how to anchor to wall

[joe webb]

hello all,

my wife wants this towel rack and the toilet roll holder https://www.etsy.com/jp/listing/272120492/bathroom-towel-rack

it looks pretty pricy for a seemingly simple to make item.

i was wondering what is the best way to attach them to the wall. What kind of anchor can I use? i would like them to be as little visible as possible.

thanks much

[Steve Eure]

I made a rack for our bathroom that was attached with heavier plastic wall anchors. I placed them along the vertical pieces by drilling in the desired location and plugging the holes with wooden buttons. Finshed withe the same finish and it looks nice.

[Stan Calow]

I like it too. No expert here, but I would try a french cleat, screwed directly into at least two studs. I'm not a fan of plastic drywall anchors for something heavy already, that may get leaned on by someone while drying off. There is a metal cleat attachment version sold for hanging heavy wall decor, but it stands a few mm away from the wall.

[Lee Schierer]

Ask the seller what type of attachment they are providing/recommend. They may have keyhole fasteners installed on the back, which is what I would use if I didn't want the fasteners to show.

[Tom M King]

I use these a lot, in all kinds of walls. I'm not sure if they come in smaller packages, or not. They will go through a 7/16", or 11mm hole. Something evidently is lost in translation, because a 3/16" machine screw, as they call for, is a #10:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051IAQ9G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Edwin Santos]

Hi,
The description for the item says the maker is providing keyhole fasteners. That tells you how it is being attached to the wall.
Either it is a mortised pair of keyhole fasteners like the one below, or he/she is routing the keyhole slot directly into the back with a router.

If the screws are not naturally hitting studs (which never happens), your choices are various anchors like toggle bolts, molly bolts, etc. I'd probably use toggles.

420206

[Matt Day]

Please tell me you’re going to make those instead of shelling out $60 for it? We are on a woodworking forum aren’t we?

I would definitely NOT use a French cleat. It’s come off every time you took the towel off. I’d go with keyhole slots. Toggles are my usual go tos, but they’d need to be angled and they’d be obvious.

[Stan Calow]

Good point Matt.

[Doug Garson]

Not sure a toggle would work in this application. To work the toggle bolt must be tight to pull the toggle inside the wall tight against the wall. To use a keyhole fastener, the head of the screw must be proud of the wall to allow the keyhole fastener to slide over it. I'd use a pair of these with the keyhole fasteners if I couldn't line up the keyhole fasteners with studs.

fastener. https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjlu_KbgoTmAhXyIK0GHVr-B2EYABARGgJwdg&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQeD2R6T2m6dAE6Ed5w8RWBrEufVTyqaswK_PEN7Hiv T0ar-bdMzb9dLNJITjAB8vK9mHnFPNG3VMnBU5racZ9jBf&sig=AOD64_1RRdSD0oCeP2YD_QEAkl-Y5RS-LA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjkx-qbgoTmAhUkNX0KHZl0CHEQww96BAgOEEc&adurl=

[Tom M King]

Watch the video on the page with those toggle pieces that I posted the link to. They work on almost any thickness, or type of wall.

[Doug Garson]

It says right in the video that you have to tighten the screw until it is snug, how do you slip the keyhole fastener over the screw if it is snug against the wall?

[Jim Becker]

It says right in the video that you have to tighten the screw until it is snug, how do you slip the keyhole fastener over the screw if it is snug against the wall?
"Snug" doesn't mean tight in this context. It means to provide only enough screw exposure that you can slide the unit down over them with no slop and just a little bit of resistance. Note, the screws must either go into a stud or into an appropriate anchor that's up to the task.

[Doug Garson]

"Snug" doesn't mean tight in this context. It means to provide only enough screw exposure that you can slide the unit down over them with no slop and just a little bit of resistance. Note, the screws must either go into a stud or into an appropriate anchor that's up to the task.
OK , I guess if you tightened the screw "almost snug" then when you slipped the keyhole fastener on you could get it tight. Might take a bit of trial and error but doable.

[Tom M King]

I have been known to put a dab of construction adhesive on the wing that goes in the hole first, if I lose one of the nuts in a wall. The snap-off guides put the "nut" in just the right place, awaiting the screw to be inserted. You can run the screw in the first time through the mount. That's the way I install handrails in showers.

