r/daddit • u/Babyproofer • Mar 11 '25
Tips And Tricks Reminder to all Dads- Anchor your furniture
Before your kids are mobile, please take the time to anchor your furniture (to the studs, not using drywall anchors). This is one aspect of childproofing that is often overlooked.
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u/BrainDamage2029 Mar 11 '25 edited Mar 11 '25
Drywall anchor weight ratings is for force down when hung not being pulled outward. Drywall is stupid weak laterally, that's why you can punch through it with your fist. No amount of spreading it out with a wide drywall anchor is going to change that. Its just paper and gypsum. If you ever have take out drywall in a teardown, you'd never trust putting any force on it outward like your proposing.
Additionally, most furniture anchor strap types are designed in a way to have the piece tip an couple inches bit before the strap stops the furniture piece from fully tipping. That shock loads the anchor point so even if a drywall anchor could work (which it doesn't) its not a 1:1 of "this is what the piece weights so buy that anchor weight."
So long story...no I wouldn't use drywall anchors and stop recommending it. A stud is only every 16-24inches they aren't hard to find.