How to hang a heavy picture,shadowbox,rug

Usually, it's relatively easy to hang a picture, swag, rug, or other object on a wall. But, when the object you want to hang is heavy in weight, then you'll need to use some special tactics.

The most common interior wall is plaster on top of drywall. Plaster can be rather tricky to work with, especially if the hanging is heavy. Plaster is a rather durable material, but it has a tendency to crack, break off into smaller pieces, and crumble. The best, most secure way to hang a heavy picture, swag, rug, or other object on a plaster wall is to locate a stud near the spot. You can easily use a stud finder to do this. Then, use an electric drill that has a low speed, a drill bit, and some heavy duty wood screws. The drill bit needs to be a little bit smaller than the diameter of the wood screws. And, the heavy duty screws need to be long enough to drill through the plaster, the drywall, and just into the wood, while leaving at least a half inch sticking out.

Next, slowly drill a hole into the plaster wall, then use a screwdriver to insert and tighten the screw. If you need more than one heavy duty screw to hang the object, you can easily repeat the process. Check the holding ability of the screw(s) by grabbing them with your fingers and trying to wiggle them. If they feel secure, then you are ready to hang your object!

It's easy to hang a heavy picture or shadowbox up with heavy duty screws because they usually have one or more hangers attached on their backs. Rugs, however, don't usually come with a hanger, and that can make them a little more difficult to hang up. Putting screws through the fabric of a rug can ruin it. So, you can use sturdy, but heavy duty nails instead; they won't damage the fabric.

Make sure that you hang your rug in a place that is located away from direct sunlight. Vacuum or otherwise clean it by following its care instructions periodically. And, only dry clean or launder your rug as needed in order to extend its wear life.

You can also hang a heavy picture or shadowbox on a plaster, brick, or other type of masonry wall by using heavy duty screw eyes and wire. To do this, you will also need an electric drill that has a low speed and a special masonry drill bit. Again, this drill bit needs to be a little bit smaller than the diameter of the screw eyes.

Carefully drill a hole into the brick or other masonry, then insert a heavy duty screw eye and turn it into the wall tightly. Then, measure the top width of the object. Cut a large enough piece of heavy duty wire so that it can extend across the total width of the object. Plus, add an extra "half" of the width. That is, if the top of the object measures forty inches, you will need to add another twenty inches to the original measurement.

Measure and cut the heavy duty wire, then run the wire through the screw eye, and attach it to the object by using its hangers. If it doesn't have attached hangers, you can purchase a couple of heavy duty hangers at your local hardware or home supply store. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the package in order to achieve the best results. Attach the hangers to the heavy picture or shadowbox, then attach the wire and hang it up.