how to hang heavy pictures on drywall

Nails have their place in construction but rarely work best when it comes to hanging heavy paintings, photos or decorative works on the wall. Hang anything from frame photos, pictures, and lightweight mirrors using this pack of 17 picture hangers. How To Hang Heavy Pictures On Drywall: 7 Easy Steps. Stop driving when the screw becomes snug. Molly bolts are easy to install, but you also need to make sure that you get the right size for the thickness of your wall. Drive in the metal screw and hang the picture. So if you have a concrete wall that you want to mount something on, you can use these to get the job done. You’ll need to pull gently on the bolt as you’re screwing it in to prevent the toggle from spinning around with the bolt. Take a look at How to Find Wall Studs for tips on locating the studs. The materials you are attaching to definitely affects the hardware you choose to hang the picture. For more help, including how to install molly bolts, read on. Heavy paintings (25-50 lbs): Stud finder, wall plug anchors, screws, drill, screwdriver, and a picture hanging hook For heavy paintings, you may also choose to re-distribute the weight by attaching a wire to two d-rings on either side of the back of the frame and hanging it with two hooks instead of one. Hammer or screw the picture hanger into the wall at the desired spot using the corresponding number of nails or screws. For more help, including how to install molly bolts, read on. Designed for hanging heavy pictures and mirrors, these large picture hanging strips can hold up to 16lbs per pack. A toggle bolt comes with its own machine screw. Measure from this point to the top of the frame. Toggle bolts are the answer for how to hang plants from the ceiling, how to hang heavy shelves on drywall, or anything that is heavy or will get tugged on like a towel bar — but they’re a little trickier. Try to pre-drill a hole to find out. Insert the anchor into the hole and pull it back out. Mark the location of the top edge and the center of the frame. Pictures up to 10lbs are considered light loads, 10-25lbs are considered medium loads, and 25-50lbs are heavy loads. First, start by drilling a hole that’s big enough for the toggle to squeeze through when it’s folded down. When it comes to hanging things from drywall, a simple screw often won’t do it. Instead of hanging your decor on a hollow section of drywall, aim to hang … If your picture is wider than 16 inches (40.6 cm), or the distance between two studs in your wall, Use a level and two screws to screw a narrow piece of wood into the wall. You’ll feel a little resistance at first, but that’s just the molly bolt mechanism slowly tightening down. This method is appropriate for most framed art in the home. They come with much larger threads than screws do, allowing them to really bite into the drywall and create a pretty nice hold. They are very strong and don't damage your walls at all. To hang pictures on brick, mortar, or ceramic tile, use the same methods as hanging on plaster, but you must use a masonry drill bit to create the pilot hole. How to Hang a Heavy Mirror on Drywall If screwing into a stud, you'll only need a 1-1/4-inch screw or 1-5/8-inch screw for secure mounting through 1/2-inch drywall. While providing a seemingly durable surface, the crushed gypsum plaster held together with cardboard is actually only about a half-inch thick and won't hold your heavy objects without some extra help. The most secure way to hang a heavy mirror or painting on a wall is to drive a long screw directly into a wall stud. Approved. on. Large versions installed with an angled nail can support up to 20 lbs. Picture hanging kits often contain a variety of wall anchors suitable for smaller, lighter artwork. Some molly bolts have teeth on the head that dig into the drywall, so make sure that you hammer it in all the way so that these teeth can do their job. Wall anchors are not needed. You can buy packages of 1/8-in. Attach one half of each set to your picture frame, and the other half to the wall and press down firmly. The metal support behind the bolt will flare out on the other side of the drywall as you tighten the screw. Wall fasteners offer support for hanging pictures in the home. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Measure this distance down from the mark you made on the wall with pencil or painter's tape. Pictured above is what the other side looks like, and you’ll notice that the toggle is pressed firmly against the drywall to hold the bolt in place. In most cases, this hole will be large enough for the head of the screw to fall through, so these are really only good for mounting shelves or other items where they can act as a washer of sorts and stop the screw from going all the way through. If you’re unsure, just ask an employee for help. To hang a heavy mirror, it’s best to select packages of heavy-duty anchors. How to Hang a Heavy Picture on a Plasterboard Wall - YouTube How do I hang heavy mirrors on reinforced concrete walls? For large prints or especially heavy frames, this is when you’ll want to use some kind of anchor if going into drywall with no stud. It’s also highly recommended to hand heavy artwork on a stud. Below are steps for hanging pictures with different types of hardware. Drill a hole the diameter of the folded toggle bolt. Sheetrock has its own complications, and they often limit the way that a house can be decorated for those who aren’t aware of the specific ways that things need to be done. This article has been viewed 333,704 times. If you are using a nail, put a fork on that nail then put the picture on and remove the fork. Then hang your heavy item. (9.1 kg) are considered too heavy for hanging on a wall without proper reinforcement. A lot of newer homes use metal studding. Hanging heavy pictures on drywall seems like a daunting task because you worry that the picture will come crashing down along with all of your drywall facing. Best for: Heavy picture frames, bulletin boards, smoke alarms, door chimes, lightweight shelving, wall-mounted light fixtures, wall-mounted mirrors on drywall. After that, gently hammer the anchor into the wall. There are mirror mounting brackets, which you can obtain from a home store or form local glass suppliers, which grab the edges of the glass once they are installed. Mark the horizontal location of the center of the picture on a piece of masking tape on the wall. If you want to hang a group of pictures for a gallery wall, hang the center of the grouping at 57 inches. