The Right Way To Fix Or Install a Towel Bar Holder | Common Mistakes! 

Have you ever run into this issue? What did you use to repair it?

I'm 47 years old and been doing DIY since I was a teenager helping my dad repair some rentals. I have always used the large toggle bolts for big jobs and expanding metal drywall anchors (that are hit or miss on expanding and locking down properly). I had no idea there was something like the snap bolt, and it looks simpler and stronger. Thank you very much for this video, and let this be proof that old dogs can still learn new tricks. 😊

I can't believe it took me dozens of traditional wall anchors that were terrible and ultimately failed... to finally see this! Amazing. Thank you for sharing. I'll be redoing a few projects soon!

Learning abot the Snap Toggle bolts was worth the price of admission. THANKS!

Had to install grab bars in the bathroom after my wife's surgery... Used WingIts anchors to hold the bars in drywall. Specs say 300lbs in drywall and 450lbs in drywall with tile and meets ADA specs. Impressive amount of hold with those.

I manage 100 apartment facility and snap-toggles are one of our top replacement anchors in drywall. In a perfect world, all bathrooms would have fire rated blocking between studs but rarely the case in older buildings unfortunately. Thanks for your great videos

My preferred method is mounting the towel bracket to a finished piece of hardwood that reaches two studs and using small headed screws to attach to wall. Solid install.

I think you just gave the manufacturer of the new anchor a big boost in marketing shares. Thanks for posting.

Have used the snap toggles many times. They work amazingly well.

Thank you for the rundown on the anchors. My teenage son is an expert at destroying towel racks! Now I can put the towel rack back in his bathroom for the third time and make it last.

I've seen and used toggle bolts before but was unaware of the other two options. Thank you.

When we built, we pretty much knew were the fixtures would be mounted. We had them use scrap 2 x 12's between the studs behind the sheetrock where they screws would be installed. That gave us a solid mount without worrying about them coming loose. Still leaves over an inch behind it to snake anything down the wall that you might need later.

This story on wall anchors applies to drywall construction only. What I miss in your examples is Molly Anchors, the plastic flat fold anchors from Toggle, the same manufacturer as your preferred snap anchors. Wouldn’t use the plastic ones for towel rack myself, but still they’re good for hanging pictures and other lighter stuff on a drywall construction. The alligator anchors you showed at first glance seem appropriate for double layer drywall. Don’t know that particular type, nor who manufactures these. Alligator anchors from Fischer and their sub-brand Upat are my favorites. Their true Nylon anchors are long lasting, can carry incredible loads, grip, don’t spin etc. Their drywall solutions are excellent. It’s all a question of how much people are willing to invest on this kind of hardware. If not so, then their chance towards disappointment significantly increases. Anchors delivered with a product, like the handle bar you showed, are most often not worth the slightest glance let alone the effort. I’ve always tossed them out. Especially those that consist of a too hard or too soft plastic. Partly translucent, just forget it, plastic isn’t protected and will snap at will. The only wall anchors I spared from added packaging, are those that come with true pipe brackets and other mounting materials. Such anchors have shown to be excellent problem solvers. That’s to say, there’s a whole other range of anchors, which are too often overlooked, where we’re talking about solid construction. Then your ‘normal’ alligator anchor has a much better chance of biting into the drill hole. And what to think of chemical anchors, brass anchors, steel anchors etc. The simplest way to overcome any problem with drywall anchors, is to plan ahead. Where do you want the towel rack, the basin etc. Place off cuts of plywood in around that area, not too sparsely, so you have some leeway, and you’re able to mount anything with a lag pin, washer and nut. Any other mounting in drywall is in fact an after the fact issue, other than when people are willing to open the construction. The screw-in anchors to which the towel rack was mounted initially, are a total nightmare. Their grabbing surface is way to small and in my humble opinion only really work when the gypsum around ‘m is injected with a chemical hardener. Cheerio

1:55 FYI, never hold the threads of a screw while using a drill to unscrew. That thing will julienne your fingers faster than you can blink

Agreed, a toggle bolt of some type holds best with towel bars. When folks pull the towel off of the bar, the bar gets pulled and a standard anchor will eventually give way. It needs to be held from the back side of the drywall, not the side of the hole.

I use the snap ones 100% of the time. Totally reliable.

