How To Hang A Large Or Heavy Picture - MAKING A MARK

Home » How To Hang Heavy Picture » How To Hang A Large Or Heavy Picture - MAKING A MARK

Maybe your like

Pages

  • Contact / Find Me
  • Subscribe
  • Art on Television
  • Art Business Info.
  • Numbers for Artists
  • Major UK Art Competitions
  • UK Art Societies: Open Exhibitions
  • The Colour Project
  • The Best Art Books
  • Botanical Art and Artists
  • Books & magazine articles
  • Who painted this?
  • Press & Reviews
  • Copyright
  • Privacy / Cookies

Friday, October 23, 2015

How to hang a large or heavy picture - using heavy duty hanging hardware

The critical factors you need to know when hanging a heavy picture are:
  • what weight the picture is
  • what sort of hanging hardware is best for the job
  • what sort of wall you are hanging it on.

'How to hang a picture' series

This post considers how to hang a heavy picture, why use heavy duty picture hangers and how to attach them to a frame. It's the second post in a series of posts about how to hang a picture using different types of hanging hardware.
  • Yesterday's post was about How to hang a picture - using D Rings
  • The next post in this series is about How to hang a picture - using mirror plates.

What is a heavy picture?

In plain simple terms:
  • a very heavy picture is one which you wouldn't think twice about trying to hang without an extra pair of hands. The issue is NOT whether you can lift it. It's about whether you have the strength and motor control in your upper body to execute a manoeuvre to hook it onto the wall on two sides - while holding it above your head.
  • if you would struggle to hang a picture on your own because of size or weight then you ought to be thinking seriously about heavy duty hanging hardware - and checking the wall!

What's the issue with walls?

This is the question frequently not asked by people whose large and/or heavy paintings fall off the wall.

INTERIOR Walls / Drywalls

Interior walls are built using a wooden framework and some form of covering - often plasterboard in modern houses. They're not really suitable for hanging anything heavy. Light and medium sized pictures can be hung on dry partition walls using picture hooks which are hammered into the walls using long hardened or steel pins. However steel pins are not long enough nor are they strong enough to hold heavy weight pictures and should NOT be used - unless you want your picture to fall off the wall. Ideally you should aim to hang medium sized pictures where the stud frame is (i.e. into wood which provides a more stable structure) but the chances are the location of the wall stud does not fit where you'd like to hang your picture. To check their location you need to use a stud locator.
My studfinder - invaluable for older properties and where you have drywalls.
If you know the drywall is robust you can use a special anchor for dry walls. If like me you live in an older house you might find that some of your original interior walls are made of lath and plaster and the rule for these is you absolutely MUST find the wall studs before you hang anything. (I've got a shelf at the top of the lathe and plaster wall I'm currently facing - however it has heavy duty shelf brackets in every single stud as it crosses the wall!) All the artwork I possess - except for the smaller lighter works - are hung on brick walls - see below.

EXTERIOR or load bearing walls

Domestic homes will always have exterior walls and load-bearing walls which are suitable for hanging items which are a heavy weight. Typically in the UK the wall is a solid masonry (brick or stone) wall or a concrete block wall. These are the walls from which to hang a very large or very heavy picture (or mirror i.e. there's a good reason why very large mirror are very often found on chimney breasts). That's because this type of wall can take the longer screw length which might be required to get a solid fix. If you're hanging artwork in another sort of space you need to check what sort of wall it is.
  • Banging on the wall often provides a good indication. If it sounds hollow then it's an interior dry wall.
  • The other trick is to bang in a nail. If it's easy to hammer in then chances are it's a drywall. If it takes a lot more effort it's probably a masonry wall. If it's really difficult to impossible then it's very likely you've hit concrete and only drills and screws (and a heavy duty electric drill) will work. The same can be said for good quality exterior brickwork.
One further consideration is the decoration. If you think you might want to move paintings around a lot I wouldn't favour walls which are wall papered! It's easy to fix holes in a painted plaster wall - but sorting out multiple large holes in nice wallpaper is a bit of a challenge!

