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/2721...oom-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/B0...?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.

download.jpg

[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/pag...BAgOEEc&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 e-z-ancor-hollow-drywall-anchors-25310-64_1000.jpg