Nothing feels homely than decorating your walls with lovely pictures. But, here’s the problem.
Sometimes, you want to change the picture’s position, can’t drill nails through a wall using a hammer, or don’t want to damage your wall with holes.
Sadly, you don’t know how to hang heavy pictures without using nails!
I’m here to help and it’s easy.
Hanging strips are a great and straightforward option that can hold a picture as heavy as 7kgs. Adhesive hooks are also cheaply available and very effective.
Conversely, double-sided tape comes in different sizes to match the picture’s weight. There’s also a guide rail if you want a unique picture display.
Read on to choose an effective and safe picture hanging method without nails damaging the wall.
How to Hang Heavy Pictures Without Using Nails
Hanging strips, double-sided tapes, adhesive hooks, and guide rails are ways to hang heavy pictures without nails.
Luckily, these methods are not just safe for your wall and photographs, but they are also fun to install.
Whether you are in a rented or own house, stay away from nails and hammers when you want to hang your pictures.
Doing so only damages your walls, which will definitely cost you in the near future.
It is worse if you’re living in a rented house, you’ll be made to pay dearly for damaging the walls with nails.
Check out each of the safest methods below and how to use them;
1. Picture Hanging Strips
The 3M Command Strips are an excellent way to hang heavy-duty pictures without using nails.
Remarkably, they can hold a large photo as heavy as 7kgs with straightforward steps to follow, such as:
- A smooth surface is mandatory when using adhesive picture hanging strips. Therefore, ensure you remove the nails, screws, or other hardware mounted on the wall. Such things make the surface for mounting irregular.
- Ensure the smooth surface is also clean. The adhesive works appropriately when the surface is clean with no particles. Use a clean cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol to wipe the desired wall for hanging.
- Take each strip and press together the two sides. Then, peel off one lining and press the adhesive on the picture’s back. Press until you’re sure the strips are in place and perfectly attached. Do this to all the strips you want to use.
- Place the picture on the wall. Expose the outer part of the strips with the adhesive by cutting the liner. Press your photo against the wall. Isolate the striped image from the stripes on the wall by gently pulling the frame at the bottom corners.
- Give the adhesive a short while to set and dry. Next, place the frame back on the wall and align it with the stripes.
The drawback of using picture hanging strips is that they peel off the wall paint or wallpaper when you want to remove them.
2. Adhesive Hooks
Adhesive hooks are your best shot if you want an effortless and effective hanging of your heavy pictures without nails.
Aside from being simple and effective, they are also readily and cheaply available.
Here’s how to use them:
- Hold the hook and slide it off. Luckily the backplate comes out easily for a more straightforward installation. So, turning the hook upside down while sliding the backplate downwards helps to loosen and remove the backplate.
- Remove the adhesive strip’s liner and press it firmly on the backplate. Usually, these strips are double-sided. Start by locating the binding side of the adhesive strip and remove the top coat to the backplate. Then, push the adhesive strip on the flat backplate to make the tab points down. Let the strip remain in place for about 30 seconds to ensure complete adhesion.
- Take the hook and slide it on the wall but don’t hang it immediately — wait for an hour. Ensure the hook is over the backplate to allow the tabs to align over the hook with the hole. Still, the hook needs to click in place safely, so slide it down onto the backplate. Don’t hang your picture until after an hour to allow enough time to set the adhesive.
Tip: Ensure you read the instructions before buying the adhesive to know the total weight the adhesive hooks can hold.
Aside from the disadvantage of not using it on a dry or painted wall, it would help if you also pulled down the hook when removing your picture.
If not, it’ll be a struggle trying to unhook the picture.
3. Double-Sided Tape
This is not your ordinary adhesive tape, and it’s stronger than it looks.
The good thing is the different sizes that meet the weight requirements of your picture. EZlifego Double-Sided Tape holds up to 8kgs of the image.
Because the idea here is not to damage the wall, it would be best to use this tape on tiled walls. Always ensure you go for a bigger size than your picture to avoid using too many strips.
See the steps below on how to use it;
- 1. Measure the dimensions of your picture frame and cut off the tape to fit up to the four corners.
- 2. Fix the strips carefully in a straight line on the back of the frame.
- 3. First, decide on where you want to place your picture. Then, peel off the tape holding the image in the desired location.
- 4. Firmly press the picture on the wall for a few minutes before letting go. This helps the adhesive to hold the image in place.
4. Guide Rail
A guide rail works for both a rental and your apartment if you don’t want to make holes on your wall for hanging pictures.
Remarkably, rail hooks can hold an art piece as heavy as 11.3 kg. But, it would be best to use two hooks for big pictures to ensure they are stable.
Look for an expert to install the picture guide rail as high as the ceiling molding base. Ideally, look for a picture guide rail that you can paint to blend with your wall color scheme.
The only downside here is getting a guide rail that’s too light as it won’t hold firmly heavy pictures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do My Hanging Strips Keep Falling?
Any wall surface with dust or dirt makes the adhesive fail to bond firmly. First, it would be best to clean the area with rubbing alcohol to ensure it’s clean.
Does Adhesive Take Away Paint?
Picture hanging adhesive can peel off paint or wallpaper if you don’t remove it carefully.
However, it holds the pictures securely without damaging the walls.
Are Adhesive Hooks Removable?
If you attached them to clean and smoothly finished walls, these hooks could come out clean without sticky residue or damage on your wall.
Final Thoughts
Gone are the days when people drilled nails in the wall to hang pictures. Even so, no one wants to have a plain and boring wall without pictures?
The above methods guide you on how to hang heavy pictures without using nails.
Now, you can get photos of all sizes and weights and have your space looking as beautiful as you’d want. Better still, most of these methods are DIY and affordable.
