I’m trying to update that 70’s house and it needs interior painting. One wall has several embedded molly fasteners in the sheetrock. Any ideas on pulling these out without making a major hole in the wall?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Listeners write in about insulating an attic roof in a balloon-framed house, sizing a new heat-pump system, attaching extension jambs to a window or exterior door, and more.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Fine Home Building
Follow
-
Fine Homebuilding
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial Now -
GBA Prime
Get instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
Don't pull them out. Remove the bolt and then smack the anchor with a hammer to set it just below the surface of the drywall. You can then run some spackle or joint compound right over it and no one will ever kow it was there.
if it is the screw in wing type metal anchor, you can turn the machine screw to tighten it into the paper facing before you twist that sreww oput and spackle.
If it is a plastic one, you might be able to grab it with pliers and pull it out once the screw is out, or you can use an awl to push it all the way through.
Excellence is its own reward!
Slowp, I have a variation on the hammer setting I always use a ball pein hammer to set the molly bolt just below the surface. Just hold ball part of the hammer aginst the molly and tap with another hammer it seems to set the molly with less damage to the drywall. Mike