Molly (fastener)

Molly fastener

A molly or molly bolt, commonly misspelled moly,^[1] is a formerly trademarked^[2] name for a specialized fastener used with drywall. Larger sizes permit reasonably heavy objects, such as shelving, flatscreen TV mounts or central heating radiators to be attached to drywall in locations where there is no stud behind the drywall. For heavy objects, multiple molly bolts may be required.

Attaching

The fastener is an anchor, an expandable sleeve that slides into a hole drilled into the wall. A lip wider than the hole prevents it from falling behind the wall. A machine screw is then screwed into the sleeve, causing the anchor to bend, expand, spread and grip against the inside of the drywall.^[1]

Mollies come in various diameters and "grip lengths" for different drywall thicknesses and to support different loads.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Koenigsberg, David (2003), Handyman's Handbook: The Complete Guide to Starting and Running a Successful Business, McGraw-Hill Professional, ISBN 0071416706, http://books.google.com/?id=dO8slEg6LJYC , p. 111.
2. ^ United States Patent and Trademark Office