Heavy items such as pedestal sinks, large furniture, and kitchen wall cabinets should not be installed on the wall with drywall anchors. Instead, attach heavy items firmly to wall studs.

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Turn the anchor until it is flush with the drywall paper. Do not twist too hard or you risk stripping the head of the anchor.

Consult the instructions on the drywall anchor package to select the correct size of drill bit. If you do not have the instructions, estimate the bit size by comparing the bits to the shaft of the sleeves.

With one hand, pull the bolt and its attached item toward you. You should feel the wings touch the back of the wall. Maintain this pressure. With the other hand, use a screwdriver or drill to turn the bolt clockwise.

Place a Phillips or flat-head screwdriver in the notched head of the anchor. Turn clockwise. Apply firm (but not hard) pressure, to draw the anchor into the drywall.

If the anchor head strips or otherwise cannot be removed, tap it about 1/8 inch into the wall, cover with drywall compound, then paint.

The anchor's plastic sleeve has a flange that rests flat against the face of the drywall. Use the flathead screwdriver to pry up the edge of the flange.

You don't need a power drill to install anchors. You can create a pilot or guide hole by using a nail or screw and a few hammer taps. Once you get the hole started and start twisting the screw into the anchor, like an expansion anchor, it splits the anchor's body to hold it in the drywall.

Remove the item and screw from the anchor. Place a screwdriver end onto the notched head of the anchor. Turn counter-clockwise until the anchor is free.

If the sleeve resists, do not continue to tap. Instead, remove it, drill a slightly larger hole, then insert a new sleeve.

If the bolt is attached to the wings, detach it. Slide the bolt through the hole in the item you want to attach to the wall.

An anchor can fail for several reasons, including the item you're hanging is too heavy, the hole for the anchor is too big, the screws going into the anchor are not the right size, and the drywall (or plaster) is old, damaged, and not stable enough. You might need to replace it with a screw-in anchor, a molly bolt, toggle bolt, or another hollow-wall fastener.

Push the sleeve into the hole by hand. If the sleeve is tight, gently tap it with the hammer until it is flush with the drywall.

Weight restrictions are your primary reason for not using drywall anchors. If you're mounting heavy items, locate the wood studs and mount your item using them. Studs are spaced every 16 to 24 inches. Drywall anchor packaging will list limitations and often require a certain wall thickness to be effective. Most drywall is a 1/2-inch inch thick. Never use a drywall anchor on ceilings unless it's made for that purpose.

You'll need the plastic sleeve anchors plus the provided screws. For tools, use a flathead or a Phillips screwdriver, drill, driver bits, a set of drill bits, and a hammer.

Drywall anchors help you attach items to walls when wood studs are unavailable behind the drywall. Made of fragile gypsum and paper, drywall tears away when it's unsupported. Learning how to use drywall anchors lets you install wall shelves, pictures, towel bars, or light cabinets easily and safely.

Compress the wings until they are flat. Slide this into the hole. You may feel or hear the wings snap open once they are in the hole.

With a screwdriver, turn out the bolt counter-clockwise. The wings will drop into the wall. Remove the item from the bolt.

For nylon (plastic) anchors, create a small start hole by tapping a nail into the drywall's paper. Metal anchors do not need a start hole as they are strong enough to create a hole on their own.