Here is the issue. I can use the toggle bolts, but it looks like drywall has lost strength. It can be seen in the pictures that drywall around the place of the bracket holes is swelled and about to come off.
Drywall – Fix drywall that lost strength due to hanging curtain rod
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My experience says to use the rotary tool, but I have always used metal boxes with plaster rings. I have no experience cutting drywall over plastic boxes. I do have three pointers for cutting with a rotary tool:
- Put as little pressure on the box from the drywall as possible. The more pressure against the drywall, the more likely that you'll get tearout near the edge of the box.
- Leave any NM cable sheathed and set the depth of the cut to the minimum possible to reach the box plus a half an inch (keeping in mind that the drywall will be at an angle to the box).
- Always take a few seconds to visualize your cut. Have a good idea of where your corners are so you can anticipate direction changes. Do a sanity check and make right sure you know which way counterclockwise is. Start out going clockwise, and you'll spend a lot of time repairing drywall.
If you still don't want to use the rotary tool, there is another option. There are tools that attach to plastic electric boxes. You put them on and then position the drywall where it will be installed. Press the drywall against the tool, and it will place small perforations at the outside corners of the box. Connect the dots and cut. The image below is of one of mine, but I haven't had the chance to use it yet.
Is it possible to fix it? yes, but there is an awful lot of work to be done in order to do so. Each of those gaps has to be filled with mud and covered with tape. Given the shrinkage that occurs as mud dries, most of them are going to require several layers to fill properly. In particular, filling in around the ceiling fixture is likely to be problematic as gravity will be pulling the mud down, keeping it where it needs to be without building up a large bulge will take some time.
I would not necessarily make someone rework the drywall over these images, but I definitely would not sign off on the work until I was satisfied that everything had been properly finished. Make sure you are happy with the way things look before and after it is painted. Often putting paint on makes the imperfections stand out more.
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Best Answer
As you have found out, curtain rod supports do not do well hanging from plaster anchors. They really should be attached to studs, but where that is impossible, toggle anchors give you a chance at success. I prefer the solid bar type that pivots after insertion.
The drywall in the immediate vicinity is beyond saving. Even toggles will not have much solid to support them. You need to move the bracket well away from the damaged area (to a stud if you can), or you need to build up the area to support it.
One way to reinforce the area is to create a wooden backing behind the drywall to serve as a support. Find a piece of wood at least 1 1/2 inches wider than the space between the screws. Cut it to about 6 inches in length.
Cut away the damaged section of drywall making a hole a bit wider than the board and about 3 inches high. You are going to insert the board vertically into this hole and attach it to the back of the drywall.
An easy way to do this is to drill a small hole in the center of the board and tie a string through the hole. You can then insert the board and use the string to prevent it from falling and to manipulate it into place.
Screw through the drywall into the board using drywall screws. Use two screws top and two on the bottom. This locks your new framing piece in.
Make a patch of drywall and fill the hole. Tape and patch with joint compound. Lightly sand and prime. Paint now or later.
Now, when you reattach the bracket, you will be screwing into the wood which is supported by many square inches of drywall. I would predrill the holes with a bit slightly smaller than the screw body to reduce the chance of splitting the wooden backer.