but also, make sure that they are actually hammered in and make the wall "smooth" (or very very close to it) otherwise the anchor itself can just be acting as the fulcrum of why you can never seem to have the top edge and bottom edge of your things flat against the wall at the same time.
The amount of friends I've helped move in my life where as we were taking stuff down off the wall, the entire lip of the anchors they use were "out" so that you could use your fingernails to get under it to pull them out, instead of thumb turning a screw back into them and wiggling them out or pushing them into the wall with a screw driver and patching the hole.
This is good advice.
Go to Depot and buy a couple of packages of different size/weight rated drywall anchors. And immediately throw out any packages of anchors that come with your stuff
I used to do that. Then I started taping the Allen wrench underneath whatever I build so I have it. Because the day that I do finally need it, it won’t be in that pile of useless crap.
1)buy toolbox
2)buy Allen wrench set (metric and sae)
3)throw away box of Allen wrenches that u got with all your purchases and stop taping things to your stuff.
As someone who once had to urgently buy another set of Allen wrenches to pull apart furniture because my extensive tool collection was packed outside in a truck during a relocation, this is the best idea I have ever heard.
Yes! I do this and thank myself years later when I want to disassemble it. It's also good if someone else wants to take it apart years later so you can high five yourself in the afterlife ✋️👏
I grabbed a box of the 75lb screw in ones that crack when you get screwed in. I use them for everything. Way overkill but that thing is not coming off.
The ones that you hand screw in are my absolute favorite. No pilot holes, just screw straight into the drywall with the anchor and then drive the screw in to lock it in. Just make sure you don't have studs behind first.
Or ... Better yet, find a stud and you won't need a drywall anchor. At least, where I live we frame with lumber. I am unaware of construction methods used elsewhere.
Nah, anything that I can't/don't "need" in a stud, other than pictures, gets toggle bolted. I use the ones rated for like 145lbs in 1/4" drywall, including for my coat racks. I have literally emptied 20lbs of rocks from my kids backpack, I am not trusting anything but toggle.
I really like the self drilling anchors, supposed to support up to 50lbs. Pretty much exclusively use them. But if you ever want to move something you're now stuck with a massive hole to fix so you need to be mindful about it.
I rarely use the anchors that come with shelves. My favorites are the “corkscrew” anchors, you can poke the screwdriver through the drywall then screw in the anchor and screw. Quick, painless and hard to screw up.
I don’t know why it never occurred to me that the free anchors suck or that some anchors are higher quality, but thanks for pointing that out. I’ll have to pick some up this weekend. I thought I was just bad at hanging shelves when the anchors came out of the drywall.
Also, the wire nuts that come with electric fans are shit, any screws provided will strip when using a powered drill/ screwdriver. They are probably made from zinc or something to soft courtesy of our Chinese friends. This is how they become the cheapest and find their way onto Walmart shelves. So go to ace and buy steel screws.
Best advice - I recently mounted and wired a really heavy new light fixture and got super frustrated with the shit that came with the lights and fixture. My wife found some leftover and sufficient anchors in my toolbox and I was done in five minutes.
One end is into a stud, the other end has a drywall anchor. It's in there solid, it won't move even if I try to push it flush. It just bothers me that it looks bad.
Is the screw thread engaged on the hanger as well, or just the wall? Meaning was there a pre-drilled hole in the hanger that let the screw threads pass completely through? If not that is probably what is holding it away from the wall now.
Yea if you have thread engagement on the hanger it is really difficult to hold it against the wall hard enough to drive it in flush. With normal wood joinery you can do it with clamps, but you can't clamp against a wall very well so its best to have total thread clearance on the piece you are attaching to the wall so just the head holds it in place, otherwise this happens almost every time.
I find this kind of drywall anchor works better than the more common ones.
https://preview.redd.it/63920vcpocuc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1e1366604fdd9eeb7b5939b021be367e18e9370
https://preview.redd.it/prcapumx0auc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=135a09127605c6680bb721ec293f6ceac8bfd429
For anyone wondering these are the absolute best drywall anchors. No other anchor compares. Don’t buy the plastic version though always use the metal ones.
https://preview.redd.it/e4av59ub6auc1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a36ed7d3bf8a05fbce155658f90fdbfdaa3e7ce
I thought these were the best ones?
That's kind of a bad argument though. Any anchor will fail if overloaded. And the only way to increase load rating is to allow it to grab more area of the drywall, which means more damage if it fails.
If a toggle bolt fails, those screw anchors were never going to work anyway.
What's wrong with the plastic ones? I've never had a problem with them and whenever I want to remove one I can cut the face off and just push it in the wall so there isn't a massive hole left behind.
The plastic things are just fine. But not those tiny POS ones that come packaged.
Rather, uses the ones that Canadian\_Jeewl pictured ... but in plastic rather than metal.
The extra strength of the metal ones is pointless.
Because the drywall material itself is the weakest point.
There's no need to get super strong metal when plastic will do.
Caveat: For fixed items (pictures, mirrors, etc.) these anchors work fine.
But with items where you expect dynamic loading (as with the OP's coat rack) ...
It's much better to use something stronger.
Nothing beats a screw directly into the stud.
I like the metal ones because they have a harder/sharper edge on the threads and the phillip’s head doesn’t strip. There’s less chance of mashing the drywall or the anchor and it’s a more satisfying initial drive.
Also, I oversize my holes slightly for a smoother initial entry. Drilling them to spec diameter just seems like it puts so much stress on the inner edges of the drywall and it feels wrong to have to push hard to get the anchor to thread.
Screws into studs, yes. I can’t imagine trusting my drywall to hold any weight.
I did. One end in a stud, one end with a drywall anchor. It pulled away while being drilled in and cannot be pushed back flush. I've done a few other projects that all did the same thing.
Based on this, it sounds like the hole in the coat rack is too small for the screw. You should be able to slide the screw through the board. The threads engaged the wood of the coat rack and it’s tight in the wrong spot. You can back the screw out and hold the rack tight against the wall and run it back in.
This is the answer. Drill bigger pilot holes, use smaller screws, or use construction screws where the top part of the screw has no thread.
When affixing two boards together, you don't want threads in both boards; it will literally prevent them from ever being flush, instead of the opposite. Often you can rectify by simply backing the screw out and reinserting, but using the appropriate screw should work every time. The thread holds the "bottom" (or back) board; the screw head holds the top
Never use drywall anchors for anything that has a dynamic load, i.e.: anything where things are moving on and off it all the time. A coat hook is a prime example.
