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This needs to carry a huge 77 inch TV. There are 4 screws like that. However, while trying to put the tv on the mount I managed to get it stuck in a weird way and the dowel broke out the wall and left a huge hole.

Can I somehow repair this whole and use it again? I don't want to move the TV elsewhere. Or should I just make two more holes in the middle of the mount and leave the corner alone?

How important is it to have lots of space between the dowels?

Can I use foam or simply mix gips to plug the whole and then just put a new dowel there?

This is how it looks:

enter image description here

This is the dow (rigips type):

enter image description here

Mount: enter image description here

The mount outer holes are about 37cm width, 10cm height.

Currently it looks like this, with only one side to the stud, hope thats reasonably safe?

enter image description here

user1721135
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    You trusting drywall/plaster to hold a big expensive TV. Good thing you were holding the tv. Do it right and find the studs. If the studs are not in the right place, screw in thick plywood or 2x4s across the studs. Screw in mount and you don't worry when the tv falls down. – crip659 Dec 21 '23 at 20:25
  • The mount is what came with this oled77 g series TV. Its pretty small. – user1721135 Dec 21 '23 at 23:22
  • This is better than four anchors for this purpose -- it's been holding my 40-something-inch TV in very flimsy drywall for a long time -- but even it is not rated for the size of TV. – Luke Sawczak Dec 22 '23 at 04:52
  • Add an image of the mount if you're interested in exploring the option of drilling new holes over wall studs. The stud spacing and mount dimensions are important information. – popham Dec 22 '23 at 10:08
  • See these related questions. – FreeMan Dec 22 '23 at 13:35
  • @FreeMan thank you. I ended up using the right stud, middle dowels and another set of dowels on the left. Dowels on the right, which go into the metal stud are rated highly (30kg each), in theory should be able to carry the tv on their own. There will be no leverage in general and 10cm leverage when adding cables. – user1721135 Dec 22 '23 at 14:14
  • @isherwood people here asked me to update my question with more info. I don't claim this to be a solution. Maybe someone will tell me Im crazy and should do it differently? Its still part of the question. Dowel is what google translate tells me this thing is called sorry. Rigips is just drywall. – user1721135 Dec 22 '23 at 14:25
  • I believe isherwood answered your question - yes, you're crazy for trusting any sort of wall anchor to hold your expensive TV up in the air. IMHO... – FreeMan Dec 22 '23 at 14:39
  • @FreeMan but even the metal studs need wall anchors or do you mean except those? – user1721135 Dec 22 '23 at 14:44
  • That would be anchoring into a stud or "framing" as is noted in the 2nd paragraph of that answer. Just an anchor into any sort of wallboard without a stud behind it isn't gonna work. At least, probably not for long... – FreeMan Dec 22 '23 at 14:46
  • @crip659 btw it was me holding the TV and twisting it in different directions to unstuck it from the mount which caused the problem in the first place. I wasn't just lucky to be holding it. – user1721135 Dec 22 '23 at 16:35
  • The weight of the TV will do the same in time, but you will not be there holding it. Drywall is made for holding paint, not for holding heavy stuff. – crip659 Dec 22 '23 at 16:58
  • @crip659 yes but now its not only kept on the paint holding but also on the studs (on one side). Would the anchor brands be allowed to advertise with kg rating if it was completely flawed? If you can only hang paintings whats even the point of the metal anchors? – user1721135 Dec 22 '23 at 18:26
  • They are tested using perfect conditions, usually hard to find in real life. Nothing is perfect, but for expensive items I would not trust using drywall alone, even with the best anchors. – crip659 Dec 22 '23 at 19:02
  • Just to understand the plate method, lets say its 2cm thick and I would screw the mount on it with lets say 8 2cm long wood-screws? Or would I use screws which also go into the drywall or even anchors going through both and anchoring behind the wall? Thats probably the best solution. – user1721135 Dec 23 '23 at 20:09

3 Answers3

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Simply put, you can't reuse that type of anchor in that hole even if you patch it. The paper backing is where the strength resides, and that's compromised. Use a winged toggler if you must keep it there.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't attach to framing, though. Over and over again the question of large televisions come up on this site, and the recommendation is always to either attach to studs or overlay a rigid plate of some sort to span between studs.