Never seen those snap toggles before, definitely gonna buy some. Nice video

Those green plastic anchors with the bolts seem nice, but if they are impossible to remove, that's just a headache later. The plastic and metal toggle bolts seem nice, and people like them, but for the price, I go with zinc anchors. They are dead simple, sturdy, and can easily be removed, and the hole is easily filled if you have to move something to a different location. Hope this helps someone out!

I love those snap toggle bolts as well. They can hold an impressive amount of weight and the mounting hole can be reused if you want to put something else there, unlike the standard toggle bolts which you lose into the wall when unscrewing the bolts.

Those snap toggles are really cool! I'll have to look for some.

I know how to do a lot of the stuff you show, but I always learn something new or a better way. Keep up the good work.

A good reminder for anyone remodeling a bathroom to put blocking in for towel and toilet paper racks.

Not in Western Australia where our houses are mostly of double brick construction and the internal walls are brick and not simple hollow partitions.

Snap toggles are by far the best toggle bolts I've ever used. They're not as cheap but they're bulletproof.

I have been using the snap toggles for years. I use them for everything and always have boxes of them on hand. I even used them to hang my 75" TV on an articulated arm. I used the larger snap toggles because they hold more weight and I also used more of them.

I really like the concept of the snap toggle bolts. I admit I’ve tried a lot of solutions over the years, but this is new to me. I did a quick check on the Toggler brand on Home Depot and Amazon. I noticed that some people have struggled with the plastic straps breaking prematurely or the metal threads binding (such that they recommended using a 1/4-20 thread chaser). Have you experienced either of these issues?

I had no idea how these mounted, or how to fix a broken one. This video has helped give me the confidence to install a 'handicap' hand rail. Thank you...🇺🇸 👍☕

Thanks. Gives me more options to think about the next time I have to replace a towel rack or even a toilet paper holder.

Toggle bolts are hands down best value for your money here

What about internal brick walls anchor plugs work perfectly with those.

SNAP TOGGLES are great! When you use one you’ll will never go back to the other methods unless of course you are lucky enough to have a stud where you you you are mounting things.

I swear by WingIts. Definitely more expensive,but, well worth it. Support on both sides of the wallboard, and three points of contact on the backside instead of two. This prevents the grooving that I have found with Toggle bolts. Also , if you have to move something ; Mudding over the WingIt is much smoother than having to patch over a 1/2 inch hole. Well done covering a much overlooked issue. 👍

One thing about those green wall anchors, they will often bend when you try to hammer them into drywall. I usually wind up at least punching a guide hole, or even drilling a pilot hole for the tip, and I have sometimes had to use a chisel to score a slot in the drywall for the “wings“ of the anchor. I do like them a lot though and they have performed very well.

Toggle bolts and snap toggles are both fine products. The only time I’ve had problems is when the hole is broken out or it’s over-tightened so that the metal cuts into the back of the drywall. In any case, pay attention to the maximum load. I have been known to slip a strip of wood behind the wall by pre-drilling a hole and use a piece of string to hold it to the back of the wall while inserting the screw.

Thanks, man. I'm using snap toggles from now on!

Thanks for showing how to use those other 2 options. Very informative. Now I know 😊👍

Two things about the use of expandable anchors. Sometimes they don't want to easily expand or start spinning tearing out the drywall. So I "pre-expand" them just a bit and collapse them back in place with pliers. Also, the higher quality anchors have two small holes meant to engage the included tool (like a very small pin spanner wrench) to not allow them to spin.

That last anchor is my favorite. Do the job once and do it right. 👍

The thickness of towels these days means they are heavier. Also, I’ve noticed that the rods sold in big box stores are more like long cabinet pulls leaving little space for the thicker towels. It adds much more stress on the drywall installation.

Your videos and instruction are thought through and presented very well. Thanks for all the info you provide.

Great video! Another cool item is a monkey hook, it’s holding up a heavy mirror for me and it only makes a small hole and simple to install !

What a brillant idea, hope is avalable here in Canada, So big Thanx you for your vidéo. and also you did so good work. 🇨🇦👍🏻

I use Snap toggles at work all the time

Totally helpful! Ordered all of the recommended fasteners!

I'm going to be doing this shortly. Thanks for the tips !!

super helpful!

That’s what I’m using. They were just perfect 😊

For a 24 inch towel rack, I use a 28 X 4 inch piece of wood trim (real wood, not particle board) which is supported by a 2 inch screw for strength, level it and anchor the ends of the towel rack to the drywall. The wood screw bears the wear and tear on the towel rack.

