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Can You Prevent Drywall Damage While Hanging Pictures?

calander Jan 4 , 2021 user-iconAnderson Painting
Picture hanging items in a wall

Photographs, artwork, and other types of hanging decor can elevate any home’s interior. But if you’ve never installed these items yourself, you might worry about doing damage to your drywall in the process. Indeed, using traditional fasteners (i.e. screws and nails) will inevitably create a hole in your wall, albeit one that’s covered up by the frame. Is it even possible, then, to prevent drywall damage while hanging pictures? Let’s discuss some ways to reduce and even prevent drywall damage when decorating your rooms with hanging features.

How to Prevent Damage when Hanging Pictures

Nail the Proper Placement

The first step to minimizing the need for future drywall repair when hanging pictures is to perform the proper planning ahead of time. You want to know exactly where and how you wish to place the frame. To do this, you’ll want to have tools such as a level, tape measure, painter’s tape, and a pencil at your disposal. These tools will allow you to make precise measurements and ensure that the frame is completely level and where you want it in relation to the rest of the wall. If you don’t take these steps, you may need to undo your previous attempt and try again, which usually means more marks, scratches, holes, and headaches.

If Possible, Hold Off on Heavy Frames

The larger and heavier the object and its frame, the more potential there is for drywall damage. For one thing, heavier items require more support, which translates to larger fasteners (i.e. larger holes). Additionally, hanging heavy items can gradually cause the fastener to sag, creating larger and larger cracks in your drywall over time. So, be mindful of the object’s weight, and try to choose a frame that can accommodate it without adding too much weight as well.

Removable Adhesive Fasteners Are Your Friend

There’s more than one way to hang a picture or piece of artwork. You can certainly go the traditional route and fasten the frame via screws or nails -- but if you want to avoid the need for even small drywall repair, there’s nothing wrong with using strong adhesive fasteners (i.e. Command Strips) instead. When properly applied, these devices stick to your wall and can hold objects up to five pounds without marking up or damaging your wall in any permanent way. Of course, it’s not advised to use adhesive fasteners for larger, heavier items.

Use a Stud Finder and Anchor Kit for Heavier Installations

Larger, heavier objects should be hung on a wall stud (i.e. vertical frame supporting the drywall) to provide additional support to both the wall and the hanging frame. In order to locate said stud, use a stud finder, an electronic device that senses the location of these supports. Once you’ve found the stud on which you wish to hang your picture, use a wall anchor kit for additional guidance, control, and support -- simply nailing in the frame may cause you to need drywall crack repair down the line.

A Little Drywall Damage Isn’t the End of the World

So, can you prevent drywall damage while hanging pictures? Yes, you can -- if the object is small and light enough you can use adhesive fasteners to avoid poking any holes in your drywall. And at the very least, you can minimize the degree of drywall damage by taking a careful approach to hanging pictures using the proper tools. That said, damaging your drywall while hanging pictures is bound to happen here and there, and when it does happen, don’t fret. As long as the hanging frame is secure, the damaged portion will not be visible until the object is removed. And when it’s time to patch up those marks, holes, and/or cracks, a basic drywall repair kit should have all the tools you need to fix it up nicely.

Of course, if you’re not comfortable hanging pictures yourself, the experts at Anderson Painting can tackle this process for you, as well as fix up any drywall damage that’s been bothering you. For more about us and everything we do, call us today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!


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