Everyone says drywall anchors are fine, but I found concrete screws work way better for hanging heavy shelves

Last month I wanted to hang a giant bookshelf in my living room and kept reading online that toggle bolts or those plastic anchors would hold it just fine. I got frustrated after the third anchor stripped out in my old plaster walls and I was standing at Home Depot staring at everything. On a whim I grabbed some Tapcon concrete screws and a masonry bit even though my walls aren't concrete at all. Turns out these screws bite into the wooden lath behind the plaster way better than any anchor I have used. The shelf has been up for 5 weeks now with like 40 pounds of books on it and it hasn't budged a millimeter. Has anyone else had way better luck using masonry screws in old plaster walls instead of the standard plastic anchors?

3 comments

3 Comments

ray_martinez821mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait, you used concrete screws in old plaster walls with lath behind them?

rowan_thomas841mo agoMost Upvoted

Bought a whole box of Tapcons last month thinking I was being smart. Tried one in my 1920s dining room and it just spun around like a tiny angry drill bit. Ended up with a hole big enough to hide a secret snack stash in there.

the_simon1mo ago

Hang on, you're talking about the Tapcon style screws, right? @ray_martinez82, I gotta say those are a total gamble in old plaster. The lath is usually softwood or just thin strips, so those screws can crack the plaster or just spin out without grabbing anything. I've seen guys use them and the wall looks fine for a week, then boom, a big crack shows up. You're better off with toggle bolts or those old school lead anchors, they actually spread out the weight behind the lath instead of trying to bite into it.