How To Hang Things On Walls Made Of Plaster

To hang medium weight objects such as large pictures.

How to hang things on walls made of plaster.

After moving into a new home you might realize that the walls are made of plaster and not drywall. If you try to hammer in a nail to hang a picture the nail might actually bend in half. But we have drilled into the brick fireplaces to hang things over those. 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.

Buy plastic or nylon wall anchors made for the size screws you have and examine the package to find out what size drill bit to use for the holes. Hanging heavy objects on the wall can be tricky and with all the options available out there downright confusing. 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. Drill a hole in the wall to accommodate the plastic anchor.

Place a picture hanger flat against the wall and drive a nail through the hanger. Next drill a hole into the mark using a 3 16 drill bit before removing the piece of tape. I haven t hung anything extremely heavy not over 10 pounds which presents some limitations. For lighter items simply screwing into the plaster with a 1 1 4 drywall screw is usually enough to get the job done.

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. Though there are several methods of locating studs or supports behind the wall the most reliable is using a magnetic stud finder. Then hammer a wall anchor into the hole until it s flush with the plaster. 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.

Hanging things on plaster walls is easy if you have a drill and screws. This kind of plaster was implemented in the 1800s and was used in homes up until the 1950s when drywall became the wall medium of choice because it is sturdier than plaster. Even so it is possible hang numerous pictures throughout the house. Even more so if you live in an old house with plaster and lath walls.

Screws and screws with masonry anchors for heavy items are your best choice for hanging things on plaster walls without picture rail. Regarding hanging items in the plaster walls it s actually harder when i find a stud because the screw does not go through it. So if you have plaster walls in your home and you want to hang a picture you need to take into consideration that the walls are sensitive.