How much weight can screws in drywall hold?

Question

I've always had the question of how much weight can a single screw into a drywall withstand?

For instance, I would like to do things like this:

It's hung with 5 screws. The whole thing weighs approximately 50kg (110 pounds) so we can say that each screw holds approximately 10kg (22 pounds).

The person who installed it said it was fine, but is it really?

Do somebody know a study or some numbers regarding how much weight this material can stand?

EDIT: Just to clarify, it's not screwed to the studs. It's screwed to the drywall.

Answer 1

It's always better to attach it to studs - which should certainly be possible with something that big. That said though, you might be surprised how much a drywall anchor can hold.

How well they work depends on the load though. They will work best with a static downward load - a fixed weight close to the wall pulling directly downward.

They will work much worse with loads that pull down and outward (like a shelf) or dynamic loads where the weight changes regularly causing the fastener to loosen up. Something like a toilet paper holder represents the worst of both worlds - it sticks out from the wall with the weight at the end, and you produce a dynamic load on it whenever you pull on the TP roll.

Answer 2

There are several kinds of drywall anchors and they each have their own weight rating. Some work by drilling a small hole and tapping in a plastic sleeve and others work by drilling a bigger hole and screwing a plastic sleeve and there are others where you drill a hole and the metal butterfly expands behind the drywall know as molly bolts (thanks comments!). Recently I saw anchors where you drill a 1 inch hole in the drywall and this big contraption grips the inside of the drywall (wish I could remember the name). Anyway, each of the big drywall anchors could hold over 50 pounds!

The positive response got me to go dig for those contraptions. Turns out they are made by Moen and they're called SecureMount. I have the Moen SMA3000 and they really are just a bigger version of toggle bolts (spring loaded metal wings that fold and have a long machine screw).

I also found this useful link that has pictures and describes all the types mentioned (except the SecureMount of course . . . those are new and very much a niche product).

Answer 3

If you go to the British Gypsum website (the UK leading dry lining manufacturer) you can download a PDF called the 'white book', this covers everything dry lined related and is what contractors have to work to to comply with tested systems etc. I'm going from memory, but I recall that with a standard 12mm dry lining using typical rule plugs you can hang 5kg per fixing, this increases to 7kg for 15mm. These figures are low but allow worst case for a cantilever type load. Clearly hitting the stud is the thing to do as so much more robust. Hope that helps

Answer 4

For hanging something that wide, you'll have at least a few studs behind it to anchor to. So it's not a matter of how much weight the drywall can hold. Anything heavy like a floating entertainment center should definitely be screwed into studs. I'd have to disagree with Rom though that a toilet paper holder needs a stud. Something light like that should be fine as long as you use drywall anchors rather than regular screws.

Answer 5

Personally I wouldn't risk it. I found a company called Grip It Fixings and bought their Type 25-2 and secured my Samsung 50 inch TV with four fixings each with a maximum load of 180 kg.

Answer 6

As everyone else has indicated, it is not as simple as throwing out a single weight or weight range and having it be a universal truth.

Keep in mind, the major manufacturers are constantly trying to improve their products while they trim costs of production. In a perfect scenario, you get a product that not only performs beyond your needs, but leaves some money in your pocket.

Most manufacturers will provide all the information you could want about their products. USG for example has a fantastic form that should allow you to get a good idea of what features you need to look for and what sizes of materials you should use. (This is NOT an endorsement of USG specifically. I don't own stock, nor do I sell their product. I'm simply pointing out a decent example of the information available.)

Simplest answer in the free world: put your screws in studs whenever possible, and when you use anchors, don't buy cheap.

Answer 7

You can do things like this without relying on drywall only to support it. Find studs in the wall (buy a studfinder) and screw into them.

While I don't know exactly how much one can hang on a screw in the drywall, I wouldn't hang anything on it. Drywall is an extremely brittle material. This means that even if something hangs on it just fine, a small shock (for example of a closing door) can spread cracks from around the tension points (screws). This means that with time the shelf will either drift down under its own weight, or most likely will fall off. In short: don't do it. I wouldn't hang a toilet paper holder just on the drywall.

Answer 8

It depends upon the type of drywall anchor (as noted in other answers). It also depends upon the thickness of the drywall itself. Typical drywall thickness for walls is 3/8"; ceilings are usually 1/2". There is also 5/8" drywall which is generally for very large sheets on ceilings. In certain industrial applications, two (2) 1/2" sheets are used everywhere.

It will also depend upon the spacing between studs (ie: 12" stud spacing will support a heavier load than 24" spaced studs, all other factors being equal).

And of course, this doesn't begin to talk about concrete backer-board and other specialized wall materials.

Answer 9

The picture it is a entertainment center. The TV is attached to that not the drywall. Being in construction for 40 years and a drywall specialist no you should not hang heavy items on drywall without proper anchors or it will not last for a long time.

Answer 10

Here is the link, as mentioned previously, to the British Gypsum website.

I am from the UK, so it's very useful for me - but you can convert to Imperial.

I have found it incredibly useful for putting my mind at rest regarding how much my plasterboard can hold. I now have three shelves up with home heavy books and they are not going anywhere!

http://www.british-gypsum.com/literature/white-book/technical-performance

Answer 11

Always hit studs when you can. If this hit a few studs it will not have a problem at all. Where you have to anchor to drywall, use toggle bolts if heavy, if something like a picture and frame, use a plastic anchor.

Answer 12

All of your answers are correct except in my case.I had a service call today and 30x36 in communication cabinet was coming off the wall. I needed to resecure it. There was a 4x8 sheet of 5/8 plywood also attached to the drywall behind the cabinet. After 2 years the butterfly bolts gave way from the customer opening and closing. I rescue the cabinet. But now the cabinet has a slight downward pitch. Why? Because the steel studs and drywall are slowly weak in over time. All was hung correctly so the famous last words are it will be fine or should be fine. So in the future if you hang something heavy and expensive have a carpenter reinforce the wall to sustain a heavy load.especially if it's a 70 80inch t.v they weigh about 140lbs with the wall mount bracket.