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While installing a wall mount for a 48" TV, I realized I made a mistake. I drilled a ⅜ pilot hole in the wall stud and then installed the anchors provided with the mount that the lag bolts would be secured in. Going back to the instructions I realized my mistake, having used the directions for the "Concrete wall installation" instead of the "Wood stud wall installation."

The Concrete wall installation instructions say not to use these for a wood stud installation, but rather to use a 7/32 pilot with the provided lag bolt.

As far as I can tell, the only difference between the concrete and wood stud installation is that the concrete uses the provided anchors, and both use the same 4 lag bolts.

So do I need to fill these holes with wood filler or something and start over, or will the concrete anchors make a difference at all?

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  • They expand as the bolt enters the anchor, wood splits along the grain. Same goes for using an overly large lag bolt with an overly small pilot hole.
    – Fiasco Labs
    Oct 25, 2014 at 20:56

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Yes I'm afraid concrete anchors are not appropriate for wood studs. Sleeve anchors rely on being able to press against the sides of their hole with enough pressure to counter act the pull-out weight of the load they're bearing. If the sides of the hole are somewhat squishy (like soft pine is) the anchor will probably fail. You can:

  1. Move the unit slightly and re-drill properly sized holes, just make sure to move them at least 2" away from the old holes.
  2. Fill the holes with 3/8" dowels and glue and then re-drill.
  3. Bore out the holes in your hardware and use a 3/8" lag (or whatever size works with the holes you drilled) if your hardware will allow it.
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I mounted my tv in my truck the same way that you described and had no issues at all with the concrete anchors in the studs I bought.

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  • What kind of concrete anchors did you use? The exact type or a photo would be nice. Some anchors are "universal" and meant for use in other materials apart from concrete, while others are rated only for concrete (and masonry). Without more details, it's impossible to tell how reliable your answer is.
    – TooTea
    Jul 6, 2021 at 8:32

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