Ok, so I need some help with plastic anchors in drywall..?
May 19, 2010 by darn
Filed under Darn Pretty Needles
EVERY TIME that I have EVER used these darned things, they BREAK! So, I go to Home Depot and purchase these nice anchors (still plastic…but stronger) and w/ teeth on the side like you find on a screw. Well, the anchors that came w/ a simple shelf I’m putting in my kitchen, first one broke (argh!) 2nd one was kinda going in….then broke half way in. So now I’m in an attempt on removing it…and can’t get it out…grr…So the nice ones I bought today in a package of 20, I thought would suffice for the job. 
Right? So it’s screwing in lovely w/ my philips, and it was pretty much all the way in, but not perfectly flush w/ the wall…so I was like I better do ONE more turn. And BOOM. The head of the anchor breaks off. *sigh* So now i have two holes w/ anchors. The 2nd one where the head broke off, I tested to see if I could still screw in? And yeah, so no biggie. The real problem is getting the other, cheap anchor out of the wall. I’ve tried needle-nose…and it’s tearing bits off-lol
Ok, so oddly enough – yeah, i cut the head off the cheap anchor – so I’m going to go try to screw in these damn screws…I’ll let ya know how it goes – be back in about 10 minutes or so…lol –
Oh – and I researched those toggles – those look even more permanent – i was afraid to get those today….not knowing what i would get myself into (lol) – of course, I should’ve , because now I’m dealing with this crap.
Also, i’m not that much of an idiot – i predrilled holes before putting in the anchors, and yes, i was tapping them gently w/ a hammer…just FYI.
i always just screw the screw for the anchor in just slighly just enought to grip then pull the screw as i would a nail with a hammer your other option is the cut the head off the anchor wit ha sharp razor knife and push the remainder into the wall although this is sometime tricky to do without damaging the wall more than necessary
Are you saying the screw broke off?
The screw anchors with the plastic inserts aren’t as good as the ones with the spring wing-nuts. But, with those, you have to drill a hole in the wall.
Depending upon the surface, you can take the anchor, a cordless drill and screw in the screw without the plastic insert, then remove it. Then, fill the hole with glue, insert the plastic insert and gently tap it in place with a hammer. You can then insert the screw. It should stay in place. You may have trouble removing, if you ever want to. But, then you can learn the joys of spackle.
Throw those (damn) plastic things away! Get yourself to Lowes or Home Depot and buy some ‘threaded drywall toggles’…
You’ll sleep much more soundly as your stress will have gone away!
http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/inffastener/infanchor/infanchor.html
Sometimes its easier to take a screwdriver & pound the anchor through the drywall with a hammer. It will open up the hole but if the head is missing is shouldn’t make it much worse. You can always cover with spackle. Just make sure you haven’t mistakenly installed the anchor into the side of a stud (or anything else like a pipe, heating duct or wire)..:)
THE ANCHORS SHOULD HAVE COME WITH A DRILL BIT FIRST DRILL THE HOLE TAP IN THE ANCHOR ALL THE WAY . THEN INSERT AND TIGHTEN THE SCREW AS THE SCREW TIGHTENS IT WILL EXPAND THE ANCHOR AND GRAB ON TO THE DRYWALL .
READ ME!!! LOL Try these i use them all the time and they carry quite a load. No need to drill holes it screws in plus you can unscrew to remove. I buy them at Ace or Home Depot.
E-Z ProductPlace #2 Phillips screwdriver into recess of Twist-N-Lock E-Z Ancor. Press into drywall while turning the anchor clockwise until it is seated flush with the …
http://www.itwbuildex.com/ezprod.htm – 47k -
These things don’t break if you know how to install them! You’re obviously doing something wrong. You’re supposed to predrill the hole with a SPECIFIC size drill bit, then slip in the anchor (it should go in with only a slight tap of a hammer). Then, a SPECIFIC size screw is meant for different sized anchors. They DO NOT BREAK if these steps are followed. The screw only expands the anchor, there is really no way they should be breaking.
Maybe try the metal kind.