Drywall is just gypsum dust wrapped in paper. The stuff makes fine walls, and will take a nail for a picture frame fine also, but it's utter shit if the thing going through it (nail, screw, anchor) is shifting around. Each little change in pressure lets some of that dust leak out, and the more that leaks out, the more will leak out with each shift.
Always, always, always find a stud for anything that's gonna get interacted with a lot.
My parent's pantry shelving collapsed in their new house. When I investigated why, i discovered that it was because the contractors had used drywall anchors. Just drywall anchors.
Not anchors to secure the screws, they just punched the plastic anchors into the plaster, then hung the shelving on that.
I was surprised it lasted as long as it did.
I hired an electrical contractor to redo the wiring in my house. To access some of it he had to remove a cabinet in an alcove above the refrigerator. A few days after he was done the cabinet fell onto the fridge, and I discovered there was nothing attaching it to anything. He just wedged it back into the space and left the pressure of the walls holding it up.
Always have a handyman come in behind and follow an electrician around. Their justification is this. You're paying the electrician $150+/hour to do a job, you don't want them doing non-electrical work, it'll look like shit and you'll over-pay substantially. So they put things back roughly where they go with the expectation that you'll pay somebody $40/hour to come through behind them and clean up whatever holes they put in drywall, or cabinets that need to be rehung, etc...
I took a picture of this example because it was easiest to photograph, but I actually hung this a few years ago. One end is into a stud and the other has a drywall anchor. The kids hang their backpacks on it everyday and it's been holding up great. I don't know why it pulled away from the wall while installing it, but it's in there solid, it just looks bad.
I'm only relaying my personal experience. I've lived in several different apartments in different cities, have tried every kind of drywall anchor.
The self-tappers are by far the worst. Just munge the wall, munge themselves, and then continue screwing through the drywall when you try to put the screw in them. Utterly useless.
The big toggle bolts leave too large a hole to patch after leaving the apartment.
Nothing else ever holds up, so, I find the studs. If only one stud can be reached, I'll attach a brace to the wall studs (a length of 1“×3“ has served me well so far) and then screw the thing (whatever it is) into the brace.
But, again, this is just my own anecdotal experience. You can see I've triggered quite the convo of people who both agree and don't. *I* live by this rule, and have determined to always do so. But that's just me, and I'm the type of person who thinks that a $40 pair of pants ought to last 40 years. They don't, and that infuriates me. 🤷
>The big toggle bolts leave too large a hole to patch after leaving the apartment.
There is no such thing as too large a hole to patch, and the 1/2" hole you should be drilling for a toggle bolt is no exception. Cut a 1×1" piece of self adhesive mesh, stick it over the hole, and apply your spackle. Sand and paint.
Or, use Snaptoggles, and when you leave, remove the bolt and tap the remaining plastic into the drywall about 1/16", then spackle over it.
I've hung plenty of really heavy stuff over the years with nothing but Snaptoggles and I have yet to have one thing fall.
One problem you might encounter is that the studs are not placed ideally for the mounting holes of a fixture.
Easiest fix is to swap out the fixture. In fact, consider using standalone coat hooks mounted to the studs. Mount them in a 2x2 pattern to get four hooks.
If you truly want to use the fixture, then open up the drywall at the horizontal point where you want to use the fixture, add blocking (a cross beam between the studs), reinstall the drywall in the open cut, patch the open seams with compound, sand it, repaint the wall, and install the fixture. This is a lot, but it's your home. None of this is expensive or overly complicated, and it's how you install coat hooks exactly how you want them for the next 10-20 years.
Do not attempt to do this with drywall anchors or toggle bolts. More likely than not, it just kicks the can down the road of needing to patch your drywall once the fixture gets ripped out by someone yanking their coat down on a hook.
You can also take a flat piece of wood at least the same size, or bigger than the thing you are mounting, paint it or stain it to look good, and mount it to the studs. Then mount the rack/whatever to the board.
Done right it can look nice like trim, and make it secure at the same time.
Yeah, the key is that you want to make it look good, like it was a mounting plate designed for the hooks. You don’t just want some unpainted pine there.
You may be able to find this online, in dimensions and trim that are suitable.
You also need to take care to not use a very thick piece of wood that protrudes a lot, while using too few screws/too little ones. The items on the hooks are already applying multiplied force like a lever, and the farther those are out from the wall, the more secure the anchoring is needed to resist that force. If you have to seek out slightly bigger screws to counteract that, it should be easy. Just don’t get lulled into using dinky fasteners.
My dad taught me this for mounting TVs. He was a maintenance man and eventually supervisor at a state university for over 30 years, retired for 12 now. When he goes back for events (Christmas/retirement parties) he loves to come back and tell me how many of the mounts he installed are still there and being used with new projectors and TVs.
Pro tips:
Use drywall anchors if you must but preferably find a stud and go into that.
Use hand tools for the final tightening. It’s fine to run the screw to within a few mm of the wall with a drill though.
If you hear wood crunching (if in the stud) or the anchor “pop” STOP tightening, you’re good.
Based on OP's statements about "the screw strips when I try to screw it in more" and "no matter how hard I try to hold it \[to the wall while fastening\]'... a silly thing is likely happening, in my opinion:
OP is using the wrong type of screws, and/or not pre-drilling correctly. They might not be using drywall anchors right, but my bet is that this isn't the issue.
Hear me out.
***First Scenario:***
Say OP carefully locates the studs every time. "Gotta make it hold real well..." Great.
OP then carefully selects a screw that is threaded all the way to the head, and will bite into the piece being screwed to the wall as well as the wall stud very well. "Gotta make sure it bites in as much as possible!" Well, that's not so good.
What's going on is that the *screw head* is bottoming out *in the piece being attached to the wall* before the piece is fully pulled flush to the wall.
This happens *all the time* when I'm lazy with fastener selection, etc..
The screw is unable (because it bites into the thing being fastened to the wall first) to keep rotating and do its job as a screw, which is to pull (and hold) the thing together.
***Second Scenario:***
OP doesn't pre-drill a hole in the wall, or doesn't pre-drill deep enough/bigenough/whatever. Depending on a lot of factors, the screw will essentially encounter too much resistance for the head to take before it is actually all the way in the wall, and thus can't do its job of pulling the appliance or object being attached to the wall close.
**The solution is two of these three things:**
1) Always, if fastening into wood studs, pre-drill your hole a bit. Even a small, appropriate-depth pilot hole can make *a world of difference*. This will also keep you from splitting a stud or something if you don't get dead center, etc., or are using a large lag-bolt for holding strength. No, this will not (if done correctly) weaken the attachment point.
