How to Install a Swag Hook

Consider the weight of the object hung by the hook. If the swag hook should fall, will someone get hurt or will an expensive piece of furniture, etc. be damaged? If hanging a plant, consider how much heavier it will become after watering, and if over watered, will the overflow damage electrical / electronic devices below?^[1]

Determine installation hardware to be used, based on support material. A typical hook will have a threaded hole, and will be packaged with inserts that thread into this hole. One insert will be threaded with fine threads on one end, and wider threads and a point at the other end. This insert is designed to be used when screwed directly into wood or plastic anchor (some times called a "molly") that has been pressed into a drilled hole in brick, concrete, etc. (not wallboard/drywall!). An alternative insert uses a threaded rod with a spring loaded wing-like nut, and is called a "toggle" (or sometimes a "butterfly") nut. Many manufacturers include them for different uses and identify them for use in wallboard. They are actually designed for use in hollow walls constructed of durable materials such as cinder block. They have better success when used in vertical wallboard installations for light loads, but use in ceilings should be discouraged except the very lightest loads.^[2]