What is heavy duty hanging hardware?

Heavy duty hanging designed to provide a more secure fixing to large and/or heavy pictures. They're made of more robust metal and commonly have at least two if not three screw holes. It requires TWO bits of complementary hardware:
  • the heavy duty hanger - this is a flat steel plate with a a hanging loop at one end which is fixed to either side of the back of the picture frame. It's often plated in brass and has at least two and often three holes to ensure a secure fixing should any one screw work loose. They are often between 50mm and 90mm in length. They can have either:
    • either a D ring at one end
    • or a strap hanger with a square hanging loop
  • the heavy duty J hook - this is fixed to the wall and is the mate for the heavy duty hanger fixed to the frame. It provides the secure structure over which the D ring or loop is hung.

Why use heavy duty hangers?

Hanging is basically as good as the weakest point within the apparatus and the level of tension placed on any weaknesses. Hence in general it's advisable not to use wire and d rings for very heavy pictures because it's been known for the wire to create a lot of strain that in turns pulls a one screw D ring out of the back of the frame - and the picture comes crashing down. Heavy duty hanging hardware prevents:
  • pictures falling off the wall (so long as they are fixed to a robust wall and the correct hangers for the weight are used). There's no chain or wire involved which might unravel or pull out from the back of the frame. You are also not reliant on one screw on either side
  • the tilted picture - because they are fixed either side and not in the middle

How to attach heavy duty hangers to a heavy picture

Basics: You need:

  • bathroom scales - you need to check the weight of the picture and make sure that the fixings are suitable for the weight. (Get the weight in kilos and pounds as hanging systems vary as to which system they use)
  • 2 x heavy duty hangers - to fix to the back of the frame
  • 2 x heavy duty wall hooks - also called a Heavy duty J picture hanging hook
  • OR one horizontal interlocking bracket system fixed to the top of the frame and the wall (eg Z30 Z Bar Mirror & Picture hanger)
  • screws for both the hanger and the hook - suitable for the medium they are to be fixed to
    • the type of screw is dictated by what you are fixing into (eg masonry or wood);
    • the length of the screw is dictated by
      • how thick the frame is (i.e. this is one of the reasons why larger/heavier pictures need bigger/thicker frames)
      • how robust the wall is (eg in old brick we use longer masonry screws) and
  • rawl plugs
    • the size is dictated by the size of the hole in the heavy duty hanging hook and hence screw size,
    • the length is dictated by the nature of the wall and length of screw used.
  • the correct drill bit for the type of wall (eg you need a masonry drill bit for masonry walls)
  • a spirit level - ideally one which is long!
  • a measuring tape
  • sticky painters tape (the sort which lifts off easily)
  • a soft pencil
  • a screwdriver
  • a hammer

