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How does one hang a picture????


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Queen of the Stupid Questions here again.  All my art is still leaning against walls because I am scared to take a hammer and nail to the walls for fear I will just end up chipping the overlay.  

Do you need certain nails? How deep do you need to go? What happens if you hit brick? What do you do if you need to patch it because you change your mind about where something goes? Is there any way to hang extra heavy pieces? If I smash my thumb, what is the best place to go for xrays? 

NOB I would just hammer a hole, hang the work, step back, think it needed to go a quarter an inch up and a half an inch right, fill the first hole with white toothpaste, and repeat process until my wall had more fluoride than a dentist office.  Measuring was too pedestrian :)

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1 minute ago, ccw said:

How about using 3M Command Strips?  They stick to the wall and what you hang. They come off without messing up the wall.

I had zero luck with those in Houston due to the humidity. Guess I could try them with glass free hangings and things I wouldn't mind busted on the tile if they fail.  Thanks!

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McTavish is correct:  1/4" will hold a ton. Make sure you use a masonry bit and not a wood bit unless you are going to throw it away. The first layer is hard and then you hit brick which is very soft. You might also check to see if there is plumbing on the other side of the wall... Don't ask why.... Hard way to learn...

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Since you have no way of knowing where the electrical conduit or the plumbing runs in the walls unless you have built the house from scratch, I suggest that you shut off the breakers to the area where you are drilling (Just turn on some lights and the fan in the area you want to drill, then start flipping the breakers one by one until those lights go off) and use an extension cord for the drill (unless it is cordless) to an outlet that is on a different circuit.

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16 hours ago, TheBestSideOfTheWall said:

That seems way too logical!

I agree. I used to hang them the same way here as I did in Houston. Just pick a spot and bang in a nail. If you hit something real hard, chances are you hit a castillo.  Never mind what that is but just move left or right a few inches and you should find the nice soft brick.  Castillos are usually not much more than 6 inches wide, or so. Then if you're picky you move the couch a little but that is optional.

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Variation on the plastic wall anchor.

Drill the same 1/4" hole, but instead of the plastic screw anchor, tap a 1/4" x 1" wooden dowel plug into the hole until

flush with the wall. (these plugs come in picture hanger kits, along with the plastic anchors) You can then drive a small nail into

the wooden plug. When you move, pull the nail and the plug/mark becomes almost invisible, or you can paint the spot using a cuetip.

 

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2 hours ago, puro guero said:

Variation on the plastic wall anchor.

Drill the same 1/4" hole, but instead of the plastic screw anchor, tap a 1/4" x 1" wooden dowel plug into the hole until

flush with the wall. (these plugs come in picture hanger kits, along with the plastic anchors) You can then drive a small nail into

the wooden plug. When you move, pull the nail and the plug/mark becomes almost invisible, or you can paint the spot using a cuetip.

 

Good idea.

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