![]() Hammering nails into plaster is a quick way to knock plaster loose from the lath that is supporting it. I can still give you some great ideas for hanging on plaster walls.įirst thing: Put away the hammer. If you don’t have picture rail or don’t want to install some, that’s just fine. If you think something is too heavy, then it’s best to mount it in a more secure way to the wall. After all, it is just a piece of wood molding. Picture rail works great for most decorations, but don’t try hanging extremely heavy items from it. ![]() This made the pictures easily movable left or right anywhere in the room, and to raise or lower them, you simply change the length of the picture wire. Pictures were hung on longer wires or cord to whatever height preferred by the homeowner and hung on small hooks that latched onto the picture rail. The height is often variable depending on local traditions and builder preference, but seeing picture rail anywhere from about 1/2” to 1’ below the ceiling is not uncommon. The picture rail is nailed to the studs, giving it better holding strength and was installed toward the top of the wall. Picture rail was installed to give you a place to hang things like mirrors, art, pictures and anything else you want to decorate your walls with without putting holes in your plaster. It has a wonderful purpose and that is to protect your walls and make your life easier. Don’t confuse this little piece of molding at the top of your wall for some kind of miniature crown molding. If you’re one of the fortunate ones, you may have picture rail in some of the rooms of your home. Plaster has lath (wood, metal mesh, or rock lath) behind it that supports it, whereas drywall has nothing behind itĪll these differences mean that the two require different fasteners and fastening methods for decorating.Drywall is usually 1/2” thick, compared to historic plaster, which can range from 3/4” to just over 1” thick.There are a few things that make the two different, especially related to attaching things to your walls. What’s the Real Difference Between Plaster and Drywall? It’s important not just to make the decorating process simpler, but to also avoid costly damage. Everything from how to find a stud in plaster walls to what type of fasteners your should use is different.Įveryone wants to decorate their walls, so learning how to hang things on plaster walls is important for every homeowner to learn. Wipe dust off with a dry cloth and touch up the paint.Most of the handy devices for hanging things on our walls were designed for drywall, not plaster. Sand the dried putty with medium-grit sandpaper. Do an “X” motion over the repair spot with the spatula to get the putty flush with the wall while removing excess. STEP 2Īpply enough drywall compound to fill the hole with a putty spatula. Wipe the wall free of drywall dust with a dry rag. ![]() Tap a hammer lightly around the edges of the hole until the edges are flat, flush with the wall. THE PATCHING PROCESSĪfter you’ve mastered how to remove drywall anchors or recessed the smattering of fasteners out of sight, patch the remaining hole with drywall compound. Position a screwdriver wider than the anchor mouth over the anchor head, and squarely but lightly tap the screwdriver with a hammer until you sink the drywall anchor partway into the drywall. Score the drywall around the anchor head with a utility knife. Perhaps the simplest way to deal with multiple unwanted drywall anchors, or those in drywall that’s brittle or water damaged, is to recess rather than remove them altogether. Then place a screwdriver with a head wider than the anchor’s mouth, but not wider than the drywall anchor itself, and firmly tap the screwdriver until the anchor falls out behind the back of the wall. Score the drywall around the anchor head with the cutting wheel or, if you don’t have a drill with a cutting wheel, a utility knife. ![]() Then tap a wide nail against the anchor mouth with a hammer until the drywall anchor falls back behind the wall. METHOD 3: CUT AND HAMMER ITĭon protective goggles and attach a 1-inch cutting wheel to a drill. If it won’t budge, or turns but doesn’t back out, proceed to Method 3 (if you have a cutting wheel) or consider Method 4 to sink the anchor into the wall. Turn the screwdriver counter-clockwise to back the drywall anchor out. Photo: METHOD 2: BACK IT OUTĬhoose a screwdriver that will fit snuggly into the mouth of the anchor and tap it into place with a hammer. ![]()
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