A drywall anchor, also known as a wall anchor, is an insert that, combined with the appropriate

screw A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to fa ...

, can create a strong mount anywhere on a drywall panel or similar hollow wall. A drywall anchor goes between the screw and the drywall, gripping the drywall much more effectively than a screw would. Some have toggle arms that either drop behind the wall or expand within the cavity. Others include wide threads that carve out grooves in the wall for traction. All drywall anchors are designed to create a strong mount point by distributing the applied load over an increased surface area. Drywall anchors are used when creating a mount point that does not have a

wall stud A wall stud is a vertical repetitive framing member in a building's wall of smaller cross section than a post. It is a fundamental element in frame building. Etymology ''Stud'' is an ancient word related to similar words in Old English, Old Nor ...

behind it. There are many types of drywall anchors. A few common ones include expandable metal anchors ( molly bolts), WallClaw anchors,

toggle bolts Toggle may refer to: *Toggle mechanism *Toggle switch *Toggling harpoon, an ancient weapon and tool used in whaling to impale a whale when thrown *A type of textile closure, like an elongated button *Toggle (Doonesbury character), a character in t ...

, and self-drilling drywall anchors.

References

{{Reflist Wall anchors

See also

References