Towel rack ripped out of wall.. how to repair?

[Injury]

The towel rack in my bathroom has worked its way out of the drywall that it was attached to. If it wasn't renting the place I'd rip the thing out and put a new one in that wasn't a cheap piece of crap but alas... I can't. It's a single bar rack with two screws holding it to the wall.


It was put into the wall with those screws into little blue plastic anchors, but one end has torn away from people yanking the hand towel off it.

What should I do to repair it? As far as I care, it just has to hold up for a couple of months because I'll be gone by then, but I can't imagine it being too hard to just do it RIGHT. Do I patch the holes with some sort of plaster and then put the anchors back in? Do I just find bigger anchors?

I can provide pics if necessarry later tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks

 

[XMan]

Get some bigger anchors, tap them in with a hammer, and screw it back in. No biggy.

 

[Hyperlite]

so the anchors tore out of the wall? i'd say try and find some beefier anchors.

 

[0roo0roo]

yea much beefier anchors are needed for a towel rack. those things are bound to be pulled on.

 

[mattlear]

Buy some toggle bolts - they will do the trick.

Dry Wall Fasteners

-Matt

 

[DrPizza]

Go to the hardware store and ask them what type of anchor they recommend. Personally, I'd go with the metal anchors that expand/mushroom out really wide in the back when they're screwed into for the first time. Those are about the strongest anchors that I can think of for just holding onto drywall.

 

[drnickriviera]

Use this type
http://www.naturalhandyman.com...ffastener/i/zipit1.jpg

 

[boomerang]

If none of these answers seem feasible, supply pics.

 

[smack Down]

Just glue the damn thing back in the day before you move out.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Use screw type anchors if the holes are the same or smaller than the anchor shank. Other wise, try toggle bolts as suggested above.

 

[se7en]

Originally posted by: smack Down
Just glue the damn thing back in the day before you move out.

Epoxy ftw!

I would just glue it too.

 

[Midlander]

Originally posted by: se7en

Originally posted by: smack Down
Just glue the damn thing back in the day before you move out.

Epoxy ftw!

I would just glue it too.

Glad you guys don't rent from me.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: Midlander

Originally posted by: se7en

Originally posted by: smack Down
Just glue the damn thing back in the day before you move out.

Epoxy ftw!

I would just glue it too.

Glad you guys don't rent from me.

This suggests that I should be more diligent with my rental inspection before I return any damage deposit to my tenants.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: mattlear
Buy some toggle bolts - they will do the trick.

Dry Wall Fasteners

-Matt

You can probably get away with a much smaller hole with a Molly.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: NoShangriLa

Originally posted by: Midlander

Originally posted by: se7en

Originally posted by: smack Down
Just glue the damn thing back in the day before you move out.

Epoxy ftw!

I would just glue it too.

Glad you guys don't rent from me.

This suggests that I should be more diligent with my rental inspection before I return any damage deposit to my tenants.

No, this suggest land lord shouldn't be such a little bitch about stupid shit getting broken and you wouldn't have epoxy in your walls.

 

[WolverineGator]

First, rip out the wall on which the towel rack hangs. You'll notice there is no wood where the towel rack was installed. Egad! That's the problem!

Second, buy lots of 2x4's to fill up all the empty space with wood floor to ceiling. Then, buy new drywall and hang it up. Apply drywall 'mud' for final finish. Use wood screws to reinstall towel rack.

Do chin-ups on towel rack and marvel at how sturdy it is!

 

[xanis]

Construction adhesive is your friend.

 

[se7en]

Originally posted by: NoShangriLa
This suggests that I should be more diligent with my rental inspection before I return any damage deposit to my tenants.

Yes you should as I have done much worse than that. I can give you a list of some of the BS I have gotten off with when I was broke and in college. I won't as it might make you cringe just a little thinking about it as a landlord.

 

[Pardus]

get some sticky putty, once you let it dry. it bonds to the wall and becomes like cement. seen it for sale at hsn.com

 

[jupiter57]

Originally posted by: drnickriviera
Use this type
http://www.naturalhandyman.com...ffastener/i/zipit1.jpg

FTW!
There is NO BETTER drywall anchor made (Excluding toggle bolts, which require a huge hole & are a big hassle to use).
I use the metal ones myself, I've been using them for ~15 years now, never felt the need to try anything else since I discovered them.
You would be amazed at how much they will hold.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: se7en

Originally posted by: smack Down
Just glue the damn thing back in the day before you move out.

Epoxy ftw!

I would just glue it too.

Well, I can't imagine anchors being much more expensive than a tube of epoxy, so I might as well do it right. I'm not so cheap that I can't fork out $5 to fix something that I legitimately broke... whether the people before me wore it down or not.

 

[iamwiz82]

Billy Mays to the rescue!

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: NoShangriLa

Use screw type anchors if the holes are the same or smaller than the anchor shank. Other wise, try toggle bolts as suggested above.

This answer is the best.

 

[bctbct]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft

Originally posted by: NoShangriLa

Use screw type anchors if the holes are the same or smaller than the anchor shank. Other wise, try toggle bolts as suggested above.

This answer is the best.

yep, epoxy is not going to bond to drywall very well.

 

[marvdmartian]

1. Go here.
2. Scroll down ~2/3 the way down that page, until you get to the section describing

Sleeve-Type Hollow Wall Anchors...
a.k.a. Molly Bolts

Take notes. Go to Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, wherever......get a couple of those......go back home, and install your towel bar into the wall with the new hardware you just bought.

IMHO, people (including, ESPECIALLY landlords!!) who install towel bars and other items like that, that they know will get yanked on repeatedly, with those POS plastic anchors, DESERVE to have that crap yanked out of the wall. Plastic anchors are designed for light weight items, that will not see a large amount of stress. Sadly, I've seen people use them to hang shelves, then wonder why the shelf fell off the wall once they started putting thier stuff on it! :roll:

The reason I recommend these over toggle bolts is that you can remove the screw with these, and the anchoring piece still stays in the wall. Once you remove the bolt from the wall with a toggle bolt, the toggle piece falls down inside the wall, and you're standing there wondering how the fvck you're gonna get that now?