This wall is not shared by another tenant directly next door but does have a unit above me. I cannot find a stud. i have used a magnet stud finder. I have nailed a 2.5" nail into the wall in 1 inch increments. AND even though the rest of the house is sheetrock, and i saw studs when we were remodeling, i cannot find anything on this wall. the other side of the wall is exterior and perhaps there is a large space between the wall. What can i do??? I have so many holes in the wall now and i cannot place the mirror anywhere else. is there something that is very strong that would work if the mirror were to start falling over. I live in an earthquake zone and i do not feel comfortable having a piece of furniture just leaning against the wall unsecured. super frustrated. Please help.
Walls – Trying to secure a 100lbs floor mirror so it doesn’t tilt over. is it possible to do this without a stud
earthquakemirrorwalls
Related Solutions
I wouldn't try removing the frame. It appears to extend in both directions and may damage a larger section of wall.
You are right to be concerned about taping compound or spackle sticking to a metal edge. I would recommend making a patch that is larger than the opening by about an inch on each side. Then trim away the back paper and the core of the patch so that the part being put into the wall is the exact size of the hole. That will leave you with a "flange" of paper facing on hte room side that will be easier to tape and compound to blend it in.
Your general approach to support is right, but you may not need a brace between the studs. To support the patch, cut three pieces of 1x2 wood that are about 6 inches longer than the height of the opening. Position each piece of wood vertically in the cavity, one near the left side of the hole, one in the middle, and one near the right. To attach each strip pull it forward against the back of the plaster or plasterboard. Hold it in place by screwing through the face of the wall into the top and bottom sections of the wood strip. You can screw the plasterboard patch to these strips for support.
Finish the attachment with tape and taping compound. I would probably use mesh tape on a patch of this size and support.
The safest approach is to actually cut the wall open and see what you are really dealing with. While it involves drywall repair and paint, it also doesn't involve heavy fragile expensive items being hung based on conjecture. While the wall could be brick, it could also be studs (steel or wood) with resilient channel (somewhat age of building and local building practices dependent) - one of the features of resilient channel is better sound isolation, which is good for a party (common) wall. But some places a party wall is nearly always going to be 18" or more of masonry for fire purposes.
The wall shown here uses resilient channel, which is what I was looking for an image of, but also some other techniques that may well not apply.
You may find that you can "see" the resilient channel (or furring, as it may also be) better changing the studfinder direction (turn it 90 degrees, and sweep up and down)
Best Answer
My preferred anchors in drywall for heavier loads are the newer toggle strap types.
These have a steel brace that rests inside the wall, spreading te load over about 3 inches. They also have the benefit of allowing you to remove and reinstall the bolt, which older toggles didn't allow.
The toggle is installed through a hole, usually 3/8 or 1/2 inch. The straps are slid to rotate the toggle bar until it is perpendicular to the wall. the Toggle is insterted and the straps are then slid back turning the bar parallel to the back of the drywall. The straps are pulled forward and the collar is pushed in to the face of the drywall, locking hte toggle in place. The excess straps are then broken off, and the toggle is ready for a bolt. (It reads loger than it takes.)
Rigid Attachment
You can drill holes in the mirror frame and into the wall to mark where the toggle should go. Once the toggle is installed, you can bolt throught those holes to lock the mirror to the wall. If the mirror is resting on the floor, only two toggles should be needed near the top.
Loose Attachment
You also could attach the mirror to the toggles using heavy duty braided picture wire. Insert two heavy hookeyes into the back of the frame. You can make an attachment point for the wire at the toggle bolt using a piece of perforated metal strapping, or an S hook bent to close the loops. Put the bolt through this attachment point and into the toggle. Tighten. Then loop the wire through the wall attachment point and the hookeys and close the loop with several twists of wire.
This second method is not meant to hold the mirror tight to the wall, just to provide a leash if it were to tip forward. Again, two toggles should be sufficient.