked your work and are satisfied--share your excitement with somebody ("wahoo--look at that plaque--it's so straight!")
- Feeling an anchor fail and sensing how it can be overloaded is an invaluable intuition for working on these kinds of projects. Learning from a deliberate "mistake" can be extremely instructive. To this end, remove the plaque from the anchors and use the weight transfer wire to load each anchor to the point of failure. Recover your anchor hardware, erase any tracking marks you can, and straighten up your station.
Applying in your home:
Nail-based hook anchors are an important part of any home improvement stock of materials. Many picture frames, calendars, and various artsy stuff is light enough to be a good fit with this type of anchor. Read package specifications for the anchors you buy for a "rated load" and consider this about 25% higher than the maximum continuous load you should plan on hanging. Moisture, time, and bumping can all either weaken the anchor's mount point or stress the anchor beyond it's rating capacity, leading to an anchor failure. This is a Bad Thing.
Station 2: Expanding Plug anchors
Station Goals:
Position and install a fibre-optic conversion box to your wall using expanding plug anchors
Opening Comments:
Mounting a junction box of this kind is a common home improvement task. While many companies will allow you to pay their technician to do the install, you may have an option to do the mounting yourself in which case you can mount it exactly as you want, where you want, and have the pleasure of mounting your own box and knowing it's sturdy. In your instructor's experience, company technicians are expected to move quickly and do as many jobs as possible in one day to minimize costs. This often has resulted in work being completed with disappointing quality. For these many reasons, learning to mount your own box is a great skill
You'll use expanding plug anchors for this task, since it is almost certain that the box you are mounting will not line up with two studs. If you could mount some of the box into a pine stud, that's great! But you'll still need an anchor for the other side of the box. Expanding plug anchors are a good fit for this job since the box's force is almost all of the sheer type, and the weight of the box distributed over a few anchors certainly is well below the rated strength of the anchors.
Guide Bullets:
Study the following suggested list of sub-tasks or principles, create a plan, and implement it:
- You have determined optimal locations for this box and listed them below. Choose one location for your group to tackle and check it off so other groups can have a new location. The reference point for these measurements is the lower left corner of the Verizon box and the lower left corner of the wall.
- 1-1/4" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 2-3/8" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 4-5/8" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 6-1/2" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 8-1/4" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 9-3/4" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- Use the socket wrench to open the lower cable spool box to expose all your potential mounting points. Decide which holes you want to use to mount the box. Dry fitting the box and marking the center locations for your attachment points is a good strategy. Use at least 4 anchors for this task. Make sure your box is level and square to the edges of the wall. We want a nice looking box!
- Feel free to be creative with your mount points. You may use a combination of washers and other hardware to make sure the head of your screws are secured from passing through the back panel of the fibre optic box.
- With marked holes, install the expanding plugs into the wall by piloting the appropriately sized hole for your chosen anchor. PLEASE USE masonry bits for this task and not normal wood drill bits as they will be dulled to death by the gypsum.
- Study the packaging carefully and fully before starting this task. Study its diagrams and check its weight rating tables to make sure your anchors are appropriate for you job. When in doubt, "over build."
- Mount the box into the anchors you've installed, being careful not to over-tighten the screws into the anchor plugs.
- Once mounted, celebrate and show your instructor. Check the levelness of your box. Try yanking hard on the box to check its sturdiness.
- Clean up by removing your box from the wall. You are encouraged to unscrew all but one of your plug anchor screws and use the leverage you can gain by pulling on the box to test the strength of the remaining plug anchor. Load the anchor to the point of failure. Reflect to yourself in a moment.
Applying in your home:
Expanding Plug anchors are the go-to anchor for anything but the lightest of mounted objects. The fact that the anchors are designed to increase the friction against the gypsum and distribute the load across more material means that a plug anchor of even the smallest diameter will be far stronger than even a decently sized nail. Nails don't expand at all, and are very smooth, meaning they have low friction and will pull out before the weight can be transfered to the gypsum panel.
Installing boxes like this one is a great way to organize your wall space efficiently and neatly. A similar set of skills can be applied to shelf mounting brackets, window blinds, and much more.
Station 3: Positioning and hanging a picture frame
Station Goals:
Install mounting brackets on a picture frame and mount anchors in the wall to hold the frame.
Opening Comments:
A New Yorker cartoon is a great addition to any boring room or wall. Be sure to choose a cartoon that is relevant and appropriately critical (New Yorker style critical) of those folks you anticipate viewing the cartoon.
In terms of mounting a picture frame, the emphasis here is on level and location. The weight of the frame itself is likely not to lead to an anchor failure.