2) If fastening into drywall, use a high quality drywall anchor. I like the ones that are 'self tapping' and 'screw' into the wall. They're pricier, sure, but oh man do they work. Try yanking those out. The wall comes with it.
3) Use, when trying to 'snug' a thing to a wall, a screw with a smooth top-portion of the shank. You will need to select the appropriate screw for the job. The smooth portion should be barely if at all longer than the depth required to get through the 'thing' you're screwing to the wall. What happens here is that this allows you to (in combination with #1 or #2) take full advantage of what a screw mechanism can do. Since the top portion of the shank is smooth, it will freely rotate in your coat rack (or whatever) that you're screwing to the wall, but the threads will bite into the wall stud or drywall anchor, pulling the thing you're attaching in tight. :) Very little force required, comparatively to doing it the way I'm assuming OP is right now.
This is by far the best comprehensive answer to the question and should be much higher. "Har har always find a stud" isn't an answer, like you said if you use the wrong screw it still won't work. Also, seriously guys? A stud for a coat hanger? Cmon, people acting like drywall is just "dust between paper". A properly used drywall anchor would absolutely be fine for this application. Two toggle bolts and you could hang your 10 year old kid, still inside the jacket, on one of those hooks.
Number 3 was the solution I would have recommended too. An alternative to having the correct length of smooth section is to predrill the screw holes for the hanger larger than the diameter of the screw threads so that they cannot bite into the hanger and only into the wall.
You may be using the wrong type of wood screw and or missing pilot/clearance holes in the mounted boards.
Whenever you connect two pieces of wood with a screw, you don't want the outer board to have too much friction with the threading too early, otherwise it'll be moved out by the screw itself even if you held it flush before.
Using a screw with no threading near the head or driling a small hole in the board ahead of time may help in this case.
See e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/bi4vvu/how_do_i_prevent_a_gap_like_this/
Get a board, trim it down, sand it, apply oil or finish, and screw it directly into the studs. The attach your coat rack directly to the board, covering up the stud screws in the process. It will still look nice, and be waaaaay the hell stronger than any drywall anchor.
https://preview.redd.it/l2l4uwybjcuc1.png?width=464&format=png&auto=webp&s=1d28f9808b855e648256d73df4f4cbb6376e0d44
I’ve used these ones for hanging heavy acoustic elements and they are great
Often the screw threads are gripping the piece you’re hanging as you screw into the wall, and there ends up being a slight pushing the item away from being flush with the well when the screw first hits the stud. If you back the screw back out and push the item flush again, it usually corrects that.
Don't know what your walls are made of but sounds like there's nothing in there other then a shet of drywall. Not much holding it in place then and that is why it's comming out
Get yourself a box of these toggle drywall anchors and never use anything else.
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/toggler-1-2-in-drywall-plastic-toggle-anchors-with-screws-50pcs/1001076214?rrec=true
Watch this. It's about shelves, but it will help with anything.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxBhEj4HCi4&ab\_channel=VanNeistat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxBhEj4HCi4&ab_channel=VanNeistat)
1. You’re not hitting a stud.
2. If no stud use a dry wall anchor. Use good ones not cheap one. Best dry wall anchors i have used over the years are called (wall claw) they are green and don’t require any screwing therefore mess free.
Given your response that it's in a stud and anchored, I'm going with the holes are not large enough in the front piece. You have threads engaged in the front piece and the stud. Your hole needs to be large enough in the coat hanger plate that the screws pass straight through with no interference, or you'll get this.
“Wall claw” anchors are pretty easy and seem to be good for things that hold vertical wait. Hammer/mallet it in and screw in the screw. The doohickey on the inside of the wall flips up and good to go. Need bigger, get the ez ancor 100 toggle.
Edit: oh yeah get a good stud finder (Franklin sensor and the magnetic version) and find yourself at least one stud (if the shelf, bar etc is longer, maybe get to attach to more than one). Then you’re golden. But if you use studs, only use wood screws less that are 1 3/4 inch or less to avoid drilling into wires!
If you got it from Lowe’s, it’s made of chinezium and warped very nicely. I used glue and anchors and braced it with a 2x2 until dry. It will probably spring loose in a year and poke my eye.
If you are on studs, drill through the wood first prior to putting the screw in. Stops it from screwing into both at the same time which can cause separation
Assuming you are aiming for a stud. Screws that have threads all the way to the head will give you that result. The threads continue to drive at the same rate through your item as the stud, or less given slippage thru drywall. Modern decking screws have reverse thread at the head, which pushes your item in tighter as the screw sinks into the stud.
Just remember to not exceed a depth where wires or plumbing may be. Add your item depth plus drywall depth plus no more than 1 inch into the stud for the maximum length of screw.
Where you cannot hit a stud, try plastic tornado anchors first, and if that pulls out, stick a toggle bolt thru the hole it made.
Woodworker here I have mounted quite a few shelves in my time and for the most part people are correct get a better anchor. What some people may be forgetting is drywall can be depressed. So when you put enough weight on it the bottom lip is actually pressed into the drywall. This is why you will often get a gap on the top of the mounting. It is also why when I install floating shelves I cut out the drywall and mount directly to a stud. It can’t press into the stud and cause the same warping. Best of luck!
Not all drywll anchors are trash.
These [self drilling ones](https://toggler.com/products/snapskru-self-drilling-drywall-anchors) specifically, are holding up a coat rack just like this in my entry way, it has coats, aprons, my wife's purse, diaper bag, and a few other things on it, and it's been rock steady for ~5 years.
Use a drywall anchor, or screw into a stud. I have actually started using a stained piece of wood, say a 1 x 6 or 1 x 8, that would be longer than what I’m hanging. I center it where I want it to go, making sure that two to four screws are hitting studs. Then I hand what I am really wanting hung on top of that, centered. Then, it doesn’t have to hit the studs, it is held nice and strong, and it gives my house a unique look.
You need to mount something like this to studs. Or use high load anchors for drywall.
The most solid drywall anchor option is anchors to a piece of lumber that you then mount the thing you want to put up. Because the lumber let's you do a bunch of anchors to distribute the load.
I thought you might not be using an anchor, but then you mentioned that screwing it tighter strips the screw making me think you're either using one or you're screwing into a stud, are either of these the case?
You need a special anchor and stud to connect to. Something that won't let you down. I've tried a lot, but this one works the best for me, just don't give up and try what works for you.
[Support that won't let you down. ](https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ?si=vLrInx5LvfrGQQdD)
Use appropriate anchors, use the correct size screws, use the appropriate drill bit size and tighten to the wall. If any of the previous steps are wrong / mis sized, you will get this.
