What screws to use to hang shelves?

What you will need to put up floating shelves. Screws or fittings: 50mm screws and plastic Rawlplugs if fixing to concrete or brick, 40mm screws if fixing to wooden joists, or 65mm metal plasterboard anchors is fixing to plasterboard.

The general rule of thumb is that the screw should enter at least half the thickness of the bottom material, e.g. 3/4″ into a 2 x 4.

As a general rule, it’s always ideal to install shelf brackets into wall studs. However, it can be difficult to install brackets directly on a wall stud In that case, we recommend using a toggle anchor (which are available for purchase here).

Remove the screws and put the first bracket into place. If the shelf is on the heavier side and you weren’t able to find a stud, install a wall anchor. Re-insert screws into the brackets and tighten until each bracket is secure. When screwing the brackets into place, make sure not to over-tighten them.

9 and 10 screws are the most common for studs, and driver tips should correspond with those screw sizes.

Since the purpose of a drywall anchor is to stabilize a screw, it must be at least one size bigger than the screw. … They each work well and are intended for the same purpose of stabilizing items hanging in unsupported drywall, but metal anchors are often sturdier and better to use with extremely heavy items.

Screws with a diameter smaller than 1/4″ have a nominal size indicated by a number (e.g. #8 or #10). 1/4″ and larger diameters are shown as inches. The diameter refers to the major diameter, or outside edge, of the threads.

Use three 3″ screws for 2×6 headers, four for 2×8, etc. Like laying out walls and joists, use two 3″ screws for each 2×4 intersection. If two or more studs are parallel to each other, screw them together every 24″.

For Metal studs use metal drill bits and preferably self tapping screws or metal anchors to attach things. For Wood studs use regular wood drill bits and drill 1inch into a stud for a secure hold. You can drill Pilot Holes first to see if you are actually drilling into stud or if you simply get stuck.

You should use screws long enough to engage the stud one half the length of the screw. For example, if the wallboard is 5/8″ thick and the bracket is 1/8″ thick then you want a screw that is at least 1–1/2″ long.

Screw anchors are inserts, typically made from plastic, metal, or fiber, which enable the attachment of screws into brittle materials — such as masonry or dry wall.

The screw should be a #8 or #10 size screw and penetrate the wall stud at least 1″ to 1.5″. Make sure to accommodate the thickness of the wall covering such as 1/2″ drywall when selecting the screw length.

Hold the level against the wall at the height you want the shelf. Remember that the top of the shelf will be above your marks. Adjust the level until the bubble is centered, and mark the keyhole locations on the wall. Then install anchors or drive the screws into the studs and hang the shelf.

A screw in a stud can hold between 80 and 100 pounds. Be sure to distribute the weight across as many as you can. The easiest way to increase the amount of weight a screw in a stud can hold is to simply double up.

2×2’s are actually 1.5″ x 1.5″, so the screw should be shorter than that distance plus the thickness of board you are using (1/2″ or 3/4″), taking into account how far countersunk the screw is.

Coarse drywall screws feature coarse threads to secure drywall boards to studs. Fine drywall screws feature smaller heads and are used to secure drywall to metal studs. Self-drilling screws and pan-head screws can be used with metal studs or frames.

If you want to hang a picture correctly, so it never falls off the wall, you need to use screws with metal or self drilling plastic wall anchors. If you do not use a wall anchor with the screw, when someone slams a door or something similar happens, the screw will pull out of the drywall and the picture will fall.

You can identify a 10-32 screw by measuring the diameter at exactly 3/16″ (4.76 mm). 12-24 rack screws are more common than 10-32 in pre-threaded racks. They are slightly larger and courser than 10-32 hardware. The number “12” is a size designator with no numerical meaning.

To measure the diameter of screws and bolts, you measure the distance from the outer thread on one side to the outer thread on the other side. This is called the major diameter and will usually be the proper size of the bolt.

Larger gauge numbers indicate screws with thicker shafts. While utility screws are typically #8 or #10 gauge, steel wood screws are available in a much wider selection of gauge diameters.

SizeNominal Thread DiameterDecimalNearest Fractional#100.190″3/16″#120.216″7/32″* Nominal thread diameter is measured on the outside of the threads per ASME B18.6.3 For more information about how to measure diameter see our Measuring Fastener Diameter page.

A 4 gauge screw will have a head that is approximately 4mm wide. This is actually quite complicated, as was pointed out by Paul, one of our readers! Here is a more concise explanation of the relationship between gauge (imperial), diameter (metric in mm) and Head size.

Using 3-1/2 in. long 16d nails to secure a hanger to a wall ledger gives you added strength. The long nails bite into the framing members behind the ledger for maximum holding power.

The primary reason your screw won’t go into the wood is that it’s reached a particularly dense section of wood, and needs a bit more force. To mitigate the issue, drill a larger pilot hole, use a better quality screw, or get a more powerful drill/driver.

Wood screws are sharp-pointed screws for nonstructural, wood-to-wood fastening. Wood screws have coarse threads and an unthreaded shank near the head, which allows the screw to pull the wood pieces tightly together.

Wood screws directly into a stud are going to be many times stronger then drywall anchors. When you have hit a stud, use a screw. When you are just in the drywall, use a drywall anchor. Drilling out the strong wood to replace with weak plastic doesn’t make any sense.

As a result, you’ll need a longer size wood screw to help secure joints at the end of boards. This is one of the most common types of construction I do in the shop — attaching a sheet of 3/4″ plywood to a carcass made of 3/4″-thick lumber. The #8 x 1-1/4 screw is perfect for bringing these two boards together.

Plastic anchors protect walls and wall hangings. When you need to hang something on a wall and there’s no stud in the right spot, plastic wall anchors may be the solution. Also called expansion anchors, they reinforce a screw in the wall surface so it can’t easily be ripped out.