French cleats are such a double-edged sword, right? When they work, it’s magic—when they don’t, you’re left staring at a wall that looks like it’s been through a meteor shower. I’ve had better luck with them on newer drywall, but old plaster just crumbles no matter what. For patching those monster holes, I swear by mixing up my own eco-friendly joint compound (a little baking soda in the mix helps with texture) and using mesh tape. It’s not perfect, but at least I’m not adding more plastic to the landfill... and the wall usually forgives me after a couple coats.
Load distribution with French cleats can be a real pain, especially on old walls. I’ve run into that same plaster issue—sometimes it feels like the wall’s just waiting for an excuse to crumble. Here’s what I usually do: first, I always try to find studs, even if it means shifting the whole cleat setup a few inches. Anchors in plaster are hit or miss, and honestly, I don’t trust them for anything heavy.
For patching, your baking soda trick is interesting—I’ve only ever used standard joint compound, but I might give that a shot next time. Have you ever tried using plywood backers behind the plaster? Sometimes I’ll cut out a section, screw in a piece of 1/2" ply between studs, and patch over it. It’s more work up front, but then you can anchor the cleat right into something solid.
Curious—how do you decide when to go all-in on reinforcement versus just patch and hope for the best? There’s always that balance between overbuilding and just getting it done...
Man, I totally get the urge to just patch and hope for the best, especially when you’re staring at a wall that’s already seen better days. I’ve done the plywood backer thing too—feels like overkill until you hang something heavy and it actually stays put. Sometimes I’ll just go for reinforcement if it’s anything I’d be upset about crashing down. Otherwise, yeah, I’ll risk it with a patch and cross my fingers. It’s always a judgment call...
Honestly, I get the temptation to just slap a patch on and hope for the best, but I’ve seen too many “quick fixes” come back to haunt folks down the line.
Thing is, even lighter stuff can pull out over time if the wall’s already compromised. Sometimes a little extra work upfront saves a lot of cursing later—especially if you’ve got old plaster or crumbly drywall. I’d rather overbuild than have to redo it when something rips out.“Sometimes I’ll just go for reinforcement if it’s anything I’d be upset about crashing down.”
I hear you on the “overbuild” approach—been there, done that, especially with these old walls where you never quite know what’s lurking behind the paint. I’ve learned the hard way that even a small shelf can pull out if there’s nothing solid to bite into. The temptation to just patch and move on is real, but it’s usually a short-term win at best.
One thing I’ve noticed with my place (built in the 1920s) is that plaster over lath doesn’t behave anything like modern drywall. You think you’ve got a good anchor, then months later you find your coat rack on the floor and a chunk of wall missing. Reinforcement is almost always worth it, but sometimes I wonder if I’m going overboard—like, do I really need toggle bolts for every picture frame? Probably not, but after patching enough holes, I get paranoid.
Curious how folks decide when “good enough” is actually good enough. Do you trust those plastic anchors in crumbly spots, or do you always hunt for a stud? Sometimes it feels like half the battle is just figuring out what’s behind the wall before you even start hanging anything. Anyone else ever cut open more wall than planned just to be sure?
I guess my question is: when do you call it quits on reinforcing and just accept some risk? Or is it always worth doubling up if you’re dealing with questionable surfaces?
