Attempting to drive a nail directly into a plaster wall will cause the wall to crack and crumble. Adhesive picture hooks are the best way to prevent damage when hanging a picture, but pre-drilling the hole will help prevent cracks and chips. Which option is the best will depend on the weight of the image.
Here are two methods that explain how to hang pictures on plaster walls.
Method 1:Hooking up with adhesives
An option is to use adhesive hooks more potent than nails or screws. Picture hanging kits are available in the home improvement stores. They have small plastic circles with solid adhesive on them. You can put these right on your wall to hold up a very heavy picture. Here’s how:
Moisture on wall
Ensure no moisture on your wall before you begin putting up your hook. If there is any moisture on your wall, it will be too slippery for the adhesive to work properly and may fall off when you attach the picture’s weight to it. It would be best to wait until all water traces evaporate from the plaster before you start working with the hooks. Moisture could come in contact with your application for many reasons. If you have recently painted your wall, wait for the paint to dry completely before working with the hooks.
Weight of picture
Make sure that your picture does not exceed the weight capacity indicated in the package when you purchase adhesive hooks from any home improvement store near your place. This is very important because if your picture exceeds the weight limits indicated in the package, it may fall and hurt someone or damage something inside your room. Keep this fact in mind while buying all kinds of products made especially for hanging heavy pictures on plaster walls before walking through their respective aisles at an adjacent supermarket or departmental store.
Peel off adhesive plastic caps and attach them to the wall
Once you get adhesive hooks, peel off their plastic caps on one side to expose the adhesive, and stick them on your wall. Ensure that they are parallel to each other and then press them down carefully to adhere well.
Fix the picture hook to the wall with adhesive.
Once you have pressed them down, take your picture and hang it on the hooks above the adhesive points by sliding the hangers at the back of your picture between its two metal bars. Now carefully pull out these plastic caps from under each hook one after another with a very steady hand so as not to disturb or shake up your picture in any manner. Doing so will result in it falling off right away onto the floor, which will be quite an embarrassment for sure.
Cut extra plastic caps with scissor
Lastly, use a scissor or wire cutter to snip off all those plastic caps left behind on your wall after you have pulled them out.
Allow the adhesive to set well
Allow the adhesive to set well on your walls before walking on these areas. Be careful not to put any excess pressure on them because that may also cause your picture to fall, spilling all of its contents onto the floor. If it happens, you will get an electric shock, so be very cautious when dealing with electrical wires in your home or office when hanging up heavy items on any surface, including plaster walls.
Method 2:Hanging Pictures On Plaster Walls Using Brackets
Use Picture Hanging Bracket & Clip System The fourth option is more involved than simply hammering nails into the wall and sticking things onto it using adhesive hooks or awkward-looking screw-in hooks. It involves attaching a metal clip system to the back of your picture and then hanging it up using brackets that have been specially designed for this purpose. It is a bit more expensive than the other three options, but this method makes up for that by providing far greater security and ease of use.
You can attach them with scotch tape or double-sided adhesive, but if you want to give an even higher degree of security since they are small plates with several sharp pointed teeth on them which grip into the wall much better because their surface area is also much more extensive than using adhesive hooks or screw-in hooks. Follow these simple steps:
Clean the wall
Ensure no moisture on your wall before you begin putting up your bracket. If there is, dry it thoroughly as humidity can cause the metal parts to corrode.
Peel off the adhesive backing
Peel off the adhesive backing from one side of your metal clip system and stick it onto your wall using a leveler. Ensure that you have chosen an area with a stud for this job, as you will need at least two screws to make it easier for you to hang heavy items on plaster walls if they happen to be brittle or flaky.
Insert a picture in the metal bracket
Now take your picture and insert it into the back of the metal bracket, ensuring that all four corners are correctly inserted so that nothing gets bent up while doing this.
Correct the position of the picture
Position the bottom of the picture just above the point where you have stuck your metal bracket onto your wall because not doing so will result in a gap between the top of your picture and where you have chosen to hang it upon.
Insert screws in the wall
Insert one screw into the wall just above the two metal bars sticking out from the back of your picture frame. Ensure that both those screws are appropriately attached because if they aren’t, it will cause your picture frame to weaken and fall off after some time. In addition, do not use too many screws because that may cause your plaster wall to crack if it is a newer plaster wall that has been painted with isolation varnish inside and outside.
Now attach another bracket using a second screw to hold up the bottom right-hand side of your picture about eight inches below its upper edge where you inserted the first screw.
Now carefully insert the third screw on the lower left-hand side of your picture frame about six inches up from the bottom, and then attach a fourth and final screw on the upper right-hand side of your picture frame at waist height roughly ten to twelve inches away from where you inserted the first screw. This will hold up both the top and bottom borders of your picture frame, respectively, and make it easy for you to hang things like robes or towels, etc. – on walls without causing any harm to them.
Finally
Finally, drop some screws into those areas outside of those four metal brackets; these will help secure those brackets more securely against the plaster wall so that they remain firmly attached over time without causing any harm to the plaster wall.
FAQs
Why hang pictures on plaster walls?
Hanging pictures on plaster walls can be challenging. A plaster wall contains many surfaces that some anchors won’t adhere well to. The surface of the plaster will vary from rough to smooth, and there may or may not be paint splatters or dents on the surface.
- What should use while hanging items on plaster walls?
When hanging items on a plaster wall, use an anchor explicitly made for this type of material. Five anchors are made for different surfaces: molly bolts, toggle bolts, expansion shields, space savers, and expandable sleeves.
- What should we do before drilling in the plaster wall?
Before drilling into your walls with an anchor, determine whether your walls are load-bearing (construction) or non-load bearing (drywall). If they are load-bearing, you’ll want to avoid installing anything that goes into the wall if possible.