Process Two - Bigger / heavier pictures hung on two wall fixings

Aim: The D ring /loop goes straight over TWO static and robust hooks on the wall - no picture wire or chain involved. Fix hanging straps to either side of the frame. Fix hanging hooks to the wall. Hang the strap over the frame. The process is as follows (omitting the checks as to which sort of drill bit/ rawl plug, screw you need to use)
  1. Weigh the picture
  2. Locate the studs in an interior wall if not using a sold wall. Check whether the width between the studs is compatible with the width between the vertical uprights of your frame. If not review whether you want to relocate the place to hang.
  3. Select a heavy duty picture hanger which is the right gauge for the weight of the picture
  4. Measure the depth of the frame and select the correct depth of screws (you don't want the screws coming through the other side!)
  5. Mark off the same distance from the top of the frame. Make sure that you've taken account of the size of the hook it will be hanging over which is going to fixed to the wall. (You need to avoid this being on show) Try placing the hook on the back of the frame, then place the hanging loop over it and determine where the plate needs to go on the back of the frame so that the hook is invisible.
  6. Drill a hole and screw the hanger in near the top on either side. Make sure that the the plate is vertical and that the D ring or loop is positioned at the top of the plate (ready to loop over the hook).
  7. Use the tape and spirit level to get the level right (i.e. bubble in the middle). Mark up the wall where the hook needs to go and then drill (and rawlplug) the hole and screw the hook to the wall.
  8. Hang the loop or D rings over the hook on the wall
Watch this video which provides a succinct and professional commentary and instructions for getting your artwork hung safely Watch this video (below) if you don't have a long spirit level for how to mark up the wall and judge the distance between the two loops and hence get the hook in the right place on the wall (Note the artwork in the video is large but not too heavy or one person to hang and already has D rings attached.) Heavier artwork needs two people to hang it. She is also hanging on to nails - which is NOT advisable with heavy artwork - but the value of this video is the method used for how to get the measurement right without a long spirit level (as seen in the video above). Below are more videos which demonstrate different techniques used for heavier pictures. The first video demonstrates how to use locators in conjunction with D Rings. This is more suitable for medium sized work. This next video shows you how to hang a picture using a horizontal interlocking bracket system - which makes it much easier to get the picture on or off the wall. The principle is the same but just using a different type of kit to do provide the hook and hanger.

Supplies

  • UK Picture Hanging Supplies - this site has the advantage of telling you which screws you need to go with them.
  • Ook Picture Hangers - includes hangers for heavy weight hanging on a variety of surfaces.
  • Amazon - Ook Padded Pro Picture Hangers 100 Lb Pk/1
  • Homebase - maximum weight 45kg brass picture hooks
This video explains how the Ook hanger works. She's using it on a drywall because of how easy it is to knock in. The bit she misses out can be found on the website i.e.
  • these are hooks for use on drywall and plaster wall surfaces.
  • The Weight ratings are based on hangers nailed into studs and are for comparative purposes only.
  • Choose a weight rating that greatly exceeds the object to be hung.

More information about Hanging Techniques

  • Lik Hanging Guidelines using D Rings - this explains the different D rings and process used for heavier pictures
  • The Guardian - Picture This - includes a discussion of different types of walls
  • This post 5 Favorite Picture Hanging Tricks has one of my favourite tips - use a post-it note to capture the debris when drilling!

More posts about framing

  • How to mat and frame your artwork - a summary of my tips about how to mat and frame artwork
  • Protecting your frames - passing on a tip from my framer
  • The POLL: Exhibition frames: How much do you spend per frame on average?- and the responses and overview of the results How much do you spend on exhibition frames on average? 30 Apr 2011 - The reason I've chosen exhibition frames is because when we are framing for ourselves we can either put up with something very cheap or spend a lot of money.
Posted by Making A Mark on Friday, October 23, 2015 Categories art, art education, art supplies, framing, hanging art, how to, mats and frames

No comments:

Post a Comment

COMMENTS HAVE BEEN CLOSED AGAIN because of too much spam. My blog posts are always posted to my Making A Mark Facebook Page and you can comment there if you wish.

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Newer Post Older Post Home Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Search This Blog

Total Pageviews

Visits in the last 20+ years

Unique Visits since January 2006

Visitors in last 30 days

Subscriptions

Get new posts by email:
SubscribePowered by follow.it

You can subscribe (and unsubscribe) for FREE at any time. Your email subscription to this blog is ONLY activated IF you verify the link you will receive. It will NOT be used for anything else and will NEVER be given to anybody else.

Making A Mark is a TOP ART BLOG in the UK

Making A Mark is a Top 10 art blog in 2021 - again!

Making A Mark is a Top 10 Art Blog in the UK 2020

Making A Mark is a Top 10 Art Blog in the UK 2018

Top 10 Art Blog in UK in 2022

Top 10 Art Blog in UK in 2022

Copyright 2005-2026

© Katherine Tyrrell 2005-26 You can BOOKMARK and/or LINK to any of my sites from your site. Please respect the copyright of all artists featured here. Unauthorised use, republishing, copying or any other duplication of ANY material on this blog without written permission is STRICTLY PROHIBITED - and I do take action if you do! Please do NOT pin images from this website on Pinterest.

