Ledger boards definitely work, but have you ever tried using French cleats for heavy stuff? I’ve had better luck with those in old plaster—less patching, and you can spread the load across more surface area. Sometimes I’ll even inject a little construction adhesive behind the lath if it’s loose (not always textbook, but it’s saved me a few times). Honestly, toggle bolts make me nervous on crumbly walls... they feel solid at first, then suddenly you’re holding a chunk of plaster in your hands. Anyone else get that mini heart attack when drilling and the bit just sinks right through?
That sinking drill bit feeling is the worst—like, you brace for resistance and then it’s just... gone. I’ve had plaster crumble around toggle bolts too, and patching’s never fun. French cleats have been a game changer for me, especially when I’m reusing salvaged wood. I’ll sometimes back them with a strip of cork to help spread the pressure and dampen vibrations. Not exactly standard, but it’s saved a few walls in my old place. Load distribution still trips me up sometimes, but I guess that’s half the fun—figuring out what works without wrecking the wall.
- Totally get what you mean about that drill bit moment—it's like, "wait, where'd the wall go?"
- French cleats are a lifesaver, but I never thought to use cork behind them. That's clever.
- For load distribution, I sometimes use a thin plywood backer behind the cleat, especially on crumbly plaster. It spreads things out a bit more, though it can look a little chunky if you're not careful.
- Still, even with all the tricks, some walls just seem determined to fight back. Half the fun, half the headache...
Funny, I’ve run into the same issue with plaster—sometimes it feels like you’re hanging stuff on a bag of chips. I’ve tried toggles and even liquid nails in a pinch, but it’s always a bit of a gamble. Has anyone ever just given up and built out a false wall for heavy stuff, or is that overkill?
Title: Load Distribution on Plaster Walls—False Wall Overkill?
Has anyone ever just given up and built out a false wall for heavy stuff, or is that overkill?
Honestly, I think building a whole false wall is a bit much unless you’re hanging something truly massive—like a wall-mounted TV that weighs as much as a small child, or a bookshelf full of hardcovers. For most stuff, you can usually get away with finding the studs (if there are any) or using some of those heavy-duty toggle bolts. Plaster’s tricky, yeah, but if you take your time and pre-drill, toggles can hold more than you’d expect.
I’ve seen folks go the false wall route, but it usually ends up being way more work (and money) than it’s worth. Plus, you lose a couple inches of space, which adds up in a small room. I get the frustration though—it really does feel like you’re mounting into a bag of chips sometimes. I’ve had anchors just spin in place or crumble the plaster, and then you’re left patching holes and cursing under your breath.
One thing I’ve tried is using wood cleats or French cleats—attach them across multiple studs (if you can find them), then hang whatever you want from that. It spreads the load and doesn’t rely on the plaster at all. Not always pretty, but it works.
Curious if anyone’s had luck with those epoxy anchor systems? I’ve only used them once for a heavy mirror, and it seemed solid, but I wasn’t totally confident long-term. Still feels like overkill for most things, but maybe I’m just stubborn about not giving up on the original wall.
Anyway, unless you’re dealing with something super heavy or valuable, I’d say false wall is usually more hassle than it’s worth. But hey, if you want peace of mind and don’t mind the extra work, go for it. Just don’t expect it to be a quick fix.
