AptKeysTools · Hand tools and quick fixes
Hanging things on walls
Match the hardware to the weight and the wall. Adhesive strips are fine for light picture frames. Shelves, mirrors and TVs need screws, ideally into a stud. Dressers, bookcases and TVs should be anchored to a stud with a tip-over kit, never just a drywall anchor. Find studs with a stud finder (usually 16 inches apart, often next to outlets), go slowly near wiring, and patch holes with spackle before you move out.
You'll need
- A tape measure, pencil and level
- A stud finder (a magnetic one for plaster walls)
- A drill and bits, or a screwdriver
- The right hardware: adhesive strips, nails or screws, or a furniture/TV anchoring kit
- Safety glasses
What to know
- Know what's behind the wall. Most homes built after the 1960s have drywall over wood studs.
- Light picture frame: adhesive strips can work. In Consumer Reports' tests, a picture frame was the only thing worth mounting with strips.
- Find a stud for anything heavy. Use a stud finder.
- Measure and mark. Use the tape measure and a small level so the item hangs straight.
- Drill carefully. Put on safety glasses, because screws, nails and drywall dust can fly.
- Anchor tall furniture and TVs. The CPSC's Anchor It! campaign says to anchor all furniture with drawers, doors and shelves.
- Use the right screws. Use a wood screw at least 2 inches long into the stud (buy your own if the kit's screws are shorter).
- Test it. Tug on the straps to make sure everything is secure.
Watch out Never anchor furniture with a drywall anchor or toggle alone. A picture or mirror pulls straight down. A tipping dresser pulls straight out from the wall, so the best practice is to always attach to a stud. On average, more than 5,000 people in the U.S. are injured each year when dressers or other clothing storage tip over, and nearly three-quarters of them are children.
Dad note Pictures pull down. Dressers pull out. Pull-out jobs go into a stud.