Wall and Floor Anchors

Using the correct anchor is really the key here. Let’s go over each one.

The HWH Tapcon These have a hex head and are used to go into concrete, block, or brick. Fantastic holding power and with the hex head you would use an impact power driver to install them. They come in small to really big sizes. Like any Tapcons, you’ll have to pre-drill the hole with a special size drill bit. Don’t think you can use something that looks close enough. It just won’t work.

Phillips Flat Head Tapcon Another great choice by Tapcon. I would mainly use these to anchor wood to the floor or wall. Concrete of course. Use a power impact driver. And you’ll need that special size drill bit.

Wedge Anchors For concrete, block, or brick, and when I need something bigger and when I really need it to hold I’ll use a wed anchor. Again depending the size of the wedge anchor will depend on the size of the hole you’ll drill. Pretty simple to install. You simply drill the hole, bang it down in the hole through whatever it is you’re securing and hammer it in tight. Then tighten the nut all the way tight. My go-to anchor.

Sleeve Anchor These are good for concrete. Either on the floor or wall. Yes, you could use these on block, but you’ll want to make sure the block is concrete-filled. The problem using these on block that isn’t filled in, the voids in the block. Once you drill the block into a hole that isn’t filled the anchor has nothing to grip. That’s why I say concrete, it’s solid and will hold nicely. Mainly I use these to install a metal door into a concrete wall.

Toggle Bolt Now these have been around a long time. They are good, but like many anchors, they do have their limits. So basically you make a hole in the wall or whatever really that hollow on the other side, like a sheetrock wall. But only a hole just big enough for the butterfly once folded back (collapsed) to fit in in the hole, pushing it right through until it’s in the empty space where it springs open, and then just tighten the screw, and you’re done. These come in many sizes. But not real big.

EZ Anchors These are pretty cool. But hey only for some things like sheetrock. No drilling at all. You simply use a Phillips screwdriver and turn in clockwise right into the sheetrock and with the screws that come with it you’re all set. They make these in metal and plastic. I have to say I’m not really a fan of the plastic ones.

Drop-in anchor These work pretty well. For concrete only. Simply drill the correct size hole, drop it in, and with a punch you bang down the plug, in the anchor. That will cause the anchor to expand and lock in. However, I have seen these fail.

Lag Shield I consider these old school, but they do work and work well used the correct way. Simply drill the hole, drop it in, and with the correct size lag bolt and it’s going to hold very well. They come in a whole bunch of lengths and sizes. I keep these in my work truck all the time. Well, really I keep all types of anchors. Never know right.

Mushroom Spike Now these are awesome. But again for the proper application. Concrete again, really simple to use. They come in different sizes and lengths. So let’s say you’re installing a 2×4 to a concrete wall. You would use a mason bit and drill right through the wood and into the concrete. Keeping the holes aligned you would hammer the spike right in the hole you just drilled all the way down into the wood. Done right, there is no way you’re going to get it out.

Nail in Anchor They do work and work well. Can be used for concrete, block, or brick. Just like the above mushroom spike, but these have a pin that gets driven down expanding the anchor nice and tight. I also keep these in my truck at all times. Again, once installed they do not come out.

Anchor Bolts And a good example of how these are used would be to anchor your house to the foundation. You install them into wet concrete, usually from the top.

Molly Anchor. Not something I use very often, but needless to say they do work and work well. Mainly used to secure something in sheetrock. Pretty simple to use. Make a hole slightly smaller than the molly and push it right in. Tighten the screw down until it completely compresses it. That will tighten up nicely and then you will have that screw to hang whatever you want. I mean within reason of course.

Plastic Anchors Oh boy here go on plastic anchors. Let’s do this by color ok. First let’s knock the junky ones right where they belong, in the trash can. These will be from left to right. The white, blue, green and orange ones. The only ones you want to use are the yellow, red and blue ones. These can be used in anything. And they do work very well. However, they do have their limitations.

So let’s say you’re installing a shelve on a concrete wall, these would not be my choice. However, within limits, they would work well in a sheetrock wall. And like other anchors, they do come in many sizes.

VIDEO COMING SOON