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really need some help!

I have a 2.2m long 7ft projector screen around 10kg / 22 lbs. I need to hang from a hollow wall WITHOUT JOISTS.

Bit annoying, but I've got a stud detector and defo no wooden joists in this ceiling. Seems to be suspeded on these thing I imagine as lots of metal detected https://gmceilings.co.uk/mf-ceiling-taunton-somerset/

I've got two of these - they say they are rated for 25KG https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01AK6UO2C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 but I'm not so sure.

The plan is to hang the screen on these as needed (not permanently up).

The Ceiling is half inch thick.

I need it abou 12" from the wall or I would just affix to corner.

Thanks!

-Peter

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    The screen itself should hold just fine. The problem is the human pulling the screen - it gets a little stuck and they yank it real hard and all comes tumbling down.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Nov 21, 2019 at 15:34
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    I agree I think a toggle bolt like this would be the safest method. At 12” away from the wall you may be only 4” from a rafter depending on the direction they run so those should hold as your load is 1/4 the rating of 2.
    – Ed Beal
    Nov 21, 2019 at 16:07
  • Agree with Ed - can you move it out from the wall just a bit? Can you install a few wooden stringers perpendicular to the screen that will be able to screw into rafters/joists?
    – JPhi1618
    Nov 21, 2019 at 17:03
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    Possible duplicate of Is it safe to hang a 39lb projector screen from a drywall ceiling without using the joists?
    – JPhi1618
    Nov 21, 2019 at 17:09
  • Thanks guys - JPhi1618 the issue there is that the people kept giving solutions that required joists, my ceiling has none. manassehkatz-ReinstateMonica Yanking will be a definite no-no! EdBeal yeah, should be ok - but am concerned and wondering if I can do more/there is a better way than poking these two things through the ceiling and hoping!
    – Peter Davies
    Nov 21, 2019 at 22:10

2 Answers 2

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the Molly Hollow Metal Cavity Ceiling Spring Toggle Hook M4 x 60 mm you link is itself "rated" to hold 25 lbs... based on it being metal and an M4 diameter. It's the drywall that isn't going to hold up to a single molly like that even if it has the finger thing that opens up when behind the wall spreading the load over more area.

if u can't make the joists suspend the load, then what u do is take a piece of wood to your liking...

  • a 2x3 stud costing $1.98 per 8' if you are really cheap, cut to desired length
  • a nice piece of 1x4 or 1x6 hardwood cut to desired length
  • make a metal plate of sufficient area, tap screws into it which will then hold accept threaded hooks to hold the suspended load; a 1/8" thick plate could be least obtrusive.

all depends on what your goal is, permanent or temporary, nice looking or don't care

what u simply want to try to avoid is suspending the load between joists where it's going to pull on the drywall whenever possible. And when you will be using the strength of the drywall do so over a wide an area as possible and from directly underneath the joists whenever possible.

your 7 foot long projector, get a 7' length of 1x4 hardwood, use wall anchors but use many staggered every 4" or so because you would not be drilling up into joists... the drywall is going to support the load of the 1x6 by 7' long. And the hardwood then supports the weight of projector via however you hang it.

Take it down, spackle the molly holes. you could also use mirror adhesive or any kind of drywall adhesive and glue the entire 1x4 by 7' but that would make that wood a permanent fixture on the ceiling... might look ok if painted white left there indefinitely (hang some plants or something).

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  • Hi Ron, thanks for this. Unfortunately there are no joists.
    – Peter Davies
    Nov 22, 2019 at 15:34
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I suspect the reason you do not find a ceiling joist in the area where you want to hang the projector screen is because the joists are parallel to the direction that you want to hang the screen. There is a good way to deal with this situation without having to just depend upon 1/2" thick ceiling drywall to support your screen hangers.

The ceiling drywall is definitely attached to something to hold it up. It also surely has a nailing/screw edge along the wall/ceiling corner behind where you want to mount the screen.

So you simply mount two pieces of 1 x 4 board to the ceiling as shown below. These extend from the wall out to just past the first joist away from the wall. Use screws at each end to secure to the drywall backer at the corner and to the joist. These can be painted to match the ceiling (not the ugly blue that I showed in the picture) so they are not very noticeable. Finally you mount your screen to these boards.

enter image description here

An alternative, if you have access to the space above the ceiling is to install the wood as blocking between the joists from above and then screw into the blocking from below through the ceiling drywall.

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