So, I'm trying to put up a mirror in my older home, but every time I use a self-drilling anchor, it cracks the wall. The drywall feels really brittle, and I'm wondering if this is because of the age of the house. I started by using a screwdriver to drive the anchor in, but once I hit about a quarter of an inch, it seemed to get stuck. I switched to a drill and made a hole about the same size as the anchor, but as soon as it reaches the second thread with the screwdriver, the wall cracks. I also noticed a wood panel behind a hole another electrician made in a different wall, and I'm curious if that might be causing the anchor to have trouble threading. Any ideas on what's going wrong? I've added some pics for reference!
3 Answers
Yeah, I think your wall cracking is definitely due to it being lathe and plaster. You’re right about the wood panel reinforcing that idea. When I used to deal with similar walls in my old house, I found that just drilling a small pilot hole and using the right screws made a huge difference. Avoid those drywall anchors—they're just not meant for this type of wall!
It sounds like you might actually have plaster walls instead of drywall. Older homes often used lathe and plaster instead of modern drywall, and those anchors just aren't going to work well with it. Plaster is much more brittle and can crack easily, especially if you don't use the right type of anchor. I recommend drilling a pilot hole and using a wood screw if you're hitting a stud. Gotta be gentle with that plaster!
You nailed it! Plaster walls are tricky, and they definitely require a different approach than drywall. Your anchor won't be able to thread through correctly if it's hitting wood, which sounds like a possible issue in your case. Stick to pilot holes and for longer screws if there are studs behind, it'll help avoid those cracks!
Thanks for the insight! I added the pictures, does it look like plaster to you?