How To Hang Heavy Pictures On Lath And Plaster Walls

Even more so if you live in an old house with plaster and lath walls.

How to hang heavy pictures on lath and plaster walls.

Make sure you leave half an inch out of the wall so you have space to hang your artwork. Hanging things on plaster walls is easy if you have a drill and screws. Screws and screws with masonry anchors for heavy items are your best choice for hanging things on plaster walls without picture rail. 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.

Hanging heavy objects on the wall can be tricky and with all the options available out there downright confusing. If the pictures are small and equipped with a wire on the back use a small picture hook and nail. 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.

Though there are several methods of locating studs or supports behind the wall the most reliable is using a magnetic stud finder. Therefore it s the strongest part of the wall and the ideal place to hang pictures from. 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. Generally speaking it s best to hang heavy pictures on a wall stud.

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

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. As mentioned earlier the wall stud is where the wooden lath attaches to the wooden frame behind the plaster.