Replies

1. 
   Piffin | Sep 06, 2002 03:55am | #1

   There are picture hanging hooks with a fabric piece that is a peel'n'stick to attach to the wall. I don't know what the max load is for it.

   If you can find the studs, that would be ideal for small wire nails angled in to do little damage.

   Excellence is its own reward!
2. 
   BossHog | Sep 06, 2002 04:38pm | #2

   Try hanging them on a finish nail about 2" long. Chuck the head of the nail in a cordless drill, and "drill" the finish nail into place. Then unchuck the drill once the nail is set at about the right depth. Angle the nail downwards so the picture won't slip off.

   That should get the nail in place with virtually no damage.

   It's lonely at the top, but you eat better.

1. 
   GregGibson | Sep 06, 2002 06:00pm | #3

   What Ron said. If you try to drive ANY fastener in, you'll knock out

   a chunk of plaster as big as your thumb. The plaster is so dense,

   if you pre-drill a tight hole, a 4d finishing nail will hold a lot of weight.

   Greg

1. 
   NormKerr | Sep 06, 2002 07:32pm | #4

   on top of all of the above good comments, I have found that using picture hanging hooks does a great job of preventing that nail from being wiggled back and forth when you hang the picture, or move it around on that nail later.

   Using picture hanging hooks I have been able to hang quite heavy art without even bothering to find the studs (make sure that the nail is long enough to go into the lathe and use two for heavy/large stuff).

   The point of the hooks is that they take the vertical load and transfer it into a compressive load into the plaster. Plaster is quite weak when loaded vertically, by a thin nail, and softer versions of plaster will tend to crumble over time from vibrations + load, allowing the nail to become loose and unstable, and even cracks in the plaster. The hooks, on the other hand, take most of that load and direct it towards the plaster, in which direction (compression) it is quite strong.

   By the way, if you use two hooks and make their holes with a carpenter's level you can just about forget about worrying if that picture is hung level! It will pretty much stay level naturally.

   Edited 9/6/2002 12:36:55 PM ET by Norm

2. 
   pm22 | Sep 06, 2002 08:10pm | #5

   If you have wooden crown molding above your wall, you can screw in little hooks or eye bolts into that and then suspend your pictures therefrom with clear nylon fishing line.

   -Peter

1. 
   Piffin | Sep 07, 2002 05:12am | #6

   Or you might even find that there is picturemold at the ceiling to hand from.Excellence is its own reward!

3. 
   tightcoat | Sep 09, 2002 12:49am | #7

   A house this old is plastered over wood lath. The lath are 1.5" wide with about a 3/8" space between them. A drywall screw screwed through the plaster into the lath will hold a lot. Two screws spaced will hold more. If you dril a small hole and hit the space between the lath it will hold nothing then all you have to do is move the spot up or down an inch and hit the meat of the lath. The down side of all of this is that if you hit lath you never know if you are right on the weak bottom edge or in the middle of a good lath. Screws are better than nails because they don't vibrate the plaster between the lath and loosen it. If you can find the stud the screw will hold even more.

   This is not how a plasterer would do it but I hear that a little toothpaste in the hole will fill it when you move out.

4. 
   Scooter1 | Sep 09, 2002 02:40am | #8

   This is how I do it.

   First, locate a suitable lead expanable sleeve to match the size of your picture. Sometimes they come with screws.

   Second, layout the picture location with a tape measure or masking tape.

   Third, drill an undersized hole for the lead sleeve.

   Fourth, insert slap some joint compound in the hold, and insert the sleeve. Screw in the screw which will expand the lead sleeve.

   Hang your picture. For heavy ones you may need two sleeves. Plastic ones work fine, too but I prefer the lead ones.

   Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1927