Katherine Tyrrell is "Making A Mark"

More about / Contact Katherine Tyrrell

Katherine Tyrrell / makingamark on linktr.eeWriter. Author. Artist. Curator. Maven. Find out more about me (temp. link)Contact meKatherine Tyrrell / makingamark on:
  • Katherine Tyrrell on Linktr.ee
  • Making A Mark on Facebook
  • Making A Mark on Bluesky Social
  • Making A Mark on X
  • Making A Mark - the Video Channel
  • Amazon Author Page

Making A Mark on Art

Making A Mark on Art Who's made a mark this week - on Facebook (click the image to visit my Facebook Page)

Who's made a mark this week?

Those missing "Who's made a mark this week?" can now find all the links I would have highlighted on one or other of my Facebook Pages
  • Making A Mark
  • Art Business Info for Artists
  • Botanical Art and Artists
  • 365 Tips about Drawing and Sketching
  • Fine Art Materials Guide for Artists
  • Tips for Artists

Popular Posts in the last month

  • Kim Day wins Landscape Artist of Year 2026
  • How to list artwork dimensions
  • Review: Episode 5 of Landscape Artist of the Year Series 11 (2026) - HMS Wellington & the South Bank
  • Review: Semi Finals of Landscape Artist of the Year Series 11 (2026) - Ouse Valley Viaduct
  • LAOTY Semi Final 2026 - The Heat Winners
  • Goodbye - ALL THREE Artist of the Year Judges
  • Portraiture and Portrait Painting: Reflections on a Discussion by three Expert Portrait Artists
  • The NEW Portrait Artist of the Year Judges
  • Katherine Tyrrell: Ten Artistic Tips Learnt From The Big Painting Challenge (11 years later!)
  • Review: Episode 4 of Landscape Artist of the Year Series 11 (2026) - Skiddaw

Read (and watch) More!

My posts are often long with lots of images. Click the "READ MORE....." link to see the whole post. Check out:
  • 10 Years of Making A Mark
  • my recommended art books
  • my video interviews with prizewinning artists
  • my archived blog posts
If you read this blog Google/Blogger will try and collect cookies about you to help improve viewing experience. You can change your settings at any time. My privacy and cookie policy are explained at the bottom of this page. Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. If you buy using one the small sum I receive help to fund/maintain my 'resources for artists' sites. See Disclaimer notice at bottom.

This Blog: more information

Comments Policy | Blogroll Policy | Notes on blogging etiquette for artists

Categories of topics/artwork are listed towards the bottom of this column - click a category to see all related posts.

COMING SOON - TIPS FOR ARTISTS

COMING SOON - TIPS FOR ARTISTS

Art Business - For Artists

Art Business - For Artists My NEW website offering advice and information about the art business - for artists (NEW content added regularly)

Art Business Info for Artists INDEX

Choose your topic of interest in the Index and click the link in red to go direct to the page Loading...

The Best Art Business Books

The Best Art Business Books Click the image to learn more about the business of being an artist

Botanical Art and Artists

Botanical Art and Artists Resources about botanical art past and present for botanical artists and illustrators of today and tomorrow Loading...

The Best Botanical Art Instruction Books

The Best Botanical Art Instruction Books Do you want to learn about how to draw and paint botanical art? Click on the image

My Book about Drawing & Sketching

My Book about Drawing & Sketching International publication: three titles, three covers and its own Facebook Page (click the image to go there)

