Old plaster walls, new strict landlord, dorm room rules — there are plenty of reasons you might need to hang framed artwork without the use of nails. What are some good ways to get the job done? Look no further than our smart commenters - the hive mind comes through once again!
The Most Popular Reader Tip:
• From lwarecki
If the artwork isn't too heavy, you could try 3M Command picture hanging strips. And they don't damage the wall when removing! I've used these in a couple places in my home and they've been holding up great. I even hung a floor length mirror using them and not a chance of that thing budging.
• From PhoebeArt
Ditto on the 3M. Just be very careful and follow the directions when you peel them off.
• From VAmodmom
Ditto. I use the strips all over our 101 year house.
• From jeffnyc
A heavy painting in my apartment has been hanging from 2 of the 3M picture hanging strips for years. Just to be safe, I used the hooks created for the heaviest weight.
• From Archie29
3M - we have hung all our frames with those! They are amazing....
• From DillyDallyHome
3M 3M 3M...if you're worried about falling art you can always go overboard and use more than a few on one piece.
• From hillde
I've been using the 3M hooks for years - I don't rent but I like rearranging. I have followed the directions exactly every time, even when I've been impatient to hang things, and so far they've never left a mark on the walls, taken off any paint, or come unstuck. All my walls are painted (flat enamel except satin in kitchen/bath) drywall without much texture, so that's probably the ideal surface.
Other Suggested Solutions:
• From Nephthys
Install small but heavy duty hooks along the top wall/ceiling. Using two hooks in the picture frame use fishing wire to hang your artwork.
• From EclecticDS.com!
If you're not leery of holes in the wall, there are these things my mom always uses called Monkey Hooks. Only a small hole is needed; she uses them all over her house for hanging misc. things.
• From herong
Man, those 3M hooks are SO EXPENSIVE. If something isn't TOO heavy, use velcro or double stick tape.
• From SFview
I tried the 3M on our walls, but the plaster and paint were too fragile and it took off a big slice of paint and the top paper layer. Ugh. Then I found these (http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/hercules_hook.html) The memory of Billy Mays will always live on in my home thanks to these amazing little dodads. The best part is that when you remove them, the whole is the size of a thumbtack.
• From mindsprinter
There is also a company out of Canada (beamer? beemer? 404 area code if I recall ) that makes a very small nailing device. The nails which are the size of dress pins leave very small holes. Stagers use them to minimize damage to walls. And, though this is a nail-in-wall solution, you could try this product from Home Depot (http://nymag.com/shopping/bestbets/62639/)
• From Heather C
My grandmother tried to convince me that putting a piece of scotch tape on the wall before putting a nail in would prevent cracking. Was she on crack?
Have any tips or ideas to add to the intelligence report? Let us know...
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I just used the 3M strips to hang up my plate collection in my kitchen! I love them. I have heavily textured, plaster walls and they worked out perfectly. I wrote up the entire process in my blog:
http://vitaminihandmade.blogspot.com/2010/09/kitchen-plate-wall.html
I used Command hooks to hang our curtains, but the flimsy paint and plaster peels off!
We ended up sticking with the hooks, but instead of using just the adhesive (which I know is the point...), I put a piece of adhesive on, and put a small finish nail through it. Works great, and looks good.
Can the 3M hooks be used over and over again, or are they spent with one use?
The hooks themselves can be reused, you just need to buy a pack of replacement sticky strips (they cost about $3 for a pack of nine I think).
I use 3M hooks/stickies in my dorm room, as well as sewing pins to hang up photos. The pins leave such small holes that no one ever notices (especially on a textured wall), and you can get the pins in mass from any sewing department.
I have 100-year-old plaster walls with painted-over wallpaper. What are the chances of the 3M product working out? The wallpaper is the old variety that is actually made out of paper, which peels easily... oh never mind.