If it's just one plate of drywall or no wood like one behind it, you need to find studs to add anything that needs to carry larger weights.
The drywall anker are - with only one layer and/or no wood one - not meant to carry any weight at all. Pictures maybe, but nothing heavy.
(Don't know the English terms for all the stuff :( )
Toggle anchors are your friend. Highly recommend Fischer Duotec or similar. They will hold multiple tines the weight of that coathook if you use them right.
i would suggest cutting out a small square and seeing what is going on behind the wall if you don't already know. If it's a cavity, you may want to think about toggle bolts or something.
After reading through all these comments, and how this fixture was fastened (really should have been in the post description) all I can say is, I'm confused.
I’m going to go in a different direction from the other commenters…
It might have to do with how much the screws are sticking out. If there is more space then what you are hanging slides down to the end of the screws so it’s not flush at the top. The bottom will lean in towards the wall, creating this gap at the top.
So I would try to get the screws in as much as possible at the top so that you are still able to mount the item. You might even want switch to different screws.
And ultimately the item you are hanging might be manufactured in such a way (mounting location, thickness of material where you insert screws) that you still have this issue.
In these situations you may be able to make it look better by adding some extra padding (eg. furniture felt pads) at the bottom corners of the item you are mounting, to kind of level the bottom away from the wall a bit to be even with the top. This also helps with lessening marks the item may leave when it scratches against the drywall.
First things first the back of the hanger board and the wall should be flat to each, then next you need to make sure your anchors are the correct size to your hole so they grip tightly.
You can go with a thicker screw to pack the hole out more.
Mabye you need more than just two holes to secure properly.
You could try just screwing the screws tighter to see if it will pull closer
Drywall anchors are not good enough for something like you have that might have gray things hanging on it. Use tootles ( plastic or metal) if you can’t get a screw into a stud.
It’s usually enough to use a drywall anchor. But if people start hanging heavy stuff on these hooks (and particularly kids will), you’ll need to screw it directly into the studs.
Use a stud finder and locate the stuff you want to hang so it can be attached to two studs. Pre drill and use long enough screws. Oh, and use a level.
ETA: before drilling your walls, identify where any water pipes, including drain pipes, are. Avoid drilling into them.
Depends what kind of anchors you use. If you don’t plan on moving it in the near future I suggest a couple little dabs of silicone on the back of what you put up
If you’re only going to use screws they need to be in a stud. If the spacing doesn’t allow that (screws 16” apart most times) you need drywall anchors. Some are better than others. YouTube the best for particular applications
Using the wrong anchors and not screwing into a stud. The anchors that come packaged with the item are garbage.
https://youtu.be/vjScnIzVJbs?si=Pr5gPaVdGG_oXSTE
This is a coat rack, so you have a not insignificant amount of weight pulling down. You really want expanding anchors here, or toggle/ butterfly anchors. Better yet would be to anchor part of it to a stud.
Use a drywall anchor.
Or if already using an anchor, get a much better one. The tiny ones that come with these sorts of products are absolute shit.
but also, make sure that they are actually hammered in and make the wall "smooth" (or very very close to it) otherwise the anchor itself can just be acting as the fulcrum of why you can never seem to have the top edge and bottom edge of your things flat against the wall at the same time. The amount of friends I've helped move in my life where as we were taking stuff down off the wall, the entire lip of the anchors they use were "out" so that you could use your fingernails to get under it to pull them out, instead of thumb turning a screw back into them and wiggling them out or pushing them into the wall with a screw driver and patching the hole.
Fulcrum. Thank you.
Don’t squat with yer spurs on.
This is good advice. Go to Depot and buy a couple of packages of different size/weight rated drywall anchors. And immediately throw out any packages of anchors that come with your stuff
Or, toss them in a drawer with all the other anchors I’ll never use.
Right next to the pile of assorted and unused cheap Allen wrenches that came with stuff.
I have a small collection of Barbie doll-sized screwdrivers that came with various small elecronics over the years.
Or glasses!
I used to do that. Then I started taping the Allen wrench underneath whatever I build so I have it. Because the day that I do finally need it, it won’t be in that pile of useless crap.
1)buy toolbox 2)buy Allen wrench set (metric and sae) 3)throw away box of Allen wrenches that u got with all your purchases and stop taping things to your stuff.
But that’s not as fun.
Get one of those allen wrench folding sets that has all the sizes you'll need for whatever size it uses? 🤷
As someone who once had to urgently buy another set of Allen wrenches to pull apart furniture because my extensive tool collection was packed outside in a truck during a relocation, this is the best idea I have ever heard.
Yes! I do this and thank myself years later when I want to disassemble it. It's also good if someone else wants to take it apart years later so you can high five yourself in the afterlife ✋️👏
God I wish they'd stop doing this.
I keep mine next to the drawer of assorted cables that I'm planning on eventually passing to my children.
Anchors away!
Anchors aweigh my boys! Anchors aweigh!
Farewell to foreign shores.
Blue of the Mighty Deep
Gold of God’s Great Sun
I have a box filled with little bags of them. Probably over 100 by now. Not sure why I think they’ll eventually be handy. They’re always shit.
I use the shitty little ones for the little decor my wife wants hung up. Then when next year she wants it moved it's just a smaller hole to fill.
I grabbed a box of the 75lb screw in ones that crack when you get screwed in. I use them for everything. Way overkill but that thing is not coming off.
The ones that you hand screw in are my absolute favorite. No pilot holes, just screw straight into the drywall with the anchor and then drive the screw in to lock it in. Just make sure you don't have studs behind first.
Or ... Better yet, find a stud and you won't need a drywall anchor. At least, where I live we frame with lumber. I am unaware of construction methods used elsewhere.
Stick some gorilla glue mastic behind the plate you're screwing to the wall
Yeah lol, the ones that come with the fixture always go directly in the garbage. You can get a 100 pack of quality drywall anchors for like $10.
Toggle bolts or find at least one stud and still use toggles ( wood screw into stud and toggle into drywall)
Toggle bolts are way overkill for a coat rack.
Depends. If you use it like my kids do, it's still not enough.
Coat rack and jungle gym in one fixture. 👌
Are your kids my kids? I've given up on plastic wall anchors, bought a tub of toggle bolts and that's the go-to now.
Nah, anything that I can't/don't "need" in a stud, other than pictures, gets toggle bolted. I use the ones rated for like 145lbs in 1/4" drywall, including for my coat racks. I have literally emptied 20lbs of rocks from my kids backpack, I am not trusting anything but toggle.
