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Can I use drywall screws with plastic contraption 3/8" diameter to put a TV on the drywall?

What is the load limit for 1 inch drywall and how many screws and how close apart they can be put to carry 60..65 lbs TV ?

Tester101
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Never mount a TV to drywall. Find some studs and mount it there.

Tester101
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electricsauce
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I have a 50" plasma mounted on no studs. I used 10 toggle bolts and it is rock solid. I would not do this with an arm mount though, just a flat mount.

Evil Elf
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    -1 for inferring just becasue your less than optimal mounting has not failed yet that it is good enough for someone else. Always mount heavy things on walls by going into the studs. If necessary to have mount points between studs then suface mount 2x thinkess material across the studs and attach that to the studs. In turn mount the beacket onto the added 2x material. Make sure the added material is not cheap junk like MDF, particle board or OSB. – Michael Karas Feb 08 '13 at 06:21
  • Some of you people on here act like mounting a TV is a procedure that needs to follow city code. The thing weighs around 60 pounds... There are houses you have probably been in that haven't ever been inspected properly and definitely not up to code. – Evil Elf Feb 08 '13 at 14:04
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    @EvilElf The purpose of the site is to tech people the proper way to do things. One of the most useful code sections I've read is from the National Electrical Code (NEC) "*110.12 Mechanical Execution of Work. Electrical equipment shall be installed in a neat and workmanlike manner.*". This could/should be applied to all aspects of home improvement, otherwise we'll be creating more problems then we solve. – Tester101 Feb 08 '13 at 14:45
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    Dangerous advice. There are many inappropriate solutions to problems that may make do for a while, or maybe forever. But as Tester101 says, let's teach how to do it right (and there are often several right solutions, but not heavy loads in just plasterboard). – bib Feb 08 '13 at 14:56
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Mollys and toggles are perfectly suitable for this use. 60 pounds is well within the rating of a single fastener and you should use at least four. I am not sure what those experts in other answer comments are talking about.

Down vote away boys.

timquinn
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    A single fastener may be fine for 60 lbs if the drywall is in perfect condition. Drywall is not structural, however, and it doesn't take a lot for drywall to go from being in perfect condition to being crumbly powder, at which point its more like .6 pounds of pressure needed to rip something out, not 60. – The Evil Greebo Feb 08 '13 at 15:56
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    Don't forget tremors and earthquakes. A mild shaking could cause damage that would not have happened had the mount been secured to studs. – Tim Post Feb 08 '13 at 15:57
  • Or a little wetness. Damp drywall is about as strong as tissue paper. If water's getting into the walls, sure, you've got bigger issues, but if you're mounting valuables to the drywall then you've added yet one more issue - broken valuables. – The Evil Greebo Feb 08 '13 at 16:05
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    @TimPost - And having 60lbs forcibly detach itself from the wall is a bad situation. Being able to hold 60lbs static load means nothing when your framing makes trapezoids and you get some upthrust. Sayonara to anything in the landing zone. – Fiasco Labs Feb 08 '13 at 16:07
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    http://i-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/unplggd/081408_sz_holeinwall.jpg – The Evil Greebo Feb 08 '13 at 16:15
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    Special fasteners may be able to keep a heavy TV mounted to the drywall, but what's keeping the drywall mounted to the studs? Drywall screws are designed to support the weight of the drywall, and not much more. – BMitch Feb 08 '13 at 17:50
  • And yet, it moves! – Tim Quinn Feb 10 '13 at 08:25