Be forewarned about 3M--it was a disaster in our house. I used 3M to hang three very light plastic frames in my bathroom. I followed the directions--waiting the correct amount of time. I used 1 1/2 times the amount that they said I needed. Two days after I put them up, two of the frames fell off the wall and were utterly destroyed. The adhesive just released from the wall. I decided to take the third frame off and a 1" by 1/2" piece of the paint came off with it. So explain how the same product can fail to hold and then hold too well. I will NEVER use that product again. I can't afford it.
I've used the 3M for a couple years now and have been happy with how securely it holds up framed art, but I've never tried to remove it yet, so I can't speak to that end of things.
3M hooks originally worked for a large (but light) canvas painting I hung in a client's home. But when exposed to the desert valley heat (100+ temperatures) in an older home with no A/C, the adhesive softened and the hook fell off the plaster wall.
Luckily the painting was so big, it only dropped a foot and wasn't damaged. Still...
Jeniolf: This happened in my dorm room, and my apartment as well. However, I found that if you clean the wall first, before putting the hooks up, the stick much better. For some reason they fell off the fresh paint in my dorm room, but cleaning fixed the problem right away! Also, my husband peeled some paint off the wall when he tried to remove some hooks in our apartment, but i think he was too impatient to get it off and didn't pull the tab down far enough--instead he just ripped the hook off.
I'm going to try out this 3M suggestion. Our walls are completely baron & white.. quite depressing! & this came at a great time, I just bought a puzzle picture frame & had told myself it was going to do nothing but sit in a box, but now it has the possibility of seeing the light of day.
Picture rails. They've been used for ages - decorative, functional & easy to install.
I clean the wall with rubbing alcohol before using 3M and I have great luck on all sorts of surfaces. Sticks well, comes off cleanly.
I've heard lots of people wax poetic about these OOK professional picture hangers: http://www.ooks.com
Check out the OOK ensured and the OOK drywall hangers...
I second the comment about the picture rails. We often recommend those to clients who are doing historic renovations.
For the last tip about putting tape on the wall and then hammering in the nail, it must have been common advice because all over our old plaster walls wherever there are holes there is tape on them.
Most of these ideas are for smooth walls, any ideas for textured walls?
jeinolf - Did you use them in a bathroom that has a shower/tub? I have had success with them all over my house, but would never use them in a bathroom where actual bathing takes place - too much temperature and moisure change daily for the adhesive to work. Everywhere else, the 3M products are great!
If you have a lot of art work use a peg board to organize it. They're about $15 for a 4x8 sheet, you can just lean against the wall, and you can paint them and rearrange them as much as you want.
I love the OOK hooks! They do leave a small hole in the wall and can leave a dent in the paint around the hook (particuarly if you use the big ones with heavy objects), but they hold securely and cause very little damage compared to what they can hold.
I'm also in love with 3M strips. I've used them on tons of things around my apartment, and I even have used them to hold up curtain rods in past apartments.
Please please, whatever you do, stay away from the sticky putty-like products! I used the blue stuff because it was sold everywhere, but if you leave that stuff up longer than a month, it stains the wall horribly. And it stuck like crazy to the backs of the frames - it actually ripped the back paper even though I pulled it off very carefully. And it stained that paper too!
To hang up curtains in a rental, I used a couple of medium 3M hooks and a curtain rod. Held up fine in the year I rented the house and left no mark when I took the assembly down.
As a teacher I'm never allowed to nail or tape anything to the walls (but am expected to have a ton of stuff displayed). For posters, paper and other lightweight items I've had tons of success with Teacher-Tape.
http://www.projectroony.com
It has never left any marks and holds things pretty well..
The Ooks website cracked me up; for the earthquake area picture hangers it says -all jolly-
"Your picture won't fall down unless your wall does!"
Oh, thank goodness. One less thing to worry about... seriously I think I am sold on Ooks.
Oh, and Heather C, yer Gran had the BEST crack. Two thumbs up!
I have lived in numerous rental properties and I have always had artwork displayed on my walls. The secret of no holes is to use straight pins. Yes, they work just fine. If it is a large item, use two or three. The grandmother who gave the advice of using tape is correct if you have plaster walls. Keeps it from cracking around your nail or straight pin.