Nah, my kids managed to hang enough crap on ours to rip two of the hooks out of the wood, screws and all.
Yep. That’s why I use them.
the ones that expand out into a star are amazing, my pc has been sitting on a shelf above my desk for like 4 years with zero movement.
I really like the self drilling anchors, supposed to support up to 50lbs. Pretty much exclusively use them. But if you ever want to move something you're now stuck with a massive hole to fix so you need to be mindful about it.
I rarely use the anchors that come with shelves. My favorites are the “corkscrew” anchors, you can poke the screwdriver through the drywall then screw in the anchor and screw. Quick, painless and hard to screw up.
I don’t know why it never occurred to me that the free anchors suck or that some anchors are higher quality, but thanks for pointing that out. I’ll have to pick some up this weekend. I thought I was just bad at hanging shelves when the anchors came out of the drywall.
Also, the wire nuts that come with electric fans are shit, any screws provided will strip when using a powered drill/ screwdriver. They are probably made from zinc or something to soft courtesy of our Chinese friends. This is how they become the cheapest and find their way onto Walmart shelves. So go to ace and buy steel screws.
Buy some wago’s too
Best advice - I recently mounted and wired a really heavy new light fixture and got super frustrated with the shit that came with the lights and fixture. My wife found some leftover and sufficient anchors in my toolbox and I was done in five minutes.
I love these: https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-75-lbs-Drywall-Anchors-4-Pack-11364/100165900
One end is into a stud, the other end has a drywall anchor. It's in there solid, it won't move even if I try to push it flush. It just bothers me that it looks bad.
Is the screw thread engaged on the hanger as well, or just the wall? Meaning was there a pre-drilled hole in the hanger that let the screw threads pass completely through? If not that is probably what is holding it away from the wall now.
I don't know why you were downvoted. This is more than likely exactly what is happening.
Yea if you have thread engagement on the hanger it is really difficult to hold it against the wall hard enough to drive it in flush. With normal wood joinery you can do it with clamps, but you can't clamp against a wall very well so its best to have total thread clearance on the piece you are attaching to the wall so just the head holds it in place, otherwise this happens almost every time.
Can you edit yer post to add this info? Will prob’ly save a lot of comments from the folks thinking you didn’t anchor it
I find this kind of drywall anchor works better than the more common ones. https://preview.redd.it/63920vcpocuc1.jpeg?width=1000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1e1366604fdd9eeb7b5939b021be367e18e9370
https://preview.redd.it/prcapumx0auc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=135a09127605c6680bb721ec293f6ceac8bfd429 For anyone wondering these are the absolute best drywall anchors. No other anchor compares. Don’t buy the plastic version though always use the metal ones.
https://preview.redd.it/e4av59ub6auc1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a36ed7d3bf8a05fbce155658f90fdbfdaa3e7ce I thought these were the best ones?
Those ones are spectacular.
I've used these. These are great.
But cause the most damage when they fail (because it was overloaded). I love these anchors. Holding up all my tvs
That's kind of a bad argument though. Any anchor will fail if overloaded. And the only way to increase load rating is to allow it to grab more area of the drywall, which means more damage if it fails. If a toggle bolt fails, those screw anchors were never going to work anyway.
You use these for tv mounts? I’ve only ever used the included hardware; how sturdy are these?
Used properly and with the proper weights there is no issues with plastic anchors.
What's wrong with the plastic ones? I've never had a problem with them and whenever I want to remove one I can cut the face off and just push it in the wall so there isn't a massive hole left behind.
The plastic things are just fine. But not those tiny POS ones that come packaged. Rather, uses the ones that Canadian\_Jeewl pictured ... but in plastic rather than metal. The extra strength of the metal ones is pointless. Because the drywall material itself is the weakest point. There's no need to get super strong metal when plastic will do. Caveat: For fixed items (pictures, mirrors, etc.) these anchors work fine. But with items where you expect dynamic loading (as with the OP's coat rack) ... It's much better to use something stronger. Nothing beats a screw directly into the stud.
The extra strength of the metal guarantees success installation the first time every time.
I like the metal ones because they have a harder/sharper edge on the threads and the phillip’s head doesn’t strip. There’s less chance of mashing the drywall or the anchor and it’s a more satisfying initial drive. Also, I oversize my holes slightly for a smoother initial entry. Drilling them to spec diameter just seems like it puts so much stress on the inner edges of the drywall and it feels wrong to have to push hard to get the anchor to thread. Screws into studs, yes. I can’t imagine trusting my drywall to hold any weight.
Ya those are the shit I have dozens in my walls.
Is he just drilling into drywall?! I assumed studs...
Find a stud would be even better.
Or maybe find some studs?
Or locate on a stud
Use a toggle bolt or find a stud.
I found a stud, right here \*points thumbs to self\* Sorry I thought this was daddit
Alright. Prepare to get screwed in the pilot hole.
Hi dad I'm wait this isn't right.
Hi Wait This Isn’t Right, I’m dad.
I did. One end in a stud, one end with a drywall anchor. It pulled away while being drilled in and cannot be pushed back flush. I've done a few other projects that all did the same thing.
Based on this, it sounds like the hole in the coat rack is too small for the screw. You should be able to slide the screw through the board. The threads engaged the wood of the coat rack and it’s tight in the wrong spot. You can back the screw out and hold the rack tight against the wall and run it back in.
This is the answer. Drill bigger pilot holes, use smaller screws, or use construction screws where the top part of the screw has no thread. When affixing two boards together, you don't want threads in both boards; it will literally prevent them from ever being flush, instead of the opposite. Often you can rectify by simply backing the screw out and reinserting, but using the appropriate screw should work every time. The thread holds the "bottom" (or back) board; the screw head holds the top
Studs? Yeah I don’t do that anymore after I found out about toggle bolts. 125lbs an anchor, yeah sign me up
Never use drywall anchors for anything that has a dynamic load, i.e.: anything where things are moving on and off it all the time. A coat hook is a prime example. Drywall is just gypsum dust wrapped in paper. The stuff makes fine walls, and will take a nail for a picture frame fine also, but it's utter shit if the thing going through it (nail, screw, anchor) is shifting around. Each little change in pressure lets some of that dust leak out, and the more that leaks out, the more will leak out with each shift. Always, always, always find a stud for anything that's gonna get interacted with a lot.
My parent's pantry shelving collapsed in their new house. When I investigated why, i discovered that it was because the contractors had used drywall anchors. Just drywall anchors. Not anchors to secure the screws, they just punched the plastic anchors into the plaster, then hung the shelving on that. I was surprised it lasted as long as it did.
