How to hang heavy things on drywall with no studs
Standard wall anchors and screws fail under heavy loads without wood studs to bite into, leaving homeowners unable to mount items where they want them without risking a collapse. Using heavy-duty toggle bolts or specialized wall anchors distributes the weight behind the drywall to secure large objects safely off-stud.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
- This comes up 21.1× more often in r/HomeImprovement than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Opening the wall to add blocking between studsDid this help you?
- 2Mounting a piece of plywood across multiple studs and screwing the item to the plywoodDid this help you?
- 3Using heavy-duty wall anchors or toggle boltsDid this help you?
- 4using 3M command stripsDid this help you?
- 5drilling specifically into the mortar joints instead of the bricksDid this help you?
- 6using alternative plastic anchorsDid this help you?
- 7seeking in-person helpDid this help you?
- 8using wall studs instead of anchorsDid this help you?
- 9trying different types of anchors or toggle boltsDid this help you?
- 10Using molly or toggle boltsDid this help you?
- 11Using drywall anchors or wall mounting hardwareDid this help you?
- 12Finding wall studs to drive screws intoDid this help you?
- 13Jamming cut-up toothpicks into loose holes to create tension with the screwDid this help you?
- 14Mounting the TV directly into studs using lag boltsDid this help you?
- 15Using metal toggle or butterfly anchors where studs cannot be hitDid this help you?
- 16Installing a 2" thick backer attached to studs or a surface-mounted plywood boardDid this help you?
- 17Using studless TV mountsDid this help you?
- 18Using toggle bolts in drywall instead of attaching to studsDid this help you?
- 19Manually locating studs by pounding the wall and testing with a nailDid this help you?
- 20Leaving lightweight furniture unsecured if no children or climbing pets are presentDid this help you?
- 21Avoiding the studs entirely for lighter itemsDid this help you?
- 22Using self-tapping sheet metal screws without pre-drillingDid this help you?
- 23Using toggle bolts through the studs for more holding powerDid this help you?
- 24Using the standard plastic wall anchors included in the installation kitDid this help you?
- 25Considering toggle bolts for acrylic enclosuresDid this help you?
- 26Using toggle bolts instead of standard provided anchors.Did this help you?
- 27Drilling new holes in the cleat to ensure at least one screw hits a stud.Did this help you?
- 28Patching the failed holes with spackle and moving the mounting location slightly.Did this help you?
- 29Adding feet to the shelving unit so it rests partially on the floorDid this help you?
- 30Installing a horizontal support beam attached to the few available studsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“My cat likes to perch on and sleep on this hanging cat tree, but the nail keeps slipping out. I keep having to put a new hole in the wall each time this happens.”source ↗
“The directions that came with this thing didn't provide or even mention wall anchors. That would have been helpful to know before. I don't do stuff like this normally so I barely know anything about these things haha”source ↗
“For context, I am so challenged when it comes to wall structures. I use all the proper hanging tools but for some reason my brain just cannot understand the build and what that actually requires for successful hanging so any tips are appreciated 🥹”source ↗
“I’m in a 1950’s brick with plaster. I’ve been pretty hesitant to permanently hang things unless I’m REALLY sure or it’s something REALLY valuable to us.”source ↗
“Trying to hang a picture in our 1950 mudroom.”source ↗
“Would I just get a longer screw to go through the brick and plaster? I'm worried about drilling into mortar.”source ↗
“Like I said in my description… I’m so not knowledgeable with this stuff.. I don’t know what an anchor point is and barely understand the science behind a stud. I feel like I’ll just need in person help for this one 😅 heavy shelf with books/wall”source ↗
“Is it normal for dry wall plastic anchor have this distance from the wall?”source ↗
“I tried removing it by hand and it doesnt seem to come off easily.”source ↗
“Do I risk destroying the whole wall by using the TV in this support?”source ↗
“Definitely used them incorrectly.. they were real legit toggle bolts. But I think the thread might’ve been bad. Also I don’t know if I’m even using the right bits to do this. There’s so many questions I have that I feel like I’ll probably just need to find in person help 🥲 (bookshelf)”source ↗
“I recently purchased a wall cabinet to mount in the bathroom, and it required anchors to hang the wall cleat because I didn’t have studs in the area I could leverage.”source ↗
“the wall anchor process didn’t go well and the screw would not grab hold of the anchor inside the wall.”source ↗
“I’m assuming I shouldn’t try and leverage the same holes that I just spackled shut.”source ↗
“I’ve never hung anything this large and heavy. It has to go in the spot it is and there is no stud that would keep it right in the exact spot that my wife wants it.”source ↗
“So what heavy anchors/toggles do you guys recommend since there is no stud I can hit.”source ↗
“i bought a 9 cube organizing shelf from target and i was planning on just having it stand close to a wall. instructions are saying it must be secured to the wall stud and i bought it without knowing it'd call for that.”source ↗
“my only concern is it randomly tipping over. can i use it without the stud or am i just better off returning it?”source ↗
“i don't own a drill or a stud finder and don't know where my studs are, i just wanted to make a shelf and use it for my knick knacks and figures.”source ↗
“I'm installing a Delta Portwood shower door and it wasn't until I started drilling into the enclosure when I realized that there isn't a stud.”source ↗
“So now I'm stuck on one side without a stud and I only have the plastic anchors that come with the kit.”source ↗
“Unfortunately, the studs in the wall are not centered where the cabinet would be. Would 3 of these 75-pound anchors really be enough?”source ↗
“Currently everything hanging on my wall is light enough that I've been able to get away with just avoiding the studs cause every time I've tried to drill a hole I just hit a stud and the drill goes nowhere, but now I wanna put up some shelves for some books.”source ↗
“ah yeah, metal studs are a pain. self-tapping screws work but for bookshelves i'd be careful, the studs themselves are thin and can twist under weight if you're not anchored right.”source ↗
“I just installed a frameless glass shower door with the same issue - stud on one side only. The plastic anchor was shit and the screw was constantly moving and loosening it...”source ↗
“I was hoping to put books on these shelves and want to know if it will be able to hold the weight of books with mostly drywall anchors across the entire wall?”source ↗
“I built a banquette frame with 2x4's and need something to fasten a cleat to the cinder wall to prevent it from scooting across the floor.”source ↗
“I thought molly/toggle would do the trick but didn't realize they only support about 150lbs and apparently, with people sitting on the bench and leaning back, a lot of lateral force is applied.”source ↗
“What anchors should I consider for hollow cinder blocks?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Rental-friendly ways to hang decorations without damaging venue walls
- 3Stud finder mistakes refrigerant line for stud when hanging shelves
- 7How to anchor heavy shelves or curtain rods in old plaster and lath walls
- 2Shelf brackets or hooks don't match wall stud spacing
- 2How to attach a new TV to an existing wall mount
- 5How to run cables through a wall without cutting drywall