Curtain Rod wall bracket ripped out of drywall: how to fix?

Factual Questions
1

I bought a place with IKEA curtains installed over the windows; one of the drapes/curtains accidentally got stuck and pulled down, ripping out the one of the wall brackets that hold up the curtain rod. It was secured with two phillips head screws (no anchors) that went into the drywall; now I can’t reattach it because there isn’t enough drywall for the screw to go into (just holes in the drywall where the screws were). The bracket the got ripped out looks like this

I tried to spackle over it but it didn’t hold at all.

Now I have two holes in the drywall.

How can I attach the bracket back? Will I need a handyman for this job?

2

Dryall dutchman patch. The trick is getting the paper edges wide enough to cover any crack. Discussed in the first link. Done right, the patch is nearly invisible.

Then, hang the curtain bracket with proper anchors.

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/patching-plastering/250624-anyone-hear-hot-patch-dutchman-repair.html

http://www.drywallschool.com/patch.htm

3

The holes were only slightly larger than the screws, then you should be able to just stick some anchors in there and put the screws back in.

4

You shouldn’t need a handyman, depending on the amount of time you’re willing to spend, and how much you value that time. There are a number of things you can do:

You could rehang the rod a few inches up - this will require removing the bracket from the other end, respackling, and installing the brackets correctly (WITH drywall anchors).

5

Here’s a video with a guy using a dutchman. Note how he makes the paper edges.

6

Seems like a lot of work. My lazy version would be to move the curtain up or over or somewhere so the bracket or the rod or the curtain itself hides the hole I made and rehang it there…using an anchor this time so it doesn’t happen again (or a stud finder and sinking the screws into wood). If the walls are white, spackling them should hide the hole just fine.

7

If you really do have just two holes in the wall, you may be able to add the drywall anchors into the holes and use that. Drywall anchors are small, plastic inserts that go into the hole and then you screw into that. As you found out, you should generally not just screw into drywall. Either screw into a stud behind the drywall or use an anchor.

If the holes are too big or ragged, there is also another type of anchor which may work. Look into spring toggle bolts. It has a spring controlled wedge on one end of the bolt. You push the wedge (closed up) into the hole and the spring opens it up when it’s on the backside of the wall.

I would not recommend cutting a hole and doing a patch unless you’re comfortable with DIY. It’s not an impossible task, but there is some finesse to getting the patch invisible with regards to matching the existing wall texture and paint. If you’re left with two clean holes, drywall anchors may solve your problem.

Take a picture of the holes to your hardware store and ask them. They should be able to refer which product would work best.

8

Spackle is fine for a small hole. Heck an old renters trick is using white toothpaste to fill nail holes.

Anchors won’t hold in Spackle. A patch gives fresh drywall for the anchor to grab. You can even cut a short piece of 1x2 and attach behind the drywall. (slip the wood into the hole and fasten with drywall screws). Patch the drywall. Now your bracket has wood to screw into.

9

Don’t use spring toggles. They’re a pain in the ass. Use these toggles which are far more secure and much easier to use.

10

We have a three-year-old who recently discovered the joy of gravity (defying it, succumbing to it, etc.). One such experiment involved hanging from the drapes in his room batman-up-a-wall style. Results aren’t quite ready for shitmykidsruined, but even though we had anchors the screws are out.

Aside from hot-gluing shards of glass to the drapes to avoid this in the future, any suggestions? Stopping the behaviour would be nice, but threads only work so well. Besides, Children and Protective Services are starting to ask questions about his seemingly steady loss of fingers. Our best idea so far is to take a pair of 16" boards, paint them to go with the room, screw them into studs and mount the curtain rod from there. That seems … laborious for something he may not even do again. Anything else? Super-duper anchors? Drywall welding?

11

Chainmail drapes secured to the ceiling joists?

12

Use these. You can find some that rated for 50lbs or more, and they should go into the existing holes. Hell, I used these to mount my TV on my wall 3 years ago.

13

At that rate, the curtain rings are likely to fail before the anchor does. Or tear through the top of the curtain.

Maybe you don’t really need window treatments in that room? :smiley:

14

I have three boxes of those (different sizes) and have used them all over my house (and recommended them here many times). I don’t think I’ve had one fail yet. Though I’d imagine it’d be catastrophic if it did, taking out a tennis ball sized piece of drywall and probably leaving a lot of shrapnel on the ground. Having said that, when it comes to having TVs, lag bolts into the studs is the only way I’d do it.

15

:smiley: :smiley: Curtain rod brackets typically have very small mounting holes. Intended for small screws or even nails.

I doubt any anchor screw, toggle bolt etc. would fit into a curtain bracket.

16

Drywall anchors come in many different sizes and are rated at many different load capacities. Something can be found to work.

17

Are kids at that age old enough to understand basic cause-and-effect? Take down the curtains and tell him it’s because he tried to use them as rappelling rope. You could put up mini-blinds if he complains about the sunlight (or if his room is on the first floor and privacy is a concern). If he’s not on the first floor, though, I don’t think it’s an issue. Little kids are usually happy to wake up with the sun, anyway.