Hugely helpful! Thank you!!!

Great video, boy will this ever come in handy!,

Didn't know about snap toggles, used regular toggles for most projects, and didn't like a lot of other wall anchors. I use those j metal hooks for pictures, small hole, and really sturdy.

thanks for the tips where i work we deal with this problem a lot

I've personally always been a fan of the steel Mollybolt. If I need to fully remove the bolt portion of a togglebolt, I'm out the togglebolt because it will typically fall off of the wall.

I like the Wingits for grab bar installation, the other recommendations for towel bars are good.

I like to put a piece of plywood on the other side of the drywall when I can but the toggle bolts and snap toggles definitely look like good products. Surprised I never used a toggle bolt before. My main towel bar under the window sill I just put a finished 3/8" x 6" x 28" piece of board there and screwed it into the studs over the drywall and the mounting pieces onto the board and it doesn't look too bad but is rock solid and I also use it as a hand grip after taking a dump. I might remove it and try the toggles when I paint the bathroom.

Or you could make a decorative board that is wide enough that it can be attached to the wall studs. That would give your holders solid wood to attach to and protect the wall behind it. If the decorative board gets to looking ratty you can easily remove it and refinish it or replace it.

The only drywall anchors I've ever had a problem with were the super cheap ones that they give you when you buy a picture frame or something like that. The thick ones that you get in a 50 pack from home Depot have never failed me. Am I just lucky?

We use those regular anchors a lot over here in the Netherlands (I've never even seen those yellow ones or toggle-bolts) but then again we don't have drywall in our homes but cement and bricks. As a result the blue (usually grey over here) plugs stay put for a very long time.

For towel racks, I use the screw-in type plastic anchors (50-75 lbs). The only time they should come loose is if you swing on the towel bar and the will break the drywall first.

Great Video. Thank you for sharing. Have a nice weekend

THANKS

Thanks for taking the time to post and thoroughly explaining your reasonings. 🫡

Snap toggles compared to regular toggles are the easiest to use when repainting the wall. The toggle remains in place ready to re-accept the mounting bolt.

I mount a decorative piece of wood 8" x 4" on 4 corners or similar then towel rack to that... I use the big screw in kind. Screw ins are better they're about 3/4" in diameter you run 'em in with Phillips head bit in drill. It's 10 secs and done. They are called ez ancors...

I’ve done this before- and I would say the screw anchor bolts are the easiest . They have different weight ratings, and just screw in the anchor (no pilot hole necessary) , and then a regular drywall/wood screw on top. The other ones hold more , but are more cumbersome, and not in large quantity. For real heavy duty, I screw into a stud. That will never come off .

The Plate Anchor at Devicelink is effective also.....without the annoying outer plastic flange. Additionally handy is that The Plate allows you to restore the plaster breakout zone.

7:20 Make sure before drilling the hole for the toggle bolts, know if there is a stud behind as they obviously won't work in that situation. If you've already drilled the larger hole needed, push the toggle through and find out you hit a stud, depending on the scenario you might need to patch and redrill a smaller hole.

What do you think about about mounting to where a mesh wall patch with spackle has been placed? Last house owner just put those crappy anchors straight into it. Obviously not great. I can probably screw some wood on the back of the wall, but I'd have to make the hole bigger to do it.

I have used the snap toggles for near 30 years. A great hack in commercial buildings with metal studs, is to drill through the metal stud and use the snap toggle for large TVs and heavier objects. No way its coming down. Also I use regular plastic anchors for tile in bathroom or kitchen, or even cinder block. Very strong. Not happy with tapcons.

What about the good ol tried and true molly bolt. One negative with the toggle bolt it is a one time use when you pulled to bolt out you lose the toggle.

I've had a lot of success using the plastic anchors you don't like. I've got stuff hanging for decades using them. Maybe you didn't install them correctly. There are a bunch of options for hanging stuff, but those plastic anchors are the ones I go to first. I always have some on hand.

Outstanding video, thank you!

what do you reccomend for plaster and lath walls?

Thanks for this video. I have one question. On the snap toggle bolt, can the screw be removed and replaced or is it a one time usage. I shave a shelf going down to my basement and it's sometimes in the way, that's why I'm asking.

The fishers you avoid are great if you read the label. They are made for other materials, so yes, they suck for drywall but are great for brick/ytong/stone/thick wooden walls. Pretty much this entire video is about drywall mounts only.