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Typically when you want to hang a heavy item on the wall where there is no stud, you have to get out your drill, drill a hole, hammer in a wall anchor, and then screw in a large screw. ", "The type of walls and anchors to use helped me, plus the idea of a wood strip. Simply insert into the wall with a screwdriver and then push a screw into the anchor. Drive the pointed end into the drywall with a hammer; then screw the anchor into the wall with a standard screwdriver. Plastic anchor screws without wings work best on plaster walls, as they grip the plaster well. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. I have that holding up a 15 lb mirror in my room. Snip off an 8” to 10” piece of wire coat hanger and bend the ends in opposite directions. If you haven’t already decided on where to hang the artwork, a good rule of thumb is to hang it at eye-level. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. How To Hang Heavy Pictures On Drywall: 7 Easy Steps. They’re called expansion anchors because when you drive in the a screw, they expand and push against the drywall in order to bite into it. For best results and earthquake resistance, use a combination screw and a hooked picture hanger. However, there are so many types of walls out there, from exposed brick to traditional drywall to surfaces covered in tile. To hang a picture on a plaster wall, make a pencil mark where you want to hang the picture, then cover the mark with a small piece of painter’s tape. How to Hang a Heavy Picture Between Two Wall Studs When the Picture Only Has One Hanging Point. Studs are spaced about every 16 inches behind a wall, so gently tap on the wall until you hear a solid sound, rather than a hollow one. Here’s what the other side looks like. Drill a hole the diameter of the anchor. Is an eyelet and picture wire strong enough? The following tools required for hanging the heavy pictures on drywall . Picture-Frame Hangers and Nails. Hanging a heavy mirror with wire is a solid option—look for the heaviest gauge of picture-hanging wire you can find to help with the weight. Figuring out how to hang heavy wall art though can sometimes be a problem. What should I use to hang it? Use self-drilling drywall screws on 12- to 20-gauge studs. Hang the picture across both picture hangers. Learn which hardware is best to use and find out about a new type of picture hanging hardware called the Monkey Hook that makes it easy to hang a heavy picture on your wall. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. His work has been published by iFixit, Lifehacker, Digital Trends, Slashgear, and GottaBeMobile. Since we launched in 2006, our articles have been read more than 1 billion times. Sometimes called Zip-Its, threaded anchors are kind of like larger screws. To hang really heavy pictures on plaster walls, use a toggle bolt by drilling a hole in the wall, pushing the bolt’s wings into the hole, and tightening the screw. When it comes to hanging things from drywall, a simple screw often won’t do it. A lot is going to depend on the weight of the picture. Thanks! It includes easy to use hooks that can hold … They’re small little plastic anchors that are fairly basic, and you’ll see them included in most shelf kits that you can buy at the store. Ideally, find a stud and drill a screw into it, like you would with a TV. Unfortunately, if you were to just drive a screw into drywall, the brittleness of the drywall material wouldn’t allow the threads of the screw to fully bite into the drywall, making the holding strength of the screw pretty weak overall. ", "I enjoyed the different options available for different weight projects.". With that all out of the way, let’s get started! on. Stop when you’re met with even more resistance and snugness. What other options available? Hanging pictures is a great way to decorate and personalize a space. When a wall stud isn’t available where you want to hang a heavy picture, a toggle bolt provides the most holding power. Before, I was always the girl that did her damnedest to find a wall stud behind the drywall to hang heavy pictures, mirrors, etc. For lighter items, simply screwing into the plaster with a 1 1/4” drywall screw is usually enough to get the job done. How to hang medium to heavy big pictures on drywall a d then easy to cover if moved? % of people told us that this article helped them. Then hang your heavy item. rivets at the … Without fail, whenever I want to hang something heavy on my drywall there is not a stud in that spot to support it. Designed for hanging heavy pictures and mirrors, these large picture hanging strips can hold up to 16lbs per pack. When you have steel studs, this can require special blocking before the wall is built -- or special attachment tactics if you want to go directly into the steel stud without wood blocking. This will prevent it from going askew by gripping the wall. There is a wide array of hardware available to help hang a heavy picture on drywall. Hang your picture on this hanger. You can then fasten picture hangers into the wood at desired intervals using nails or screws, depending on what the fastener requires. Check the packaging on the wall fasteners before using, as they will usually give a weight range for intended use. If the screw has resistance then you are drilling into wood. Learning how to hang heavy objects on drywall will probably be the best place to start as this is the most common wall material. Unscrew and attach a picture hanger, or simply hang the picture from the screw. Drywall is at the most risk from hanging photographs when the frame is heavy. Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, geek trivia, and our feature articles. This will be where you drill or nail a fastener into the wall. Mark this new spot in pencil with an X. These work on hollow surfaces like drywall or behind plaster lathe by opening up behind the wall like wings. This will be where you drill or nail a fastener into the wall. Put your worries away as we will teach you how to hang your favorite pictures on drywall that you have kept in the closet because of their humongous weight. Rub the pads for 30 seconds and then wait one hour to allow the adhesive to bond with the wall and the picture frame. To create this article, 9 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Attach one half of each set to your picture frame, and the other half to the wall and press down firmly. How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. You may need a second pair of hands to help you with this. You can also hold a scrap piece of wood about half the width of the frame under the hanging wire to determine the two hanging points. Hang Using Picture Wire Hold the mirror against the wall at the desired position. The partition wall is a double wall with a typical double layered covering of 12.5mm. However, there are so many types of walls out there, from exposed brick to traditional drywall to surfaces covered in tile. The weight ratings for picture-hanging hardware are based on securing the hanger into a stud. Step 1: Tools Required. references & resources The Natural Handyman: You Can Hang Almost Anything With Wall Anchors Nichole Liandi Based in Virginia, Nichole Liandi has been a freelance writer since 2005. From there, begin screwing down the bolt. http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20403461_20813027,00.html, http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,20802905,00.html, http://www.lowes.com/projects/decorate-and-entertain/hang-pictures-on-a-wall/project, http://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/20/nyregion/home-clinic-hang-heavy-pictures-and-mirrors-with-an-eye-to-safety.html, http://www.ronhazelton.com/projects/how_to_hang_heavy_objects_on_walls, http://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-hang-a-heavy-mirror/#.VgYl7u1Viko, http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-to/a3122/the-proper-way-to-hang-a-picture-10792209/. Could possibly be metal depending on the age of the house. The simplest way to hang pictures on the wall is to hammer a nail into the wall. Step 1 Position a center-finding stud finder in the area where you want to hang the picture and slide it along the wall until it beeps. If the frame has a wire across the back, pull up on the wire with the tape measure to it's highest possible point. However, if you’re just hanging a mirror or a picture frame, you can drive the screw in by itself and hang the mirror afterward. As you can see, this molly bolt is too big for my 1/2-inch drywall, as those four little wings should be pressed up against the wall in order to create that strong hold. If at all possible, secure heavy objects to a stud. Make sure to position your shelf (or whatever you’re mounting) up to where you want it and then drive in the screw. For heavy pictures, secure the hangers to wall studs if you can. To securely hang heavy pictures where there is no access to a stud, run two wires between the screw eyes and support each with a wall hanger. Fold down the spring-loaded wings and insert the bolt into the hole. It's good to have a selection of these on hand in different sizes. As with the expansion anchor, drive it in until it sits flush with the drywall. Instead of hanging your decor on a hollow section of drywall, aim to hang … Use a Phillips head screwdriver to make a hole in the drywall just large enough for the toggle nut to fit through. How to Hang Something Heavy Into Drywall Without Studs ... like a picture hook, into the wall using the anchor as the mounting point. My picture is 13.5 lbs. I like to change things up on my walls often, and I detest those plastic wall anchors. Screws (and screws with masonry anchors for heavy items) are your best choice for hanging things on plaster walls without picture rail. How to Install Drywall Anchors to Hang Heavy Stuff on Your Walls, How to Keep the Calculator Always-on-Top on Windows 10, How to Stop Low Cardio Fitness Notifications on Apple Watch, How to Open Firefox’s Private Browsing Mode with a Keyboard Shortcut. Next, drill a hole into the mark using a 3/16 drill bit before removing the piece of tape. How to hang heavy things on plaster walls using a wall stud. Use drywall screws instead of the hook for mounting pictures with D-rings or sawtooth hangers. Now we’re getting into the really strong drywall anchors, and these are ones that you can use on pretty much any material—not just drywall. Drive the screw into the drywall, preferably at the location of a wall stud, leaving a slight amount of screw rising from the drywall surface. You’ll also need D-rings and small screws. By using our site, you agree to our, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e5\/Hang-a-Heavy-Picture-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Hang-a-Heavy-Picture-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e5\/Hang-a-Heavy-Picture-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid1390770-v4-728px-Hang-a-Heavy-Picture-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":306,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":485,"licensing":"