I’m a DIY whizz & you’re hanging mirrors and pictures all wrong – there’s a RIGHT way to use wall plugs for starters
HANGING pictures and mirrors is a seemingly easy task, but it appears most of us have been doing it all wrong.
And after making the mistake himself and seeing many others repeat it, one man has taken it upon himself to correct everyone.
Kenny “Woodworking” Chan, from Toronto, shared an informative video on his social media channel, explaining how to use wall plugs before demonstrating it.
Panning over a selection of wall plugs, including a multipurpose rimmed one, a universal plug and a toggle anchor, he said: “You’ve been using these drywall anchors incorrectly all this time.”
“Here’s the wrong and the right way to do it,” he continued.
He then showed a thin slab of drywall that stood vertical, where viewers could see both sides easily.
“This is quarter inch drywall,” he went on. “After drilling the hole, insert the anchor and start driving in the screw.
“Most people, including myself, would have actually stopped driving in the screw at this point and then would have just hung the frame directly off of the screw or used some metal wire.”
He showed how the screw was three quarters of the way in, leaving just enough space for someone to put a picture frame hook on it.
“This is what I’ve been doing incorrectly for years,” he admitted. “If you’re just hanging a picture frame, it’ll probably hold.
“But for a floating shelf or a towel rack that sticks out the wall, the anchor might actually come loose and fail over time.
“So here’s what you need to do…”
He explained that instead of stopping with a little gap in between the screw and the wall, people should keep screwing it in, far after it looks like it’s all the way there.
“Keep driving and rotating the screw, even though it looks like it won’t go in any further. The magic is actually happening behind the drywall.”
Showing the back, viewers saw how the plastic anchor then curled in on itself, securing the screw in place.
“Certain anchors create shapes to provide more secure attachment,” he wrote over this.
He said: “This anchor is creating a knot,” before driving in the toggle anchor in and adding: “This anchor is opening up its wings.”
“After driving the screw, let’s say for about five seconds extra, just reverse the screw a little until you have space to mount your picture frame,” he added.
In the caption, he wrote: “I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been doing it wrong for many years”.
And in the comments section, he went on to say: “NOTE: Every drywall anchor has a different installation method, so test it out before you install them!!”
People were left impressed with @woodworkingchan’s video as one person wrote: “super good info. 10/10 recommend just buying metal ones instead. No more broken or stripped plastic anchors.”
Another shared: “Fml I was confused when my curtains fell.”
While a third said: “This is very important information!”