How to Properly Support Wall Hangings in a Home

Whether hanging items as light as small picture frames or as heavy as a bookshelf, it is important to know the structural make-up of the wall on which the item or items are to be placed. Typically if the home was built before 1940, it has walls constructed of lath and plaster. There were other wall materials used for a brief time during the 1940's such as Homosote, which was made from compressed cardboard. Walls since that time are built with drywall with inner studs that are universally 16" inches from center to center.

Lath and plaster walls are as much as 3/4-inches thicker than walls made of drywall allowing heavier items to be hung between the studs. Screws can be driven into the lath and plaster wall with the likelihood of being driven into one of the wood lath strips. Toggle bolts work well when heavier loads are expected. These bolts would require drilling a hole suitable in size to the toggle used. The toggle bolt has expandable "wings" that open after full insertion into the wall and are generally used with a small nut that draws the toggle tight within the wall.

Because drywall constructed walls are backed by wood studs only, screws work as fasteners between the studs only when used in conjunction with a suitable screw anchor. There are several types of screw anchors available and what it is that is to be placed on the wall will determine which anchor is best suited for the job. A visit to the local hardware store or home center will help in deciding which to use.

If a heavy item such as a bookshelf is to be hung on a wall, they must be fastened securely to the wall studs. Studs can be located with the use of a low-cost magnetic stud finder. These work best on lath and plaster walls as there are many nails placed close together at each stud. Drywall fastener screws and nails are more sparsely located, as much as 8" inches apart and will require the scanning of a larger area to determine stud locations.

Once a stud has been located, measure in multiples of 16" inches to either side of the stud to locate the next stud. Use a level placed vertically along the wall from the upper part of the stud location to follow a "plumb" line downwards. The stud location can be verified by following the plumb line down to the baseboard and the tapping a small nail where the baseboard meets the wall.

Remember, always work safely.