Honestly, I think half of us are just hoping the laws of physics take pity on our shelves.
That’s about the most relatable thing I’ve read all week. Hanging anything in an old place is like a trust fall with your walls—sometimes you land softly, sometimes you end up with a pile of drywall dust and a bruised ego. I’ve found that sometimes even the “right” anchors don’t behave if the wall’s already patchy or crumbly underneath.
One trick I’ve picked up: if you can, try to find a stud (easier said than done in these older rentals, I know). If not, spreading out the weight across multiple anchors—even if they’re not perfectly lined up—can help. Sometimes just going one size up on the anchor makes a surprising difference too. But honestly? There’s no shame in “good enough” and keeping the heavy stuff closer to the floor. At the end of the day, if it’s up and it’s not falling down, that’s a win in my book.
I get what you mean about “good enough”—sometimes that’s the best you can hope for, especially in these old places where a stud finder just laughs at you. But I’ve had a few surprises where even spreading out the anchors didn’t help because the whole section of wall was basically just old plaster and air. Ever tried those toggle bolts? They’re a pain to install but have saved my bacon more than once. Still, I’m with you—if it stays up and doesn’t take out half the wall, I call that a win.
Yeah, toggle bolts are a total pain but sometimes they’re the only thing that’ll do the trick. I’ve had my share of crumbling plaster walls where nothing seems to hold—anchors just spin in place, and you start questioning your life choices. Funny thing is, I used to obsess over finding studs too, but in these old houses, half the time the “stud” is just a chunk of wood floating in the void.
Honestly, if you’ve got something to stay up without cracking the whole wall, you’re doing better than most. I’ve learned to just accept “good enough” sometimes. Not everything needs to survive an earthquake, right? As long as the shelf isn’t sagging or the picture frame isn’t on the floor, I call it a success. If toggle bolts are working for you, stick with ’em. Sometimes all you can do is cross your fingers and hope the wall gods are feeling generous.
Honestly, if you’ve got something to stay up without cracking the whole wall, you’re doing better than most.
That line just about sums it up. I swear, half my job is managing expectations—both mine and the wall’s. Here’s the thing about load distribution: it sounds fancy, but in practice, it’s just “will this thing fall on my head or not?” If you want to play it safe, I always tell folks to spread the weight out as much as possible. Big ol’ bracket? Use two or three anchors instead of one. Got a wobbly wall? Grab a piece of plywood, screw that sucker into whatever passes for studs, and mount your shelf to the plywood. Instant load spreader. Plus, it kind of looks like you meant to do it.
Not gonna lie, sometimes I just stare at the wall and think, “Is this good enough?” Nine times outta ten, it is. The tenth time? Well, that’s why we have spackle.
I’ve definitely had those “is this good enough?” moments, especially with older plaster walls. Sometimes I wonder if we overthink it—like, is there really a magic formula, or is it just trial and error? Ever tried those French cleats for heavier stuff? I’m curious if they actually make a difference or if it’s just another thing to fuss over.
