Toggles anchors or molly bolts are surprisingly strong.
Weight of wall hanging on drywall.
According to material safety data sheets from usg standard drywall weighs approximately 38lb ft 3.
This calculator estimates the weight of drywall.
Hanging heavy objects with molly bolts 1 choose molly bolts for heavy items up to 100 pounds 45 kg.
So we picked up some drywall anchors at a local home center and a few others online to subject them to a stress test.
You can enter the type size and number of sheets and it will output the weight.
Lightweight drywall weighs about 28 30 lb ft 3.
A 1 8 toggle can hold 30 pounds on 1 2 inch drywall and a 3 8 inch toggle can handle a hefty 50 pounds or more safely.
If you use the right type of wall anchors and drive them into studs each of the drywall anchors could hold over 50 pounds.
Determine the weight of the item you ll be hanging onto the wall.
Here s what we found.
That s enough for a small to medium picture frame or a small wall light or planter.
However if you don t have a stud to use you ll want to make sure you use an anchor to hold up your decorations.
When putting up picture frames and other items on your wall it s best to drive your hanging hardware into a stud.
Studs are located behind your drywall and are 16 to 24 from one another.
A 1 1 2 inch 4d nail driven in at a 45 degree upward angle can hold as much as 20 pounds.
If you have a bathroom scale simply step onto the scale while holding the item and record the weight.
Then step onto the scale without the item and record the weight.
Molly bolts are the strongest of your options holding up to 100 pounds 45 kg in straight drywall.
But can they be trusted to bear the rated weight.
Subtract the second number from the first and you ll have the weight of the item.
How much weight you can hang on the stud depends on what you hang it with.