Tutorial on how to hang pictures!

This may sound like a simple feat but how many times have you hung pictures and a week or two later they’ve fallen down? With this fool-proof advice you can picture hang to perfection, after all it’s not as easy as banging in a few nails and hoping for the best.

You will need :

- Drill and drill bit
- Wall plugs
- Screws
- Multi-purpose electronic tester

How to hang a picture correctly depends on the type of wall you are working with, generally wall types fall into two categories – masonry and cavity walls. Masonry walls are made from solid stone or brick, whilst cavity walls are thinner and house electrics and pipe work. 

When working with masonry walls drill a pilot hole into the wall first and insert a wall plug. Ensure that the wall plug fits into the drilled hole snugly and lies flat against the wall. You can then fix the screw into the wall plug as usual and hang your picture.

Never drill above or below light switches or plug sockets! In these areas, it is likely that there is an electric cable hidden behind the wall and as you can imagine a metal drill bit and electricity don’t quite mix. Use an electronic tester to determine whether there is any danger of encountering concealed electrics.

 Cavity walls are much thinner than masonry walls, and contain your home’s pipes and electrics so you have to be careful when hanging pictures. Use a multi-purpose electronic tester before you drill; this handy device is placed onto the wall and emits a signal to alert you of any electrical current or metal pipe work. 

In older homes, cavity walls are made from lath and plaster, which consist of thin strips of wood that have been plastered. Lath and plaster lies on vertical and horizontal timber strips, also known as ‘studs’ and ‘noggings’.

It is not recommended that you hang a picture on lath, it is too weak to support heavy items like mirrors and large frames but the timber strips that hold the lath and plaster in place make the perfect surface to insert a screw to hang a picture. Tap on the wall and listen – when you encounter lath it will sound hollow but with a timber strips, a more solid sound will be heard.