[Robert Engel]

I've had very good luck with 420287

[Jim Becker]

OK , I guess if you tightened the screw "almost snug" then when you slipped the keyhole fastener on you could get it tight. Might take a bit of trial and error but doable.
Exactly...you have to sneak up on it.

[glenn bradley]

I make some wall cabinets that get a bit hefty. When I cannot find a stud I use Roc-Loc (https://www.fastcap.com/product/rocloc-10-pack)s, key hole receivers and do the "snug" method described. No failures and I have been using them for years. I also use them for large/heavy mirrors.

[joe webb]

Thanks all for the suggestions. I am currently using this type of anchors (https://www.amazon.com/TOGGLER-SnapSkru-Self-Drilling-Glass-Filled-Fastener/dp/B0051IAO3E) and kids are too rough when pulling the towel of the rack. They pulled out the anchor and a piece of drywall along :(

I will give the keyhole a try. Given I am making them I can align the keyholes to the stud location. One advantage of custom DIY made items :-)

[Jim Becker]

Aligning with the studs "should" solve the kids hanging on the thing problem for the most part!

[johnny means]

My commercial experience says to use a French cleat toggled to the drywall. I try to never rely on hitting a stud and have seen too many fixtures just rip right out the wall. I would machine the hanging side of the cleat right into the back of the piece.

[Doug Garson]

My commercial experience says to use a French cleat toggled to the drywall. I try to never rely on hitting a stud and have seen too many fixtures just rip right out the wall. I would machine the hanging side of the cleat right into the back of the piece.
While I like French cleats for some applications, for something as light as a towel rack I'd be concerned the rack may lift off the cleat if someone lifts a towel off and the towel get caught on the rack.

[Lee Schierer]

It says right in the video that you have to tighten the screw until it is snug, how do you slip the keyhole fastener over the screw if it is snug against the wall?

With the metal keyhole fasteners, there is a slight taper on the slot that will lock the screw head in place. You can see that taper in the photo above in Edwin's post

[Matt Day]

Guys - there is no access to the anchor - how on earth would a toggle or roc loc or whatever else you are suggesting work in this situation? And a French cleat would lift off. Please consider the OP’s application instead of just suggesting your favorite drywall anchor that wouldn’t work in this case.

[Jim Becker]

Matt, a French cleat or keyhole type hanger can be used to carry the weight with one or two fasteners in conspicuously used at the bottom of the wall hung system to "keep it down". One does not have to rely only on the French cleat or keyhole type hanger for everything.

[Doug Garson]

Yes a French cleat with a couple of screws from below to secure the towel holder to the cleat would resolve the lift off issue. Once the French cleat is attached to the wall with the toggle there's no need to access the anchor. With a keyhole bracket, if the screw is left slightly proud (not fully snug) a keyhole bracket can snug it up without any need for access.

[jared herbert]

I just got done repairing 3 towel racks at my daughters house. The house was new construction 4 years ago. The towel racks were attached with plastic anchors in Sheetrock which all pulled out. I made nice looking 1x3 boards, stained and finished that were longer than the racks, screwed them to studs and then screwed the racks to the 1x3.

[Adam Herman]

keyhole.

i find some things on etsy, like the towel bars made of black pipe for 100 each to be quite funny.

[johnny means]

While I like French cleats for some applications, for something as light as a towel rack I'd be concerned the rack may lift off the cleat if someone lifts a towel off and the towel get caught on the rack.
That's what a dab of adhesive or a couple of micropins arw for.

[Doug Garson]

Maybe double sided tape?

That's what a dab of adhesive or a couple of micropins arw for.

[Dick Strauss]

I'm not sure if someone else linked to it previously but don't use toggle bolts, use "Togglers". Togglers require a smaller hole (1/2" instead of 5/8" IIRC) than toggle bolts or butterflies and will work fine with a keyhole fixture. They don't have to be tight to drywall for support because they have a zip tie collar that holds everything tight to the wall. They will hold several hundred pounds each in drywall or 600-800# each in concrete block. You can also remove the 3/16"/#10 screw without losing the fastener "wing" in the wall. Good stuff!