Plaster walls

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sudsey
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Sudsey

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I have to hang several framed pieces of framed art that are about 20lbs each, on old plaster walls. Does anyone have know if there is hardware made for this purpose?
shrug.gif
 
When I lived in a house with old plaster walls, any attempt to drive nails into them resulted in a dinner-plate sized hole. My solution:

Using a masonry bit, drill a hole in the wall

Insert a plastic screw anchor

Twist a screw into the anchor and hang the piece from that.

Good luck.

Kit
 
I have always been a big fan of Floreat hangers for just this reason: they work beautifully in plaster walls. They do not leave a gaping crater when they are pulled out and do not crack the surrounding plaster. Every house around here as well as every house I have lived in has had plaster walls, so I've used plenty of them with success.
I order them from Ziabicki. I'll be back atcha with their phone number. I also like their brass strap hangers.

edie the hardwareaddict goddess
 
Like Edie we've had very good luck with the <u>Floreat</u> line. Their nails are extremely sharp and go into walls very easily with only the slightest pressure. We find that if you "twirl" the nails during insertion, you don't need to drill pilot holes.

You can get them through United MFRs or Larson-Juhl to name just two.
 
Originally posted by Jay H:
Now that they are my default hanger and I am a quicker typer that Ron I would recommend WallBuddies. http://www.wallbuddies.com/
Jay, if you wanna be the new poster-boy for WallBuddies, that would be fine. The pay sucks, anyway.

But you DO understand that the WallBuddies get attached to the frame, right? You still have to put some kind of hardware into the wall.

My son and I went to install a very large frame in a beautiful older home. Naturally, the frame had WallBuddies and the walls were plaster.

The older couple sat in the room and watched intently, so I couldn't even swear out loud as I repeatedly tried to drive some nails for the Wall buddy hooks into the lath.

I had to go back to the shop and get a cordless drill, which I now carry everywhere.

(If you see me at the Omni Bar in Atlanta, I'll be the one with the digital camera in one hand and the 18v cordless Black-and-Decker drill in the other.)
 
Old mud and horse hair walls? I have been told to make a masking tape X over the spot, and drill a pilot hole. If you don't avoid crumbling the plaster at least some of the plaster will stick to the tape and help the clean up!

Also look into gallery rods and hanger systems. Increases the costs but protects the walls in the older historic homes.

You can buy them through the web or through United and add on an install fee for your customer. They'd appreciate the extra effort and the concern for their home on your part
 
I haven't had that problem yet. However I do have an empty frame hanging on the wall next to the register. I take it down and show everybody that leaves how to hang/level their picture. I get calls from about 10% of my customers (and my wife) that can’t figure it out. I think I will try to describe the process clearer when I update my website. Apparently the sticker and the demo isn't enough. Do you have this problem? Sorry didn’t mean to steal the thread.
 
Jay, Thread theft is a fine old tradition on The Grumble. Don't worry about it. And don't apologize. Only Buddy is allowed to do that.

Kit
 
Do you have this problem?
Yes.

I usually (sometimes incorrectly) assume that any homeowner will have some basic tools and a bit of knowledge about how to use them. When an order is picked up, I'll point out the hangers and make a little joke, "All you'll need is a hammer." Sometimes they'll say, "I'll pick one up on the way home." I've had calls asking, essentially, which hole in the Floreat hanger the nail goes through.

My kids used to call me up when I'd be working late and say, "Better come home right away, Dad. Mom is hanging pictures." Usually that meant she'd found a box of roofing nails in my workshop.
 
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