Based on new information, see also How can I mount a TV tight to the wall with steel studs?

isherwood
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  • How do I go about installing a rigid plate? Do I then use regular screws to srew the mount to the plate and the plate is fixated exclusively to the studs or also to the drywall between the studs? Any good tutorials? – user1721135 Dec 21 '23 at 23:32
  • Depends how neat you want to make it - done properly it will be entirely hidden behind the TV, so something as simple as nailing a sheet of plywood to the nearest two studs, over the top of the plasterboard (sheetrock/drywall) would do. Much neater would be to cut out a section, screw the plywood in, then skim over the top with plaster, but that requires much more effort/skill. – MikeB Dec 22 '23 at 09:27
  • Added a picture. My studs seem to be metal. So do I just use wood screws that go as far as the plywood goes (18mm plywood, 18mm screws) ? Is plywood even strong enough to hold 40kg tv? Or should I use drywall dowels that go through the plywood and the drywall behind it? – user1721135 Dec 22 '23 at 11:08
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You are lucky that’s all that broke.

As noted in the comments, 4 fasteners into drywall/gypsum are completely inadequate for a heavy tv.

You need to find the studs and screw solidly into the middle of them. If your studs are placed wrong, there are plenty of questions you’ll find here where people screw plywood to studs and then the tv mount to the plywood.

Aloysius Defenestrate
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  • What if I go for the concrete behind the drywall? Its about 5cm behind the drywall? Not sure how to find the studs and if they are wooden or metal. – user1721135 Dec 21 '23 at 23:19
  • You can mount into solid concrete (be wary of hollow blocks), but you’ll want to use washers to bridge the gap between the concrete and the outside face of the drywall. – Aloysius Defenestrate Dec 21 '23 at 23:47
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    @user1721135 Your problem with that is 5cm of leverage on the screws. That's not just a problem for the screws, but also the leverage damaging the concrete and causing failure that way. A ply board to fix the TV to, and multiple screws to spread the load, would solve that problem. But then if you're putting up a ply board, you might as well fix it to the studs instead, as everyone else has already suggested. – Graham Dec 22 '23 at 08:26
  • Do I fix the tv to the board using wood screws or should they go through the board and drywall? – user1721135 Dec 22 '23 at 08:53
  • @Graham my studs seem to be metal. Still good idea to fix the board to the studs? – user1721135 Dec 22 '23 at 11:09
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    yes, metal studs are almost exactly the same procedure. Just try to find a screw that specifically mentions metal on the box (generally fine-pitch screws). – flaviut Dec 22 '23 at 17:55
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Assuming you want to center the tv and there are no studs where you want to hang it. You are going to have to patch the hole from the old lag anyway, so cut a rectangle out of the sheetrock from stud to stud, wide enough to hold a 1x4 (or piece of 3/4" plywood if you need a large mount. Keep the cut-out to put back later. Mount some backing to the studs, set back so the 1x4/plywood can mount to it and the sheetrock can mount to that. Screw old sheetrock to backer board. Tape/texture to match wall. Paint. Pre-drill holes for screws to avoid any splits (not a concern if you use 3/4 ply).

My pic of this: enter image description here

Larger hole to patch, but all the same steps are necessary so it won't take any more time and will give you a secure place for mounting.

RG Hughes
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  • I wouldn't cut out the drywall. That's overly destructive with little benefit. It'll practically disappear behind that huge TV. – isherwood Dec 22 '23 at 15:23
  • Probably not an issue, but metal studs won't carry much pointed pulling weight from the front. The torsion strength is from the side (I-beam effect). Depending on the weight and leverage potential (arm extension for tv, for example), you might consider something stronger (like screwing into the sides of the studs with lateral wood supports). – RG Hughes Dec 22 '23 at 15:59
  • You don't actually need a hole that big in the drywall. If you cut a narrower hole, just a bit smaller than the mounting plate, you can still fit your wood in. – Huesmann Dec 22 '23 at 17:15