# My walls are waxpaper thin. How can I hang this stupid clock? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 14, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633 "2017-11-14T19:10:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rick\_Vallejo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Rick\_Vallejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Vallejo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/1 "2017-11-14T19:10:46Z")
Not sure where to put this inquiry… but I figured there has to be some home reno experts roaming around the boards. We got [this clock](https://www.wayfair.com/decor-pillows/pdp/whitehall-products-16-tree-of-life-indooroutdoor-wall-clock-whp2878.html)that’s only about 5-6 pounds but I’m worried it’s going to completely tear my wall down. We’re hanging it in a room where the only available spots are extremely thin drywall. For some reason, I struggle with walls. Should I use a heavy duty anchor like [this thing](https://www.homedepot.com/p/WingIts-World-s-Strongest-Fastener-Super-Duty-6-Anchors-RC-MAWSD35-6/202552914?cm_mmc=Shopping%7cTHD%7cG%7c0%7cG-BASE-PLA-D25H-Hardware%7c&gclid=CjwKCAiAxarQBRAmEiwA6YcGKNG0dZcPR2SgfrKvffBFQDTzcTJSZCaKZEGQ0tKxsHpbHu-plqJgCxoCTMQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CIaev5_hvtcCFZRrfgodG1sEPA), hang from the ceiling, or maybe like super adhesives to [avoid nails](http://blog.staspicturehanging.com/how-to-hang-pictures-without-nails/#adhesive)? Can I just nail into the stud? Thanks all 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/2 "2017-11-14T19:15:09Z")
Don’t use adhesives. The anchor you linked to would be fine, and nailing into a stud always works. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/3 "2017-11-14T19:19:46Z")
Nail into the stud. Or a screw. Screws are easier, assuming you own or can borrow a power drill. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/4 "2017-11-14T19:21:43Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Don’t use adhesives. > The anchor you linked to would be fine, and nailing into a stud always works. How do you block out the screaming? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/5 "2017-11-14T19:22:43Z")
I would use a drywall anchor like this: > **[E-Z Ancor Twist-N-Lock 75 lbs. Drywall Anchors (4-Pack) 11364 - The Home Depot](https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-75-lbs-Drywall-Anchors-4-Pack-11364/100165900)** > > E-Z Ancor Twist-N-Lock 75 lb. #8 x 1-1/4 Zinc-Plated Nylon Flat-Head Philips Drywall Anchors with Screws (4-Pack) can support medium loads up to 75 lbs. in 1/2 in. drywall. Use to install shelving, mirrors, They are very easy to install and quite strong. I’m assuming that you have 1/4 inch drywall, as opposed to something like lauan paneling that you are just calling drywall because it is a wall and it is not usually wet. If you don’t have drywall, don’t use the anchors I suggested. Some kind of toggle bolt would do better on that kind of surface, like maybe this: > **[E-Z Ancor Toggle Lock 100 lbs. Drywall Anchors (25-Pack) 25320 - The Home Depot](https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Toggle-Lock-100-lbs-Drywall-Anchors-25-Pack-25320/100007784)** > > E-Z Ancor Toggle Lock 100 lbs. Self-Drilling Heavy-Duty Drywall Anchors with Screws (25-Pack) are great for installing shelving, mirrors, pictures and more. E-Z Toggle Lock is versatile for many applications ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/6 "2017-11-14T19:22:51Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How do you block out the screaming? That’s what adhesives are for, namely duct tape. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/7 "2017-11-14T19:23:09Z")
Screwing into a stud is the best way. Especially if your walls are thin or fragile. A wall anchor might pull through. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/8 "2017-11-14T19:26:41Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I would use a drywall anchor like this: > > [https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-75-lb-8-x-1-1-4-in-Philips-Zinc-Plated-Nylon-Flat-Head-Drywall-Anchors-with-Screws-4-Pack-11364/100165900](https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-75-lb-8-x-1-1-4-in-Philips-Zinc-Plated-Nylon-Flat-Head-Drywall-Anchors-with-Screws-4-Pack-11364/100165900) > > They are very easy to install and quite strong. That’s what I would use (I prefer the metal variant of the same thing) - if it needs to carry more load than I dare trust to a single fixing, then I use several of them to affix a small batten or a square of ply, then hang the item on that ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/9 "2017-11-14T19:34:32Z")