Guide Bullets
Study the following suggested list of sub-tasks or principles, create a plan, and implement it:
- You have determined optimal locations for the frame and listed them below. Choose one location for your group to tackle and check it off so other groups can have a new location. The reference point for these measurements is the lower left corner of the frame and the lower left corner of the wall.
- 1-3/4" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1-1/2"up
- 2-3/8" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 2"up
- 3-5/8" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 2-1/8"up
- 4-1/2" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 3-3/8"up
- 5-3/4" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 4-5/16"up
- 7-1/8" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 5-6/16"up
- The frame shouldn't have any mounting brackets on its back. Best practice is not to try and "hang" the frame on the frame border. Slight bumps will send the frame sky diving to the floor. So we need mounting hardware: Look through the set of mounting hardware, choose two that fit the picture frame. Install them and make sure they are themselves level and spaced at measured locations. Consider the anchor that the mounting brackets will be resting on to make a good pairing.
- You can most likely use a plain nail in the wall, but be sure to test the nail and think carefully about the angle in which you put it in the wall. We want a 45-degree downward angle or slightly less when mounting with nails directly into gypsum board.
- You'll need to be a careful measurer so that the lower left corner is in the desired spot. Because you are installing mounting brackets on the back of the frame, you'll need to measure down from the top of the frame to the location on the bracket where the frame will sit on the nail such that the guide marks you make for your mounting nails allow the frame to sit exactly where it needs to.
- Install all the hardware. Insert your anchors into the wall and hang the frame. If it's not perfectly level, remove the anchors and attempt the task again. We need a level frame!
- Once it's nice and level, celebrate by reading the cartoons and reflecting on them for a moment. Then remove all the hardware from the frame and the wall so the next folks at the station get a full experience.
Applying in your home:
Be careful with plain nail anchors. This should be a last resort and only for the lighest of the light applications.
Station 4: Stud finders, tension types, and comparing anchor strengths
Station Goals:
Use a stud finder to mark the studs on a wall and install various anchor types and test their failure point.
Opening Comments:
This station isn't about mounting any object but rather getting up close and personal with anchor failures. We want to use the included wire to create a mechanism for loading anchors with our body weight to create sheer force and our body weight on a hammer/level to test tension strength. This is a creative station with not many guidelines other than those below. Be creative!
Guide Bullets
Study the following suggested list of sub-tasks or principles, create a plan, and implement it:
- Use the study finder to mark out the edges of all studs in the wall.
- Our goal is to gather data on anchor strength in these conditions. Within these bounds, you can be creative with how you setup your wall and test your anchors. Document your findings and prepare to share them with the class.
- A nail pounded into only the dry wall
- A nail pounded through the dry wall into a stud
- A dry wall screw drilled into only the gypsum
- A dry wall screw drilled into the study
- A small Expanding plug anchor installed into only the gypsum
- A larger small Expanding plug anchor installed into only the gypsum
- Once your anchors are in the wall and labeled, fashion the metal wire into a foot loop with a tiny loop on the other end that can hang on an anchor. Step your weight into the foot loop to load the anchor. Find out a way to think about the relative strengths of these anchors.
- Clean the station up by removing as many anchors as you can from the wall and tidy up.
Applying in your home:
Understanding how anchors work and how their strength varies is essential for choosing an appropriate anchor. It is often the case that stuff you by that is meant to be mounted on a wall comes with low-quality anchors that likely will be loaded at or above their safe working load limit. Installing anchors that are heavier duty and are not loaded at or above their working limit is a great way to make the stuff in your home much higher quality.
Station 5: Self-tapping anchors
Station Goals:
Use self-tapping anchors to hang a home security control unit box level and plumb on the wall.
Opening Comments:
The creation of so-called self-tapping or self-drilling anchors is an attempt to lower the barriers for folks to install anchors in their wall. In practice, these anchors are trickier to install than expanding plug anchors since you are using the anchor itself to bore through the gypsum and create an appropriately sized hole. You are, in effect, using the anchor as the bit instead of needing to do the piloting yourself. The upside is the hole it "drills" itself is likely to be close to the optimal size.
The downside to this is that the anchor is made of plastic, and is much flimsier than a metal bit, and can break in the process of installation. Additionally, the hole it bores itself can have a ripping effect on the wall, sometimes carving out way too much of the gypsum wall, leaving you with a pilot hole that is too big for the anchor and is a nice, awful looking hole in your wall that has to be covered, patched, or both.
Note in the picture above that these anchors have a few configurations. One of the possible anchors you will use has a long, pointed tip that doesn't have threads. This will install differently than the anchors whose threading starts relatively closer to the tip. For these types, you need to be sure to screw it in slowly as it will be sheering out a bunch of gypsum board in the process.
