How do I get those little plastic fasteners (that are used to help support screws) back out of the wall?

Question

How do I get those little plastic fasteners (that are used to help support screws) back out of the wall?

Answer 1

Take the s***w out, then grab it with some needle nose pliers and pull it out. You can also put the s***w in 2 or 3 turns and pull out the s***w and wall anchor with pliers.

Answer 2

Put the s***w back in just a couple of turns and pull the whole assembly out.  Then patch the hole with spackle.

Answer 3

If this is on a drywall and it's in an obvious place, I would suggest dimpling them just below the wall surface, patching and painting.

If you go the route of pulling them out, which is of course possible, you run a great risk of tearing the paper and crumbling the gypsum of the drywall around the hole and then you'll have a much larger repair to deal with.

I wouldn't suggest pushing them all the way into the wall as a hole with nothing behind it is not as easy to patch. Get something rounded on the end, like the peen end of a ball-peen hammer and give the plastic anchor a couple of sharp taps to sink it below the wall surface, then patch and paint.

If it's a plaster wall, just pull them out and patch.

Answer 4

If the s***w doesn't work, you have two alternatives.  One, use a pair of needle nose pliers to grip to the edge of the plastic anchor and pull it out.  Or, if it is in drywall, push the anchor through the wall and let fall on the floor inside the wall.  Then take a carriage bolt, take the round head and with a hammer tap the bolt to recess the hole.  Then fill with drywall patching compound.  Sand and paint.

Dave