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Looking for advice on replacing a wall anchor Christopher Nelson 05-17-2007
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Posted by Christopher Nelson on May 17, 2007, 8:05 am
I have a curved shower rod ( http://tinyurl.com/2pfbw7 ) held up with
four wall plugs like http://tinyurl.com/2h8z87 . Don't ask me how but
one and only one of those plugs seems to be pulling out. (I know it's
easy to torque the rod but how can only *one* of the anchors pull
out?) In any event, I need to repair this before it comes completely
out. I
can't move the rod so I've got to repair the hole or put another
fastener in the same place.

I've considered taking the whole thing down, removing the lose anchor,
filling the hole with spackle or paster of paris, and starting over.
And I've considered using a molly or something that, I hope, would
open behind the back paper of the plasterboard and distribute the
stress of the rod over a large area. Any recommendations?

Chris


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Posted by Kate on May 17, 2007, 8:47 am
Hey Chris,

I've hadsomething similar happen. Sometimes it can be as simple as the hole
that the anchor is in is just a wee bit too large.
It happens with plastic anchors and curtain rods, towel bars, anything that
gets pulled on a little. I hate plastic anchors for that reason.
Patching the hole and going right back into it will likely pull out the
first time you use it again.

I would try a molly BUT be certain that you get one that is the correct size
for the thickness of your wallboard. If they are too small they will break
the wallboard from the back and weaken it so that when it does (and it will)
pull out it will take a huge chunk with it.

We installed a towel bar in a guest bath and I didn't think about this. So,
when my brother came to visit and used the freshly remodeled bathroom the
first time, the towel bar pulled out and left holes the size of silver
dollar. You should have seen his face.. poor guy.

We went in behind that wall through a closet and cut holes in the sheetrock
so that we could access the back of the damaged wall. Then we mounted wood
behind it that was 1" thick, 4" wide and 10" long. We used liquid nails to
hold it up and then put a four screws in from the other side going through
the undamaged sheetrock into the wood near the four corners.
After patching and re-painting the sheetrock in the closet we went back to
the bathroom and patched and re-painted the wall in there. Luckily it was
fresh enough that the paint just blended right back in. The closet needed to
be painted anyway so it gave me an excuse to freshen it up.

It's strong enough now that a three year old can yank a towel off of it and
I don't ever worry.

Best of luck to you!

Kate
O|||||||O

I have a curved shower rod ( http://tinyurl.com/2pfbw7 ) held up with
four wall plugs like http://tinyurl.com/2h8z87 . Don't ask me how but
one and only one of those plugs seems to be pulling out. (I know it's
easy to torque the rod but how can only *one* of the anchors pull
out?) In any event, I need to repair this before it comes completely
out. I
can't move the rod so I've got to repair the hole or put another
fastener in the same place.

I've considered taking the whole thing down, removing the lose anchor,
filling the hole with spackle or paster of paris, and starting over.
And I've considered using a molly or something that, I hope, would
open behind the back paper of the plasterboard and distribute the
stress of the rod over a large area. Any recommendations?

Chris



Posted by Christopher Nelson on May 17, 2007, 12:59 pm
> I've had something similar happen. Sometimes it can be as simple as the hole
> that the anchor is in is just a wee bit too large.
> It happens with plastic anchors and curtain rods, towel bars, anything that
> gets pulled on a little. I hate plastic anchors for that reason.

Well, this isn't just a little plastic sleeve that expands a little as
the screw goes into it. It's one of those big things with threads on
the outside that you screw in first then put your screw into the
middle of it.

> Patching the hole and going right back into it will likely pull out the
> first time you use it again.

Yeah. :-(


Posted by Norminn on May 17, 2007, 12:17 pm
Christopher Nelson wrote:
> I have a curved shower rod ( http://tinyurl.com/2pfbw7 ) held up with
> four wall plugs like http://tinyurl.com/2h8z87 . Don't ask me how but
> one and only one of those plugs seems to be pulling out. (I know it's
> easy to torque the rod but how can only *one* of the anchors pull
> out?) In any event, I need to repair this before it comes completely
> out. I
> can't move the rod so I've got to repair the hole or put another
> fastener in the same place.
>
> I've considered taking the whole thing down, removing the lose anchor,
> filling the hole with spackle or paster of paris, and starting over.
> And I've considered using a molly or something that, I hope, would
> open behind the back paper of the plasterboard and distribute the
> stress of the rod over a large area. Any recommendations?
>
> Chris
>
A new anchor put into spackled patch would have no strength at all. If
the rod is secure, I would leave it alone .. unless you can find a molly
that will fit through the mount and not stress it when you fasten it.

Is the loose fastener on top or bottom of bracket?

A quick and dirty fix might be to put some caulk into the hole and then
insert the screw - it might dry with enough holding power and the caulk
working like a "nut" on the screw.

Posted by Kate on May 17, 2007, 1:54 pm



A quick and dirty fix might be to put some caulk into the hole and then
insert the screw - it might dry with enough holding power and the caulk
working like a "nut" on the screw

I had a thought along those lines too, thinking Gorilla Glue because it
expands...
Don't know if it's a good idea or not.

Kate
O|||||||O.



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