Thank you for the video.

My house is almost 40 yrs old and the towel bars are all set into the drywall itself not using toggle bolts at all. What would your recommendation be on replacing these if or when there is a problem with them?

Wow! Those hammer in ones must be made of gold, $14 for 1

I like the snap toggle and the hammer in one, not so much the standard toggle as it requires a larger hole to insert into the wall and there is the chance that a person could lose the clip on the end by turning the screw the wrong way. The snap toggle are a great idea as well as the hammer in ones. The chin-ups while kneeling on the floor don't prove how much weight they will hold, should have made a demo wall and hung weights off of it.

It realy only makes sense when framing 'The Bathrooms'. Frame the wall that receives the towel bar to a standard bar width in order to screw into the stud. The house I recently renovated, I made a custom 32 inch center stainless steel towel bar. Manufacturers of towel bars should have the option in a 32 inch center but they don't.

A proper bathroom has tiles and our towel rail was simply glued to the tiles with silicone adhesive. It has held firmly for 5 years. Our toilet roll holders are also attached in the same way. But anyone who thinks that you can never remove it again without damaging the tiles is mistaken. All you need is a sharp cutter knife, which you carefully slide between the tile and the holder, as this cuts through the silicone adhesive. You can then simply remove the remaining adhesive from the tile with silicone solvent and the tile will look like new again. And for those who are afraid, that maybe the tile could fall off: A proper fixed tile would rather rip off the wall than fall of wall.

The only issue with toggle bolts are that they are long. They are not ideal for when there is not enough space behind the drywall. An example might be a pocket door, & you need to mount a towel or TP holder on that pocketdoor wall, but you only have 1.5-inches clearance. I am currently in that situation & the home builder put in those small plastic anchors that was shown in the video at the 2-minute mark. For now I am going to try those self-drilling plastic or metal anchors (~1.5-minute mark in video). For better strength, I may have to mount the holder onto a piece of backing wood panel & then mount the wood on the wall. The thin backing wood will now have the self-drilling anchors at the corners of the wood panel so that they are even more spread out. I can also put an achor in the center of the wood as a 5th anchor. I have not tried those yellow triangular anchors yet, so will have to wait & see. 02/15/24

It very much depends on the substrate. If it's blockwork and plaster I would always use a wall plug. If it's plasterboard, I will fix to a stud if at all possible. If that's not possible I will use an anchor appropriate to the intended usage.

snap toggle all the way.!!

Chinups, huh? Them some awesome toggles!

I find using RAWLPLUG R-KEM II STYRENE-FREE POLYESTER RESIN, squirted on then push in a bog standard rawl plug, let is set (its fast)… very solid

Any ideas short of drywall work when you have limited space behind the drywall, e.g., exterior brick and 3/4" furring strips? Most of toggle bolt-type solutions won't work at all.

Any tips for lath and plaster walls?

Doe the snap bolts work with plaster?

Does this work for a Shower Handle bar on Tile?

I recently bought an investment property. In the master bathroom was this mirror. Looks nice, mostly plastic and light. Someone mounted it using a little tiny nail. Like a finishing nail for a picture frame. I have no idea how they managed to get it to hold at all. The nail had worked its way down the drywall to the point it was barely holding anything. It was about to pull out. I drilled it out and put in the anchor you don't recommend. It'll be fine. Same house, different bathroom. Same problem with the towel bar. I also used toggle bolts. It's there to last.

helpful advice but I've had every one of these fail. the toggle is great but needs too big of a whole usually which then challenges the hardware mount. the green things work pretty good for lighter holds. the snap bolts hold well but they can snap right off too. they would be the best if engineered better

When I rehabbed my brother's house, after he passed, I faced this issue. My solution was to repair the wall from the previous installation. Then when I sold the home I told the buyer that rather then install something they didn't like, I would let them install what they wanted.

What would You use on Brick walls, especially the modern ones with lots of cavities for insulation?

Very nice

Those are good ancors but what if my bathroom wall is hard tile?

great video thanks

What about plaster lathe walls?

laughs in solid brick walls

I never use any type of drywall anchor for towel bars or anything that gets a lot of use...they will never stay tight. I take either a piece of 1x4 pine or oak and span two studs with screws. I then center the towel bar, or whatever, on the wood and secure it directly to the 1x4.