How to Hang a Heavy Painting on Drywall

Hanging a heavy painting on drywall is not difficult. However, you want to make sure you do it well. Otherwise, you'll be buying a new frame! Just driving a screw into a wall doesn't cut it. You need to know how to hang pictures in a way that doesn't rely on plaster for support. Pictures also need to be where you hang them – but you don't want to compromise on placement.

plan your location

This may seem obvious, but you need to plan your location before doing anything else. The location of the studs or the type of anchor you use should always help you put the picture where you really want it. Planning the location leads to the next step – determining what resources are available to you. This includes studs behind drywall.

Use the stud finder to locate anchor points

Small diameter smooth nails are usually bent or otherwise brought to a level or down position on the drywall. This allows heavy objects or pictures to slide off or pull nails off the wall. That's not fun. You need something that has enough support on its own. This ensures a long-term solution for your heavy pictures or artwork.

The best way to safely hang heavy pictures on drywall is to start by knowing how to use a stud finder. We wrote an article on the best stud finders if you need recommendations. Of course, if possible, use fasteners that go through the drywall and into the wood or steel nails.

Consider using drywall anchors

If you can't find a post or the post isn't where you want your picture to hang, you can use drywall anchors to secure your picture or artwork to the wall. These come in various packages and sizes. We really like using self-drilling plastic drywall anchors and the right size screws. Follow the instructions on the packaging for proper installation. You can find them in a variety of sizes, depending on how much weight you want to support. Extremely easy to use, they provide up to 75 lbs of support, depending on the model you choose.

Keep in mind that if you're hanging a heavy picture (or art) on drywall, make sure you understand the weight of the item and the limitations of the anchors or fasteners used to secure it to the wall.

Combine drywall anchors and studs to center heavy objects

Similar to how you mount your TV, a great way to hang heavy pictures or artwork combines the available fixing options. Let's say you have a specific place where you want to hang a piece of art. You may find a stud behind the frame, but not in the center. what are you doing now?

You can use both studs and anchors if you use properly rated drywall anchors. This allows you to center a picture or artwork on the wall. Follow these steps to anchor your material to the wall so that it is centered:

1. Figure out where you want the picture to hang and mark the center apex of the frame or artwork.
2. Use the stud finder to find the center of the stud where the picture will hang behind.
3. Place an appropriately graded nail or pan head screw into the center of the stud, approximately 6-8 inches below the top mark.
4. Measure the distance from your stud/screw to the center point of the picture
5. Measure the same distance in the opposite direction of the stud. Use a spirit level to mark the spot to make sure it's at the same height.
6. Install drywall anchors properly rated for the weight of the picture or artwork.
7. Use a properly installed wire hanging kit to hang your artwork. Hang pictures/art so that wires hang from stud fasteners and drywall fasteners.

final tip

You may need to use lag bolts when hanging pictures or artwork that weigh more than 50 lbs. I also like to use washers when doing this. This ensures that there is no chance of a dangling wire jumping over the head of the bolt. The last thing we want is a heavy photo falling off our mounts!

That's it! Hope this helps you get some useful tips and tricks for hanging heavy pictures on drywall. We use nearly every method known to man that summarizes our best practices.