Installing Monarch Z Clips: What Do I Need to Know About Mounting to Drywall/Gypsum?

We frequently receive customer inquiries about whether Monarch Z Clips can be mounted to drywall and which fasteners to use when doing so.

In a nutshell, yes, you can mount the continuous lengths to drywall. However, it’s important to remember that the strength of the Monarch Z Clip Hanging Systems derives from the material you are mounting to and the fastener that you select. If you were to mount the continuous lengths with regular sheet metal screws and not penetrate any studs, it is very likely the system would fail with any amount of shear load.

The first choice if you are mounting over drywall is to penetrate studs at the attachment points.  For this reason, our pre-drilled lengths have holes 8’’ on center to match standard and commercial stud spacing.  

If you want to mount to Drywall, but are unable to penetrate studs, it’s still possible to use the Monarch Z Clip Hanging System; you’ll just have to explore fasteners that help distribute the load over a larger surface area of the drywall.  

Here are a few factors to consider when deciding which fastener option will work best when you want to mount to drywall but you can’t penetrate studs:

Z Clip Hole Diameter: One important consideration is the diameter of the Z clip hole. Our clips have a standard .203” diameter hole, so you’ll need to make sure the screw can fit through it . As previously mentioned, our customers find that the #8 pan head screw works well.

If you need a non-standard hole in a Monarch Z clip, we can typically recommend and customize the diameter for you based on your project needs.

Height of Screw Head: Our Z clips create a cavity that allows for a certain maximum screw head height. For example, our MF250 clips allow for a maximum of â…›’’. In this instance, any screw head with a height that’s less than â…›’’ would be appropriate. This concept can be applied across our Z clip products.  Be aware that we frequently hear that import screw dimensions vary from the standards, so it is best to test the system with a physical sample.

If the screw head is greater than the maximum height allowed, then you would need to either 1) consider an alternative fastener option or, 2) consider an alternative Monarch Hanging System that permits more room for the head of the screw.

Screw Length: Once you have your desired penetration into the drywall anchor, don’t forget that you must add the material thickness of the Monarch Z Clip at the attachment point to arrive at the correct screw length. For example, our MF375 system has a material thickness of â…›’’ at the attachment point.  If a simple plastic anchor called for a length of ⅝’’, then you would use a ¾’’ screw.  

Load Capacity: Because of the large variety of substrates and layouts, we are unable to test our Monarch Hanging Systems in combination with every potential fastener. However, many screw manufacturers will offer data on the shear rating which you can then apply to your circumstance. You’ll need to do your research on the load capacity of your fastener to ensure that it’s suitable for your application.  

Below are some examples of fasteners/screws that our customers tell us they’ve used successfully when mounting into drywall:

• Self-drilling plastic anchors
• Drill-in anchors that use a #8 screw or smaller
• Hammer-in anchors that use a #8 screw or smaller
• Toggle anchors that are compatible with a #8 pan head screw

If you would like to learn more about our Z clip systems or which screw dimension is most appropriate, be sure to check out our Z Clip Selector Tool and Screw Dimension Chart. Feel free to give us a call at (631) 750-3000 with any questions you may have.