While hanging pictures may seem like a pretty easy job, it’s actually more intricate than you might think. Do you know which pictures you’d like to frame and hang? That’s step one – but what next? Is it worth just investing in a few cheap picture hooks and frames and to be done with it? Maybe not. CanCan's expert picture hangers are here to help you make the most of any artworks, photos, or mirrors you would like to set up throughout your home. Here’s a quick guide on how to hang pictures anywhere in the home.
What Do You Need to Hang a Picture?
Beyond of having a picture and a frame, you are actually going to need a few additional tools and accessories to make sure you get your pictures looking great. Make sure, for example, you will need to have nails and a hammer if you’re using the traditional hanging method, or sticky fixers if you’re going the painless route!
Do also make sure that you have a spirit level to hand. While you might think you have a fantastic eye for detail and for getting things straight and level, everyone makes mistakes! It’s just as well to have a guide. Yes – you can use smartphone apps for this, but we seriously suggest you invest in an actual, physical spirit level or guide to help you get things square.
You should also consider using wall plugs if your artwork, picture, and frame are on the heavier side. Otherwise, you’re going to end up pulling your picture out of the wall without much effort – and a bit of the plaster might come with it!
##Ready Made Kits, or DIY?
Generally, there are two ways to get set up for picture hanging. In many cases, you will find that a frame you’ve bought comes with a hanging kit that you can use to get up and running right away. In others, you might well be on your own.
In the latter case, you should invest in picture hanging cord, or a wire solution which you can carefully nail or loop into the back of your frame. This, of course, is what’s going to bear the weight of your picture and frame once it’s up, so you’re going to need to invest in material that is sufficently strong.
Ready made kits are really easy and cheap to come by. However, we understand that plenty of people prefer to go the ‘traditional’ route – and if that’s the case, be ready to invest in wire and hooks / nails to get everything fixed up at the back of the frame before you go any further.
If you have a priceless artwork, or just something reallys entimental then if you are at all worried about hanging it yourself, then it is better to be safe than sorry and find a local picture hanger or decorator that can hang the artwork up on the wall for you.
Which Hooks To Use?
There are more than a couple of ways to hang a picture. The most basic way, is to just use a nail and basic wire or string. Or, as mentioned, you can use a screw and a wall plug for extra support.
However, we would seriously suggest you invest in ‘proper’ picture hooks, at least, those which are designed to hold small to medium frames and photos. These tend to be fairly non-decorative, but they get the job done!
There are also heavy duty hooks available, which you can use to hang heavier pictures and frames. These may come with two to three holes for nails, in general, though they normally differ from the average in that they are built in sturdier metal such as brass.
You might also want to take a look at hard wall picture hooks if you’re hanging directly onto a brick wall face, or, if you’re hammering into plasterboard, there are special hooks for these surfaces, too.
Know Your Walls
Lastly, it’s worth knowing a little bit about the walls you’re about to hammer and hang into if you’re serious about putting your art or photos on display. For example, solid walls will need specialist hooks or masonry pieces. What you may find with tougher walls and specialist hooks is that you may need to keep a drill and bit to hand to make a real impact on the wall surface itself. As mentioned, if you need to drill and hang a heavier picture on a solid brick wall, wall plugs are a must.
Plaster walls, again, can benefit from specialist hooks. If you’re unsure if you are dealing with plasterboard at all, make sure to give your wall(s) a little bit of a tap and you’ll normally find that it sounds hollow to the touch. These walls tend to accommodate standard picture hooks fairly easily, but then if you’re dealing with heavier pictures and frames, again, you will need to look for a hook system with three nail holes at least – just to give you that little bit of extra support.
Let’s Hang Out
Hanging pictures might seem like a pretty easy job on the surface, however, it takes a good eye for detail, as well as knowledge of the best hooks to use for which walls.
If this all seems like a bit too much hassle and stress, don’t worry! CanCan is here to take that stress and strain off your shoulders - book a London picture hanger today.