CLICK a link and browse the top Categories

#LAOTY (2) Apple (15) Art Business Info for Artists (26) Art Business and Marketing (545) Art Galleries and Museums (726) Art Process (152) Art classes and workshops (141) Australian (18) BBC (34) BP Portrait Award (152) BP Travel Award (16) Bankside Gallery (36) Big Draw (22) Brexit (7) British Museum (13) CBPP (1) Contemporary British Portrait Painters (8) Cézanne (2) DVDs and videos (8) David Hockney (35) Degas (11) Derwent Art Prize (20) Facebook (50) Federation of British Artists (5) GDPR (2) Georgia O'Keeffe (21) Google (37) HSFK Portrait Award (5) Hiroshige (1) Hockney (2) Hokusai (3) ING Discerning Eye Prize (54) Interiors (27) Jacksons Painting Prize (8) Japanese Art (21) Jerwood Drawing Prize (19) John Moores Painting Prize (15) John Ruskin Prize (6) Katherine Tyrrell (118) Kings Gallery (1) LAOTY (6) LS Lowry (5) Leonardo da Vinci (10) London (293) Lucian Freud (28) Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize (44) Making A Mark Awards (111) Medal winners (18) Metropolitan Museum of Art (2) Monet (46) NEAC (16) National Gallery (37) New English Art Club (35) Newspapers and Magazines (31) Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition (2) Pastel Society (50) Portrait Award (8) Provence (19) RBA Rising Stars (1) RHS Botanical Art Show (2) RIP (4) RWS Open (1) Rome Scholarship (2) Royal Academy of Arts (81) Royal Collection (6) Royal Drawing School (5) Royal Institute of Oil Painters (27) Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour (50) Royal Society of British Artists (35) Royal Society of Marine Artists (31) Royal Society of Miniature Painters Sculptors and Gravers (6) Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (11) Royal Society of Portrait Painters (54) Royal Watercolour Society (56) Ruth Borchard self portrait prize (3) Shirley Sherwood Gallery (18) Sketching 365 (7) Sky Arts Artist of the Year (126) Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year (98) Society of Botanical Artists (36) Society of Wildlife Artists (32) Society of Women Artists (16) Summer Exhibition (34) Sunday Times Watercolour Competition (52) Tate (24) Tate Britain (18) Tate Modern (10) Taylor Wessing Prize (14) Techies (158) The Portrait Award (7) Threadneedle Prize (57) Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize (4) Turner (27) USA (35) VAT for Artists (3) Van Gogh (50) Victoria & Albert Museum (19) Wayne Thiebaud (5) Whistler (12) Who painted this (71) Wildlife Artist of the Year (21) about artists (26) acrylic (30) affordable art (4) animal art (47) annual exhibition (131) art (3341) art after death (1) art auctions (31) art blog (38) art blogs (496) art books (212) art career (11) art collection (10) art collectors (75) art competition (956) art criticism (15) art economy (95) art education (364) art equipment (48) art exhibition (314) art fair (45) art forums (15) art funding (14) art history (575) art instruction books (21) art journals (14) art magazine (19) art market (13) art materials (52) art news (201) art on television (407) art sales (8) art scams (1) art school (16) art series (23) art shop (1) art societies (83) art society (440) art studio (40) art supplies (199) art teacher (4) art techniques (10) art videos (171) artist (571) artist of the year (38) artist statement (4) artists (1054) artists and money (31) artists websites (19) artists with their portraits (4) artontelevision (1) best books (8) big painting challenge (35) bird art (6) blogger (58) blogging (216) book review (153) botanical art (305) botanical artists (164) call for entries (314) cats (38) ceramic art (29) charcoal (39) colour (80) coloured pencils (402) commission (45) composition (48) contemporary drawing (17) contemporary painting (9) contemporary portraiture (18) copyright (79) copyright infringement (22) coronavirus (25) covid-19 (21) creativity (14) daily painting (34) digital art (14) digital entry (18) drawing (782) drawing a head (59) drawing animals (3) drawing buildings (12) drawing cats (22) drawing food (1) drawing people (145) drawing trees (22) drawing water (31) drawing wildlife (28) drawings (128) e-catalogue (2) egg tempera (21) elements