How To Hang Heavy Pictures On Lath And Plaster Walls

Plaster walls have a tendency to crack and crumble if you attempt to hammer a nail directly into the wall.

How to hang heavy pictures on lath and plaster walls.

Adhesive picture hooks are the best way to prevent damage when hanging a picture but pre drilling the hole will usually prevent cracks and chips from forming as well. If you can hang your heavy object in line with a stud and screw a long screw directly into the stud that s always the best option. They come in various sizes and can hold up to 100 pounds. Simply hanging something heavy on a plaster wall can result in damage to the wall and the object if you don t tap into the supporting structure behind the plaster.

How to hang heavy things on plaster walls using a wall stud. Make sure you leave half an inch out of the wall so you have space to hang your artwork. You may not notice the damage but as plaster comes loose from the lath it will eventually begin to sag and soon fall off the wall if the sagging continues unchecked. Hanging pictures on plaster walls with picture rails standard picture hanger hooks also known as j shaped metal hooks work well when hanging pictures on plaster walls.

Hanging things on plaster walls is easy if you have a drill and screws. Therefore it s the strongest part of the wall and the ideal place to hang pictures from. Hanging heavy objects on the wall can be tricky and with all the options available out there downright confusing. Though there are several methods of locating studs or supports behind the wall the most reliable is using a magnetic stud finder.

As mentioned earlier the wall stud is where the wooden lath attaches to the wooden frame behind the plaster. If the pictures are small and equipped with a wire on the back use a small picture hook and nail. Even more so if you live in an old house with plaster and lath walls. Generally speaking it s best to hang heavy pictures on a wall stud.

With proper technique hanging pictures on a lath and plaster wall isn t a problem. All you need to do is pre drill a hole slightly narrower than your screws then use the drill to drive a screw into the hole.