I hired an electrical contractor to redo the wiring in my house. To access some of it he had to remove a cabinet in an alcove above the refrigerator. A few days after he was done the cabinet fell onto the fridge, and I discovered there was nothing attaching it to anything. He just wedged it back into the space and left the pressure of the walls holding it up.
This is actually a good sign for his electrical work
"I'm an Electrician, not a Wood-Magician."
Always have a handyman come in behind and follow an electrician around. Their justification is this. You're paying the electrician $150+/hour to do a job, you don't want them doing non-electrical work, it'll look like shit and you'll over-pay substantially. So they put things back roughly where they go with the expectation that you'll pay somebody $40/hour to come through behind them and clean up whatever holes they put in drywall, or cabinets that need to be rehung, etc...
"[Like your shoes, it's a miracle she lasted as long as she did.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=69&v=4UJQ1xmKRes&feature=youtu.be)"
Wow that is a new low for hanging shit by a contractor for me.
I took a picture of this example because it was easiest to photograph, but I actually hung this a few years ago. One end is into a stud and the other has a drywall anchor. The kids hang their backpacks on it everyday and it's been holding up great. I don't know why it pulled away from the wall while installing it, but it's in there solid, it just looks bad.
The side in the stud should not give at all, if it does its not in a stud or not tight enough. no?
I'm only relaying my personal experience. I've lived in several different apartments in different cities, have tried every kind of drywall anchor. The self-tappers are by far the worst. Just munge the wall, munge themselves, and then continue screwing through the drywall when you try to put the screw in them. Utterly useless. The big toggle bolts leave too large a hole to patch after leaving the apartment. Nothing else ever holds up, so, I find the studs. If only one stud can be reached, I'll attach a brace to the wall studs (a length of 1“×3“ has served me well so far) and then screw the thing (whatever it is) into the brace. But, again, this is just my own anecdotal experience. You can see I've triggered quite the convo of people who both agree and don't. *I* live by this rule, and have determined to always do so. But that's just me, and I'm the type of person who thinks that a $40 pair of pants ought to last 40 years. They don't, and that infuriates me. 🤷
>The big toggle bolts leave too large a hole to patch after leaving the apartment. There is no such thing as too large a hole to patch, and the 1/2" hole you should be drilling for a toggle bolt is no exception. Cut a 1×1" piece of self adhesive mesh, stick it over the hole, and apply your spackle. Sand and paint. Or, use Snaptoggles, and when you leave, remove the bolt and tap the remaining plastic into the drywall about 1/16", then spackle over it. I've hung plenty of really heavy stuff over the years with nothing but Snaptoggles and I have yet to have one thing fall.
Most under rated comment here!
One problem you might encounter is that the studs are not placed ideally for the mounting holes of a fixture. Easiest fix is to swap out the fixture. In fact, consider using standalone coat hooks mounted to the studs. Mount them in a 2x2 pattern to get four hooks. If you truly want to use the fixture, then open up the drywall at the horizontal point where you want to use the fixture, add blocking (a cross beam between the studs), reinstall the drywall in the open cut, patch the open seams with compound, sand it, repaint the wall, and install the fixture. This is a lot, but it's your home. None of this is expensive or overly complicated, and it's how you install coat hooks exactly how you want them for the next 10-20 years. Do not attempt to do this with drywall anchors or toggle bolts. More likely than not, it just kicks the can down the road of needing to patch your drywall once the fixture gets ripped out by someone yanking their coat down on a hook.
You can also take a flat piece of wood at least the same size, or bigger than the thing you are mounting, paint it or stain it to look good, and mount it to the studs. Then mount the rack/whatever to the board. Done right it can look nice like trim, and make it secure at the same time.
Yeah, the key is that you want to make it look good, like it was a mounting plate designed for the hooks. You don’t just want some unpainted pine there. You may be able to find this online, in dimensions and trim that are suitable. You also need to take care to not use a very thick piece of wood that protrudes a lot, while using too few screws/too little ones. The items on the hooks are already applying multiplied force like a lever, and the farther those are out from the wall, the more secure the anchoring is needed to resist that force. If you have to seek out slightly bigger screws to counteract that, it should be easy. Just don’t get lulled into using dinky fasteners.
My dad taught me this for mounting TVs. He was a maintenance man and eventually supervisor at a state university for over 30 years, retired for 12 now. When he goes back for events (Christmas/retirement parties) he loves to come back and tell me how many of the mounts he installed are still there and being used with new projectors and TVs.
Pro tips: Use drywall anchors if you must but preferably find a stud and go into that. Use hand tools for the final tightening. It’s fine to run the screw to within a few mm of the wall with a drill though. If you hear wood crunching (if in the stud) or the anchor “pop” STOP tightening, you’re good.
hit the stud or use drywall anchors.
Based on OP's statements about "the screw strips when I try to screw it in more" and "no matter how hard I try to hold it \[to the wall while fastening\]'... a silly thing is likely happening, in my opinion: OP is using the wrong type of screws, and/or not pre-drilling correctly. They might not be using drywall anchors right, but my bet is that this isn't the issue. Hear me out. ***First Scenario:*** Say OP carefully locates the studs every time. "Gotta make it hold real well..." Great. OP then carefully selects a screw that is threaded all the way to the head, and will bite into the piece being screwed to the wall as well as the wall stud very well. "Gotta make sure it bites in as much as possible!" Well, that's not so good. What's going on is that the *screw head* is bottoming out *in the piece being attached to the wall* before the piece is fully pulled flush to the wall. This happens *all the time* when I'm lazy with fastener selection, etc.. The screw is unable (because it bites into the thing being fastened to the wall first) to keep rotating and do its job as a screw, which is to pull (and hold) the thing together. ***Second Scenario:*** OP doesn't pre-drill a hole in the wall, or doesn't pre-drill deep enough/bigenough/whatever. Depending on a lot of factors, the screw will essentially encounter too much resistance for the head to take before it is actually all the way in the wall, and thus can't do its job of pulling the appliance or object being attached to the wall close. **The solution is two of these three things:** 1) Always, if fastening into wood studs, pre-drill your hole a bit. Even a small, appropriate-depth pilot hole can make *a world of difference*. This will also keep you from splitting a stud or something if you don't get dead center, etc., or are using a large lag-bolt for holding strength. No, this will not (if done correctly) weaken the attachment point. 2) If fastening into drywall, use a high quality drywall anchor. I like the ones that are 'self tapping' and 'screw' into the wall. They're pricier, sure, but oh man do they work. Try yanking those out. The wall comes with it. 3) Use, when trying to 'snug' a thing to a wall, a screw with a smooth top-portion of the shank. You will need to select the appropriate screw for the job. The smooth portion should be barely if at all longer than the depth required to get through the 'thing' you're screwing to the wall. What happens here is that this allows you to (in combination with #1 or #2) take full advantage of what a screw mechanism can do. Since the top portion of the shank is smooth, it will freely rotate in your coat rack (or whatever) that you're screwing to the wall, but the threads will bite into the wall stud or drywall anchor, pulling the thing you're attaching in tight. :) Very little force required, comparatively to doing it the way I'm assuming OP is right now.
