French cleats are great, but sometimes even those need a little backup if the wall’s sketchy.
Honestly, I’ve had French cleats pull right through crumbly plaster before—still can’t believe it. If you’re dealing with old lath and plaster, I swear by using a combo of toggle bolts and spreading the load wide. Sometimes I’ll even hit the baseboard if it’s solid enough. Not pretty, but it works.
Honestly, I’ve had French cleats pull right through crumbly plaster before—still can’t believe it.
You’re not alone—old walls have a mind of their own. I once tried to hang a reclaimed wood shelf on what I thought was a sturdy spot, only to hear that slow, heart-dropping crack a week later. Ended up patching the wall and using toggle bolts like you mentioned. It’s not always pretty, but sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got. Spreading the load is key, even if it means getting creative.
Honestly, I get the urge to just spread the load and hope for the best, but sometimes I wonder if we’re overthinking it with all these anchors and cleats. I’ve had better luck just tracking down a stud—even if it’s not perfectly centered—and letting the shelf be a little off. Maybe that’s my impatience talking, but patching up craters from failed anchors gets old fast.
Have you ever tried adhesive mounting for lighter stuff? I know it sounds sketchy, but there are some heavy-duty options out there now that actually hold up, especially if you’re just putting up art or small shelves. It’s not a fix-all, but sometimes it saves a lot of headaches (and wall repair). Curious if anyone else has had luck with that, or if I’m just tempting fate...
Man, I hear you on the crater patching—nothing like trying to hide a failed anchor hole behind a picture frame and pretending it never happened. I’ve actually used those adhesive strips for lightweight stuff, and honestly, they’re better than I expected. Hung a spice rack with them once (don’t judge), and it stayed put… until summer humidity hit. Let’s just say my oregano had a rough landing. For art or tiny shelves though, they’re a lifesaver if you’re not dealing with anything heavy or valuable. Just don’t trust ‘em with your grandma’s china.
Honestly, I’ve had mixed luck with those adhesive strips too. Sometimes they’re solid, but I’ve had a couple picture frames nosedive after a few months—maybe my walls just hate me. If you’re patching up holes anyway, I’d go for proper anchors for anything you care about, even if it’s a pain. The extra effort seems worth it... at least for stuff you don’t want crashing down mid-dinner. Humidity’s a beast though, you’re not wrong there.