of design (3) etching (19) exhibition (1259) exhibition metrics (26) exhibition review (449) exhibitions (26) famous artists (31) famous painters (65) feline art (52) female artists (11) figurative art (116) fine art (14) fine art print (78) fine art prints (62) florum (10) flower drawings (126) flower paintings (110) flowers (114) framing (23) gallery (14) gardens (64) glasgow school of art (2) gouache (12) graphite (24) greyscale (1) holbein (3) home is where the art is (5) how to (26) how to draw (6) how to enter (1) how to hang a picture (4) how to hold a pencil (1) how to price art (3) how to sign art (1) illustration (25) image adustments (5) impressionism (5) international exhibition (8) internet tools (17) interviews with artists (36) john singer sargent (31) juried exhibitions (15) landscape (299) landscape art (7) landscape artist (17) landscape artist of the year (123) landscape painter (4) landscape painting (235) landscapeartistoftheyear (1) life drawing (17) life events (59) lightfastness (8) making a mark (359) making a mark guide (6) making a mark interview (8) making a mark reviews (23) makingamark (85) makingamark videos (12) mall galleries (398) marine art (54) mark making (20) mats and frames (11) miniature art (32) mixed media (10) moleskine (51) money laundering (5) national portrait gallery (124) natural history art (6) nature drawing (38) obituary (25) oil (72) oil painting (191) oil paintings (74) open exhibition (476) opinion poll (149) painter (90) painters (232) painting (897) painting a day (43) painting holiday (16) painting water (3) paintings (337) paper (4) paper and supports (45) pastel (23) pastels (201) pen and ink (101) pencil (74) pencil art (58) photography (116) pigments and paints (21) plagiarism (7) plant drawings (12) plant motif (12) plants (18) plein air (127) plein air painting (10) portrait (559) portrait artist of the year (150) portrait artists (9) portrait competition (5) portrait exhibition (2) portrait painter (184) portrait paintings (110) portraiture (472) post and package art (9) pricing (28) print (34) print-making (55) printing (24) printmakers (26) printmaking (42) prints (57) prizes (106) prizes and awards (24) prizewinners (220) professional practice (9) representational art (25) resources for art lovers (32) resources for artists (135) scottish art (6) sculptors (32) sculpture (216) selected artists (150) self-employed (1) self-portrait (90) sell art online (98) selling art (38) shipping art (12) shortlist (40) sketch (171) sketchbook (215) sketching (131) small works (90) social media (33) society of graphic fine art (5) society women artists (1) still life (85) tax for artists (18) textile art (19) tips and techniques (206) trading law (5) transporting art (6) travels with a sketchbook (94) trees (14) virtual exhibition (23) visual art (18) watercolour (327) watercolour societies (56) web analytics (54) website matters (163) webware (76) who's made a mark this week? (254) who's made a mark this year? (134) wildlife art (138) women artists (20) working from life (2) working in a series (2) working life of an artist (3) works on paper (10)

Browse the Blog Archive

  • ▼  2015 (217)
    • ▼  October (13)
      • Video of plein air painting demo by Julian Merrow-...
      • How to hang a painting - using mirror plates
      • Art on Television - The Story of Scottish Art
      • How to hang a large or heavy picture - using heavy...
      • How to hang a picture - using D Rings
      • The Fry Art Gallery and the Great Bardfield Artists
      • Review: Annual Exhibition 2015 - Royal Society of ...
      • How art changes your brain - the well-being value ...
      • Review: 70th Annual Exhibition of the Society of M...
      • RWS Contemporary Watercolour Competition 2016 - Ca...
      • LinkedIn Groups - a summary of changes
      • RIP Polly 2000 - 2015
      • ING Discerning Eye 2015 - Selected Artists
BELOW are links to the THREE different editions of my book re.
  • UK - Sketching 365
  • USA - Drawing 365
  • Asia - 365 Hints & Tips for Drawing & Sketching
  • FACEBOOK: Katherine Tyrrell: 365 Tips for Drawing and Sketching

Tag » How To Hang Heavy Picture