How to Keep an Anchor From Pushing Into the Drywall

Use a power drill to make a pilot hole in the hollow wall surface that is slightly smaller than the anchor itself. Place the tip of the anchor into the hole and apply pressure until the anchor slides into position. If the anchor is too difficult to install by hand, use a hammer to tap it in place. By drilling a pilot hole slightly smaller than it needs to be, you reduce the chance of the wall anchor sliding through during installation, and you provide more material for the outside edge of the anchor to hold onto.

Mount wall anchors with the widest outside rim possible. The wider the rim, the more surface area the outside edge of the anchor has to counteract the expanded surface area on its inside edge. With wide inside and outside components, hollow wall anchors form a sandwich that squeezes the wall and does not allow for easy loosening or push through.

Apply a 1-inch-square piece of duct tape to the wall precisely over the anchor installation area. Drill the pilot hole and install the anchor through the tape. Tighten the anchor into position as you would normally do. The tape acts as a binding agent that holds the surface of the wall together during installation and throughout the life of the wall anchor. This extra tension and protection prevent the wall around the anchor from weakening and the anchor from pushing through.

Try nail-in picture hangers instead of tap and screw anchors. Use a hammer to drive the nail provided with the picture hanger into the wall. The hanger hardware is far larger than the nail shaft, so the likelihood that the anchor will push into the wall is nil.