8

I have a pair of 20 lbs speakers that I want to mount to the drywall which is between two studs. How do people recommend these speakers be mounted? I would like to swivel and tilt the speakers. The speaker dimensions are W x H x D = 8 x 12 x 10 inches. I was thinking of using B-Tech BT77 mounts but not sure how much (if any) bracing is needed behind the drywall.

enter image description here

product manual

1
  • Atlast how did you mount it?
    – Jay
    May 28, 2017 at 8:12

2 Answers 2

3

Sounds like your sheetrock is somehow damaged from moisture or the EZ Toggle would have certainly worked. You now need to install wood backing, or move your speakers so the brackets can be screwed into the studs.

To install wood backing, first you need to cut out a rectangle of your wall's sheetrock slightly larger than the intended size of the backing panel, with the vertical cuts centered on studs. Don't try to save the old piece, replace it with new. I would use plywood instead of sawn lumber which would make a cold spot. Cut the plywood to fit flush between the studs, preferably with face grain horizontal.

Cut 2 narrow plywood strips to act as cleats. Using construction adhesive, nail/glue the strips to the studs set back from the front edge equal to the plywood thickness. Once the glue has set, nail/glue the plywood backing to the cleats. You are not supposed to nail into the edge of plywood, but in this case it's just to hold the panel in place until the glue sets.

Install a new sheetrock piece to fill the hole you cut out. Tape and mud the joints. Prime paint your finished mud job. If you have textured walls, and don't have a mud gun, there are spray cans of wall texture available for repairs just like this. Either way, you'll need to practice application to match the existing texture. Once dry, apply paint top coat to match existing wall. Whew!

Sure you can't just move the speakers to the studs? ;)

2
  • I doubt my rock is damaged -- it is new. What happened is when the anchor pokes through it breaks a lot of the rock away, weakening it -- I was probably pushing too hard. You answer sounds excellent. I missed this and already finished the job...still need to mud and paint. I cut a 16"x12" hole from stud-to-stud (centers) and put in 2x4's across the top and then one vertical, down the middle. For the replacement rock I cut it 1/8" smaller to fill in the gaps with mud and when I cut the rock I left paper on the front facing side instead of using tap. Hopefully that will be OK.
    – dailyglen
    Jul 7, 2012 at 23:57
  • Using overhanging paper facing is a tried and true technique, it works great. The only drawback is it's thickness is greater than tape, so it takes more tapering to 'disappear' the joint. Glad it's sorted and the brackets are totally solid. Cheers.
    – bcworkz
    Jul 8, 2012 at 17:16
5

They make many different types of wall anchors. I have used different forms of E-Z Anchors for years and am happy with them. They hold up to 100 pounds in sheetrock with their toggle lock anchors. 1 of the normal screw anchors can hold 25 pounds in half inch rock.

I am sure those brackets have more than one mounting hole? Place on the wall where you want, mark the holes with a pencil, "screw" in the anchors in the pencil marks and attach with screws and you should be good to go. Now, this is assuming there isn't 1/4 inch rock on the walls :-)

3
  • I'll have to check the thickness of the drywall. I added a like to the BT77 product manual and the weight will not be a shear load like the E-Z Anchors recommend. The weight of the bracket is probably about 5 lbs. I'm worried that the top anchor may pull out. Do you have any reference showing that this will be safe?
    – dailyglen
    Jul 4, 2012 at 13:20
  • Nice catch that the load is not pure shear. Let's do a quick pull numbers out of ay mss check. Speaker moment = 25# * 4" = 100 in#. EZ-Anchor resisting moment = 50#/4(wag for tension) * 4 anchors * 9" spacing / 2 = 225 in# >> 100in# so not a problem.
    – bcworkz
    Jul 7, 2012 at 2:14
  • I have 1/2" rock. I first tried plastic toggle anchors and then metal E-Z toggle. The plastic ones wouldn't open and the metal ones would not open or threads would not bite. I think this is partially because this is an outside wall...doh! Also on one anchor the drywall is popping out around it so I am not going to trust my speakers to this. It is time to put timber behind the walls. Any pointers would be appreciated.
    – dailyglen
    Jul 7, 2012 at 17:11

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.