Which Anchors Are for Solid Plaster Walls?

Plastic Expansion Wall Anchor

• Plastic expansion wall anchors are ideal for hanging a light item, such as a clock or small picture. The anchor is made of a plastic material that’s lightweight and easy to install. Plastic expansion anchors are flexible and expand once you insert a screw into them. Most plastic expansion anchors have a maximum weight of 5 to 10 pounds in plaster; anything more than that and you risk the anchor pulling out of the wall or cracking the plaster. Installing the anchor requires you to drill a hole slightly smaller than the point of the anchor, and tapping the anchor into the hole until it’s flush with the wall. After that, you may insert the screw into the anchor with a screwdriver.

Plastic Wing Anchor

• Similar to plastic expansion anchors in that they’re made from plastic, winged plastic anchors differ from their plastic cousins in strength. Because the wings are designed to brace against the wall, plastic winged anchors can keep an item weighing 10 to 15 pounds safely on the wall. The wings must be compressed to fit inside the wall and then expand once a provided tool is inserted into the middle of the anchor. Installing the anchor requires a pre-drilled hole that’s slightly smaller than the anchor point.

Toggle Bolt

• For hanging heavy items upwards of 50 pounds, a toggle bolt is necessary. Toggle bolts are made entirely from metal, and have a pair of wings at the end of the bolt. These wings must be pushed in to insert the bolt into the wall, but pop out once inside the wall. The wings brace against the wall to help keep heavy-duty items from pulling out of the wall. Although one toggle bolt can safely secure a 50-pound item to a plaster wall, it’s best to use two and spread the weight evenly when possible.

Metal Threaded Anchor

• For securing medium-sized items to the wall, such as towel bars and shelves, metal threaded anchors will do the job. While plastic threaded anchors also exist, opt for metal anchors in plaster. Threaded anchors can safely hold up to about 20 pounds of weight. Unlike other anchors that require a pre-drilled hole, you may drill a threaded anchor straight into your plaster wall.