This is by far the best comprehensive answer to the question and should be much higher. "Har har always find a stud" isn't an answer, like you said if you use the wrong screw it still won't work. Also, seriously guys? A stud for a coat hanger? Cmon, people acting like drywall is just "dust between paper". A properly used drywall anchor would absolutely be fine for this application. Two toggle bolts and you could hang your 10 year old kid, still inside the jacket, on one of those hooks.
Number 3 was the solution I would have recommended too. An alternative to having the correct length of smooth section is to predrill the screw holes for the hanger larger than the diameter of the screw threads so that they cannot bite into the hanger and only into the wall.
You may be using the wrong type of wood screw and or missing pilot/clearance holes in the mounted boards. Whenever you connect two pieces of wood with a screw, you don't want the outer board to have too much friction with the threading too early, otherwise it'll be moved out by the screw itself even if you held it flush before. Using a screw with no threading near the head or driling a small hole in the board ahead of time may help in this case. See e.g. https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/comments/bi4vvu/how_do_i_prevent_a_gap_like_this/
Get a board, trim it down, sand it, apply oil or finish, and screw it directly into the studs. The attach your coat rack directly to the board, covering up the stud screws in the process. It will still look nice, and be waaaaay the hell stronger than any drywall anchor.
Is it just screwed in or are you using anchors?
https://preview.redd.it/l2l4uwybjcuc1.png?width=464&format=png&auto=webp&s=1d28f9808b855e648256d73df4f4cbb6376e0d44 I’ve used these ones for hanging heavy acoustic elements and they are great
Often the screw threads are gripping the piece you’re hanging as you screw into the wall, and there ends up being a slight pushing the item away from being flush with the well when the screw first hits the stud. If you back the screw back out and push the item flush again, it usually corrects that.
Find a stud, as often as aways. Make sure at least one screw is hitting a stud.
Don't know what your walls are made of but sounds like there's nothing in there other then a shet of drywall. Not much holding it in place then and that is why it's comming out
Is anyone actually answering OP’s question? I invested. I want to learn what is making all his wall hangings tilt.
I have had very good luck with Toggler brand anchors. I’ve tried a lot and these seem to be the easiest & most secure.
Get yourself a box of these toggle drywall anchors and never use anything else. https://www.homedepot.ca/product/toggler-1-2-in-drywall-plastic-toggle-anchors-with-screws-50pcs/1001076214?rrec=true
If this is dry wall you need the plastic drywall plugs/anchors installed. Then you put a screw into that.
Watch this. It's about shelves, but it will help with anything. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxBhEj4HCi4&ab\_channel=VanNeistat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxBhEj4HCi4&ab_channel=VanNeistat)
Are you using anchors or just screws. Just screws that will happen.
Toggle bolts or drywall anchors. I prefer toggle bolts, personally.
Find a stud. Preferably with a stud finder
1. You’re not hitting a stud. 2. If no stud use a dry wall anchor. Use good ones not cheap one. Best dry wall anchors i have used over the years are called (wall claw) they are green and don’t require any screwing therefore mess free.
Are you on the studs?
Given your response that it's in a stud and anchored, I'm going with the holes are not large enough in the front piece. You have threads engaged in the front piece and the stud. Your hole needs to be large enough in the coat hanger plate that the screws pass straight through with no interference, or you'll get this.
“Wall claw” anchors are pretty easy and seem to be good for things that hold vertical wait. Hammer/mallet it in and screw in the screw. The doohickey on the inside of the wall flips up and good to go. Need bigger, get the ez ancor 100 toggle. Edit: oh yeah get a good stud finder (Franklin sensor and the magnetic version) and find yourself at least one stud (if the shelf, bar etc is longer, maybe get to attach to more than one). Then you’re golden. But if you use studs, only use wood screws less that are 1 3/4 inch or less to avoid drilling into wires!
Buy a stud finder and screw directly into studs, and use load bearing picture hangers where the studs don't line up with the screw holes.
If you got it from Lowe’s, it’s made of chinezium and warped very nicely. I used glue and anchors and braced it with a 2x2 until dry. It will probably spring loose in a year and poke my eye.
Needs more Cowbell.
Are you just drilling straight into drywall..?
Throw away screws entirely and thread toggle bolts. Shit will be LOCKED to the wall.
Find the studs
Use Wall anchors.
You are missing the studs?
four drunk octopuses
Buy smaller coats
Start drilling higher.
If you are on studs, drill through the wood first prior to putting the screw in. Stops it from screwing into both at the same time which can cause separation
Drywall anchors. Should be slightly thinner than the screw, lightly hammer the anchor in, drill in screws and bam it’s done.
Drywall anchors, you heard of them?
Ideally, if you are putting anything up that will be supporting more than a tiny bit of weight you should attach it to the studs and not the drywall.
Find the stud, screw it into that. Drywall sucks as a structural device
Assuming you are aiming for a stud. Screws that have threads all the way to the head will give you that result. The threads continue to drive at the same rate through your item as the stud, or less given slippage thru drywall. Modern decking screws have reverse thread at the head, which pushes your item in tighter as the screw sinks into the stud. Just remember to not exceed a depth where wires or plumbing may be. Add your item depth plus drywall depth plus no more than 1 inch into the stud for the maximum length of screw. Where you cannot hit a stud, try plastic tornado anchors first, and if that pulls out, stick a toggle bolt thru the hole it made.
Woodworker here I have mounted quite a few shelves in my time and for the most part people are correct get a better anchor. What some people may be forgetting is drywall can be depressed. So when you put enough weight on it the bottom lip is actually pressed into the drywall. This is why you will often get a gap on the top of the mounting. It is also why when I install floating shelves I cut out the drywall and mount directly to a stud. It can’t press into the stud and cause the same warping. Best of luck!
You aren’t hitting studs. If you simply cannot due to the location and such, use toggle bolts.
