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srosso_gw

Hang a heavy picture on a sheetrock wall.

srosso
13 years ago

(this is a project that I have to do this saturday, 12/4.)

naturally, i have attached heavy picture wire to the back of the painting. however, when i checked the wall, i found that the nearby stud is not nearby enough to place the picture where I want it.


i think i need to install a toggle bolt (through sheetrock) so that the bolt head protrudes about 1/2" from the wall to accept the picture wire. but how to do this???

possible solution: i am going to try running two 1/4" nuts and a fender washer up to the bolt head before attaching the toggle and inserting it in the wall. i figure the fender washer will stop the bolt from zipping into the hole and the two nuts will hold the bolt head away from the wall (to accept the picture wire). has anyone tried this??

THANKS VERY MUCH!

i thought of molly bolts, but i think that type of bolt has to be screwed in all the way to the wall, also.

Comments (5)

  • brickeyee
    13 years ago

    How heavy?

    A single molly bolt in 1/2 inch drywall is good for about a 50 pound load.

    The molly expands behind the wall as you tighten the screw, then you can loosen the screw to hang the picture as needed (or even remove the screw and put a hook on using the screw to hold it).

    If the picture is wide enough you can use two fasteners in two studs and then place the picture as desired (it no longer needs to be centered over the fasteners to hang level).

  • kudzu9
    13 years ago

    Well, how heavy is the picture? What are the dimensions? How far are you off in the location in relation to the studs?

    I will point out that you will be much better using two hangers rather than one: 1) the weight on each hanger will be half of what it is with one, and 2) it is much easier to hang the picture straight and have it stay that way because it can't swing with two hangers.

    In addition, if you use the two hanger approach, you may be able to get it closer to where you want it, AND use one or two studs. I recently hung a large mirror that weighed at least 40-50 pounds. It was about 24" wide: I placed the attachment points on two adjacent studs, 16" apart, and that centered the mirror where I wanted to hang it. Since I used the studs, I didn't need to use bolts or the like: I just used two screws with a washer on each and hooked the wire on behind the washers. If you can't use the studs and have to hang from sheetrock only, then I would suggest you use two moly bolts, or two of those anchors [see link below] that look like a heavily threaded screw: once they are driven in, a screw and washer in each should be fine. The point is that you may have more flexibility and choices if you use two hangers and try to work with the studs.

    The two attachment points should be symmetrical with the back of the frame: I usually try to locate these points several inches in from each side of the picture frame, although you can play with this depending on the dimensions. Even if you can only hit one stud, it will ensure that you'll never have to worry about the picture falling off the wall.

    So, does that help?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Toggler (click on the installation video)

  • drywall_diy_guy
    13 years ago

    For heavy pictures I use one Hercules Hook and one screw in the nearby stud. Drape the wire over both. See link below for Hercules Hooks info. They really do work nice, used sensibly.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hercules Hooks Tests

  • jey_l
    13 years ago

    Monkey hooks. They are simply amazing. They are cheap at the big box stores but considerably more expensive on line. They are designed to hang on the SR not the studs and require no tools. I've used them for a while now and have never has a single issue and have hung some very large and heavy artwork with them.

  • homebound
    13 years ago

    I wonder how it turned out.

    Anyhow, probably a pair of double or triple nail "ook" hooks would work just fine.