Drywall – What screws should I have used for drywall? (And can I fix this situation?)

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I'm installing an IKEA Bjurstra wall-mounted table.

The primary load-bearer is the vertical column, and I've successfully fastened this to a wood stud using 2x #12×2 pan head drill screws:

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But the same screws applied to the braces that keep the table flush to the wall, ended up only stripping the dry wall:

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So now, though the vertical column is holding up the table just fine, the screws on the braces are loose and hanging out.

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  1. What kind of screws should I have used?

  2. Aside from starting over and installing the table at a different height, what can I do to amend this situation?

I am not a DIY-savvy person, so I would prefer ease or convenience over cost-savings. Thank you.

Best Answer

Agree that you want some dry-wall anchors. Just running a screw into drywall has absolutely no holding power - you need to get something with a very coarse thread, or an anchor that goes through the wall and holds it from the rear side.

Whatever you select, look for the load rating, and divide by 4 for the maximum weight of table and its loading. I prefer Toggler metal connectors (these have a 265lb rating in drywall - and I doubt that the table and contents will weigh more than 66lb).

To install these you need a 1/2" drill bit - so you can reuse the holes you've already drilled for the screws that Bjursta'd out.

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