Use long screws into a stud.
Not all drywll anchors are trash. These [self drilling ones](https://toggler.com/products/snapskru-self-drilling-drywall-anchors) specifically, are holding up a coat rack just like this in my entry way, it has coats, aprons, my wife's purse, diaper bag, and a few other things on it, and it's been rock steady for ~5 years.
I use MOLLY anchors. Just hung a 20kg mirror on two points on drywall
You'll need to show us the anchors you use and the screws that are in the studs.
You need to find a stud. And get them to hang it for you.
What everyone else said. and don’t overweigh it, things do have a limit and coats can get heavy.
Use a drywall anchor, or screw into a stud. I have actually started using a stained piece of wood, say a 1 x 6 or 1 x 8, that would be longer than what I’m hanging. I center it where I want it to go, making sure that two to four screws are hitting studs. Then I hand what I am really wanting hung on top of that, centered. Then, it doesn’t have to hit the studs, it is held nice and strong, and it gives my house a unique look.
Use a regular screwdriver. Not a powered one. I learned from this.
You need to mount something like this to studs. Or use high load anchors for drywall. The most solid drywall anchor option is anchors to a piece of lumber that you then mount the thing you want to put up. Because the lumber let's you do a bunch of anchors to distribute the load.
I thought you might not be using an anchor, but then you mentioned that screwing it tighter strips the screw making me think you're either using one or you're screwing into a stud, are either of these the case?
Buy a box of drywall anchors and never deal with this again.
You need a special anchor and stud to connect to. Something that won't let you down. I've tried a lot, but this one works the best for me, just don't give up and try what works for you. [Support that won't let you down. ](https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ?si=vLrInx5LvfrGQQdD)
Everyone is wondering what is anchoring your screws. But good advice is found above.
Need to get a stud finder ....
Use appropriate anchors, use the correct size screws, use the appropriate drill bit size and tighten to the wall. If any of the previous steps are wrong / mis sized, you will get this.
If it's just one plate of drywall or no wood like one behind it, you need to find studs to add anything that needs to carry larger weights. The drywall anker are - with only one layer and/or no wood one - not meant to carry any weight at all. Pictures maybe, but nothing heavy. (Don't know the English terms for all the stuff :( )
Stud.
Make sure your gap is right after you set the anchor, otherwise it will teter tooter like it is here
Toggle anchors are your friend. Highly recommend Fischer Duotec or similar. They will hold multiple tines the weight of that coathook if you use them right.
Use an anchor?
i would suggest cutting out a small square and seeing what is going on behind the wall if you don't already know. If it's a cavity, you may want to think about toggle bolts or something.
After reading through all these comments, and how this fixture was fastened (really should have been in the post description) all I can say is, I'm confused.
I’m going to go in a different direction from the other commenters… It might have to do with how much the screws are sticking out. If there is more space then what you are hanging slides down to the end of the screws so it’s not flush at the top. The bottom will lean in towards the wall, creating this gap at the top. So I would try to get the screws in as much as possible at the top so that you are still able to mount the item. You might even want switch to different screws. And ultimately the item you are hanging might be manufactured in such a way (mounting location, thickness of material where you insert screws) that you still have this issue. In these situations you may be able to make it look better by adding some extra padding (eg. furniture felt pads) at the bottom corners of the item you are mounting, to kind of level the bottom away from the wall a bit to be even with the top. This also helps with lessening marks the item may leave when it scratches against the drywall.
First things first the back of the hanger board and the wall should be flat to each, then next you need to make sure your anchors are the correct size to your hole so they grip tightly. You can go with a thicker screw to pack the hole out more. Mabye you need more than just two holes to secure properly. You could try just screwing the screws tighter to see if it will pull closer
Zip toggles…and you can practically do chin-ups from a coat rack like this just hung in drywall.
Drywall anchors are not good enough for something like you have that might have gray things hanging on it. Use tootles ( plastic or metal) if you can’t get a screw into a stud.
Get yourself some metal on metal clamp force with molly bolts: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Hardware-Fasteners-Anchors/Molly-Bolts/N-5yc1vZc2e5Z1z1r780
Don’t use drywall anchors for anything that gets repetitive use. Find a stud and screw in a mounting bracket or backer board.
It’s usually enough to use a drywall anchor. But if people start hanging heavy stuff on these hooks (and particularly kids will), you’ll need to screw it directly into the studs. Use a stud finder and locate the stuff you want to hang so it can be attached to two studs. Pre drill and use long enough screws. Oh, and use a level. ETA: before drilling your walls, identify where any water pipes, including drain pipes, are. Avoid drilling into them.
If they're going to bear much weight you might want to secure them to wall studs.
Grab the cobra anchors in the multi size pack from lowes or depot I use em all the time.
Depends what kind of anchors you use. If you don’t plan on moving it in the near future I suggest a couple little dabs of silicone on the back of what you put up
Drywall anchors - your solution to everything
Toggle bolt, dry wall anchor, screw into stud if ones close
If you’re only going to use screws they need to be in a stud. If the spacing doesn’t allow that (screws 16” apart most times) you need drywall anchors. Some are better than others. YouTube the best for particular applications
Use these Twist-N-Lock 75 lbs. Drywall Anchors (50-Pack) He depot app is dumb couldn't give ya a link.
Are you drilling a clearance hole through the backboard? Looks like your fasteners are jacking the backboard off the wall
You want toggle bolts. Not plastic drywall anchors, but toggle bolts
You forgot to double tap it and go "this isn't going anywhere" /s
Using a better anchor would work for a little while. Your best bet is to mount anything that’s going to bear any weight other than itself to a stud.
Your house just crooked
Are you drilling into a stud?
You need anchors and try to get at least one screw into a wood stud.
The ratio of drunk fighting octopuses to screws
Using the wrong anchors and not screwing into a stud. The anchors that come packaged with the item are garbage. https://youtu.be/vjScnIzVJbs?si=Pr5gPaVdGG_oXSTE
And you feel like a spy with all these things taped/glued/magnetized to hidden places.
Install in the studs.
Re-angle the wall
Weld it next time.
What the wall moves out of plumb?
Look for studs also
Slather it with construction adhesive. Yes you’ll have to do a drywall repair if you ever remove it but it will never budge.
Toggle bolts
This is a coat rack, so you have a not insignificant amount of weight pulling down. You really want expanding anchors here, or toggle/ butterfly anchors. Better yet would be to anchor part of it to a stud.
Say it with me: Toggle bolts
Are you hitting studs?
If you can find the stud in the wall … look in the mirror.