Magnets. I don’t know how they’ll help but there’s a solution for every household problem using magnets. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/10 "2017-11-14T19:52:31Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > How do you block out the screaming? A real stud wouldn’t flinch, let alone scream. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/11 "2017-11-14T20:15:15Z")
I highly recommend industrial-strength velcro. I have walls that I can’t hammer or drill a hole into. I’ve put up lots of stuff–including a heavy-duty set of hooks that holds far more than five pounds–using velcro. The hooks have been up, carrying their load, for about five years now, without a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/12 "2017-11-14T20:17:46Z")
I suggest you look at the 3M Command line of wall hooks and strips. If the back of the clock is flush to the wall, you can use two or three strips to secure it. If the back is mostly open, one of their hooks should work. Just look for one with a capacity of at least five pounds. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/13 "2017-11-14T21:13:38Z")
> **[How to Hang Anything on Anything - Today's Homeowner](https://todayshomeowner.com/general/guides/how-to-hang-anything-on-anything/)** > > Walk down the hardware aisle of any home center, and you’ll find an overpowering array of wall anchors and picture hangers. While it’s easy enough to drive a nail or screw into a stud, you may not know how to secure items to the wall between studs or... I found this link not sure if it will help you ,you should go to a Home Depot or hardware store and someone there will be able to help you . I have thin walls too and a curtain rod wouldn’t stay up . ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/14 "2017-11-14T21:18:16Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > I would use a drywall anchor like this: > > [https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-75-lb-8-x-1-1-4-in-Philips-Zinc-Plated-Nylon-Flat-Head-Drywall-Anchors-with-Screws-4-Pack-11364/100165900](https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Twist-N-Lock-75-lb-8-x-1-1-4-in-Philips-Zinc-Plated-Nylon-Flat-Head-Drywall-Anchors-with-Screws-4-Pack-11364/100165900) > > They are very easy to install and quite strong. I’m assuming that you have 1/4 inch drywall, as opposed to something like lauan paneling that you are just calling drywall because it is a wall and it is not usually wet. If you don’t have drywall, don’t use the anchors I suggested. Some kind of toggle bolt would do better on that kind of surface, like maybe this: > [https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Toggle-Lock-100-Pan-Head-Self-Drilling-Heavy-Duty-Drywall-Anchors-with-Screws-25-Pack-25320/100007784](https://www.homedepot.com/p/E-Z-Ancor-Toggle-Lock-100-Pan-Head-Self-Drilling-Heavy-Duty-Drywall-Anchors-with-Screws-25-Pack-25320/100007784) Thanks to recommendations from people on SDMB. I have to agree with this. These things are fantastic for hanging stuff. I use them to hold up a wooden medicine cabinet in my bathroom, loaded with stuff. Won’t budge. Good stuff. If they don’t work, you could always try Loctite Mounting Tape. I use that to hold some modifications to my car and underneath plug strips to hold them in place. Really strong stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/15 "2017-11-14T23:00:50Z")
Important clarifying question: do you rent or own? If you rent, I would use the 3M Command line, if you own, use a stud. Do you know how to find a stud? You put your lips together and blow. Someone will be along shortly to fix that. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/16 "2017-11-14T23:38:16Z")
The problem with using a stud is that the stud probably isn’t in the right place. Drywall anchors are fine. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/17 "2017-11-15T03:00:27Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I suggest you look at the 3M Command line . . . C’mon, this is the 21st century. Nobody uses command lines anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/18 "2017-11-15T03:28:09Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Magnets. > > I don’t know how they’ll help but there’s a solution for every household problem using magnets. You could use the magnets to pull some screws out of the bin at the hardware store, and then use a magnet to magnetize your screwdriver or driver bit for your power drill. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-walls-are-waxpaper-thin-how-can-i-hang-this-stupid-clock/801633/19 "2017-11-15T03:32:06Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > C’mon, this is the 21st century. Nobody uses command lines anymore. If you’re hanging a penguin clock you do.