Guide Bullets
Study the following suggested list of sub-tasks or principles, create a plan, and implement it:
- You have determined optimal locations your book shelves and have planned anchor locations such that each shelf is level and in the desired location. We are only going to install one shelf brace for this exercise. Choose one location for your group to tackle and check it off the list below so other groups can have a new location. The reference point for these measurements is the lower left corner of the metal mounting bracket and the lower left corner of the wall.
- 1-2/4" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 4-3/16" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 5-9/16" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 7-7/16" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 9-11/16" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- 10-3/4" over from the lower left corner of the wall, 1"up
- Unlock the box and examine the existing holes and their size and configuration. Dry fit the box to the wall to try out the location of the anchors. If your hole is over a stud, you can use a plain old wood screw for that hole. Feel free to be creative with your mount points. You may use a combination of washers and other hardware to make sure the head of your screws are secured from passing through the back panel of the security system control box.
- With marked holes, install the self-tapping anchors into the wall. You don't need to pilot these holes but rather will use a drill with a phillips head to turn the anchor itself into a bit.
- Study the packaging carefully and fully before starting this task. Study its diagrams and check its weight rating tables to make sure your anchors are appropriate for you job. When in doubt, "over build." Note that the packaging doesn't say you'll need to spin and spin the anchor for it to act as a drill bit. For the self-tapping anchors that have a long spiked front, you'll need to do a lot of drilling before the threads catch.
- It is critical that you do not over-tighten these anchors in the wall. The threads are so coarse that even a quarter turn too far will shred lots of gypsum out (like an auger) and this will permanently weaken the anchor's attachment hole.
- Mount the box into the anchors you've installed, being careful not to over-tighten the screws into the anchor plugs.
- Once mounted, celebrate and show your instructor. Check the levelness of your box. Try yanking hard on the box to check its sturdiness.
- Clean up by removing your box from the wall. You are encouraged to unscrew all but one of your self-tapping anchor screws and use the leverage you can gain by pulling on the box to test the strength of the remaining anchor. Load the anchor to the point of failure. Reflect to yourself for a moment about what you just did.
Applying in your home:
These are not great anchors. They are really only applicable for use in 1/2" sheet rock. The 5/8" we're using in this course is almost too much gypsum board for these anchors. You may find yourself with a kit that provides these anchors, in which case, give 'em a try. If you are selecting an anchor for a job, try to avoid these except for that narrow use case of 1/2" dry wall.
Station 6: High-Strength Anchors
Station Goals:
Use high-strength, plastic toggle anchors to mount a metal shelf bracket to the wall such that it is sturdy and plum.
Opening Comments:
These special toggle anchors are named by their function: they "toggle" between an insertion position and an anchoring position. Toggle anchors are innovative because designing this toggle mechanism to work reliably in a variety of thicknesses of wall is tricky. Because their shape changes dramatically from insertion to anchor mode, they can hold an incredible amount of force. The limit to these anchors basically becomes the sheer force of the diameter of the anchor downward through the gypsum. In other words, this anchor itself is unlikely to actually get yanked from the wall during failure. Rather, the integrity of an entire patch of gypsum board will need to fail and a great big chunk of wall is likely to be destroyed.
Guide Bullets
Study the following suggested list of sub-tasks or principles, create a plan, and implement it:
- Choose a location for the mounting bracket and write it down so as to hold yourself accountable to getting it in the desired spot. You can mount it horizontally or vertically. The entire bracket need not fit on the wall. Do not mount it at an angle. A goal here is to make a level or vertical mounting.
- Inspect the plastic toggle bolt packaging and read the back's instructions for installation a few times. You'll have to actually prepare the anchor for mounting using the guide on the back. Getting this correct is important, since you only have one crack at each anchor. If they are bent in the wrong direction before installation, they will not toggle into anchor mode and we've wasted an anchor. Imagine how the anchor will pass through the wall and what the little key pin is doing.
- Once you have guiding track points on your wall where you want you need the screws to be, pilot the anchor hole with an appropriately sized masonry bit and follow the steps on the back of the anchor. Go slowly and don't force things that don't fit.
- Use hardware such as fender washers to mount the shelf bracket to the wall.
- When mounted, check for levelness or plumness (for vertical installs). Celebrate your work by thinking about a book you might put on your self. You could probably park a small vehicle on such a bracket, too. When you're satisfied with your work, remove one anchor and try loading the remaining anchor to the point of failure. It might not occur, but it's worth feeling how sturdy these anchors can actually be.
- Tidy up your station, please.
Applying in your home:
These are like "boutique" anchors and are great because they are strong. Their install is not without risks. If you can't get the anchor itself to toggle into its anchor position, you've got a decent hole and no good anchor. If you can use these anchors, you can probably make it through any anchoring task the universe can throw at you.