The mount itself seems strong enough to hold up my stairs. I have a fiberglass extension ladder that is about 12 feet long when folded (so maybe 18 or 20 feet when extended). The supplied screws are short and unusually wide. This and the number of fasteners per bracket (3) tells me that the fastening system is only suitable for drywall connection. The included fasteners will attach to bare studs but will not adhere well to them if there is drywall. My garage has drywall. I wouldn't even consider using the supplied fixings to support my ladder. I need the power of the spike. So I bought four (two per bracket) 1/2" x 2" wood screws. This is overkill for the mounts, but the holes in the mount are 1/2" wide because the included screws are unusually wide. So if I tried to use a screw more appropriate for the load (e.g. 1/4"2"), the mounting hole would have too much clearance. Be sure to pre-drill the holes.