Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

The easiest way to hang pictures on the wall is to hammer a nail into the wall. However, the process of hanging heavy paintings is more complicated. Paintings that weigh over 20 pounds (9.1 kg) are considered too heavy to be hung on a wall without proper reinforcement. To make sure your painting doesn't fall off after you hang it, follow these steps.

Steps

1. 1 Weigh your picture. This will determine which method you use.
   • If your painting weighs between 20 lbs (9.1 kg) to 50 lbs (22.7 kg), use a Molly anchor or bolt.
   • If your painting weighs more than 50 pounds (22.7 kg), hang the painting using a piece of plywood for reinforcement.
2. 2 Use an anchor to hang the painting.
   • Pre-drill holes in the wall where you want to hang the painting using a drill bit with the same diameter as the anchor.
   • Hammer the anchor into the pre-drilled holes. It should be as flush with the wall as you can achieve by drilling the screws through the plastic sleeve.
   • Insert the screws into the anchor and use a drill to screw them in. This helps expand the anchor within the wall, creating a secure hold for hanging heavy paintings.
3. 3 Hang the painting with Molly's bolt. Molly bolts are useful for hollow walls as they have a component that expands behind the wall to create an anchor.
   • Pre-drill a hole with the molly bolt diameter.
   • Insert Molly's bolt into the hole with a hammer.
   • Tighten Molly's bolt with a drill to cause it to expand and tighten.
4. 4 Attach the plywood to the wall before hanging a painting that weighs over 50 pounds (22.7 kg).
   • Use a discontinuity detector to help you locate the uprights of the wall framing in the area where you want to hang your painting.
   • Use a level and tape measure to mark the level line on the wall where you plan to hang your heavy painting. Make sure your line overlaps the 2 posts of the frame.
   • Cut a piece of plywood that is 1/4 "(0.6 cm) thick, 4" (10 cm) wide, and 4 "(10 cm) shorter than the width of the picture you want to hang. You can use a cut-off machine or hand saw for this.
   • Place a piece of plywood against the wall, several nails will need to be hammered through the board and into the wall to hold it in place.
   • Mark the position of the framing on the plywood and drive two long nails through the plywood and through the timber framing posts to secure the plywood to the wall. You now have a solid base on which to hang your painting.
   • Drive nails or screws into the plywood where they are needed to hang your painting.

Tips

• Molly's anchor and bolts can be used if you plan to hang the painting directly on screws or to mount hanging brackets, in which case you will screw through the brackets into the plywood base.
• Use these techniques to hang mirrors, towel racks, and other decorative items.

Warnings

• If there is a lot of downward and outward stress on the hung painting (if the painting frame is especially thick or if the painting is tilted away from the wall), avoid using anchors as they can break out of the wall.

What do you need

• Anchor with screws
• Molly Bolts
• A hammer
• Drill
• Drill
• Plywood
• Cut-off machine or hand saw
• Discontinuity detector
• Level
• Pencil
• Roulette
• Nails