Tools for hanging things on walls

Hanging things on walls — we have to do it all the time. Pictures, mirrors, coat racks, bulletin boards, and on and on. It’s a straightforward task with a few simple requirements, namely that the thing being hung is centered or otherwise correctly positioned, that it’s level, and that it doesn’t fall down. And we’d like to get the whole thing done as quickly and easily as possible. These inexpensive tools can help.

Kapro Measure Mate
https://kapro.com/product/313-measure-mate/
It’s simple enough to drive a single nail, but many heavier items have two points for hanging, which complicates the planning. Of course you can do the math — it’s not that hard to find the center, subtract back to the position of the first nail and add on for the position of the second.

Why not save a little brain power though? This clever product has a ruler with zero in the center instead of at one end. Then you can just line up the zero on your center point and measure the same distance each way. Or you don’t even have to measure — you can simply line up the plastic sliders with the holes on the thing you want to hang. The Measure Mate also has horizontal and plumb levels to ensure that everything is square. 

Simple DIY template for hanging curtain rods
https://www.younghouselove.com/how-to-hang-curtain-rods-quickly/
I learned this trick from Young House Love, one of the best home improvement blogs. Its most obvious use is for curtain rod brackets, where you have to hang two pieces as mirror images of each other. Take a scrap rectangular piece of cardboard. Mark your holes such that they are in the right place when you put the cardboard up against the ceiling and even with the side of the window frame. Use a center punch to poke through the cardboard or just drill the pilot holes.

Now — and this is the magic part — flip the cardboard over and put it on the other side of the window, against the ceiling again. Voila! The holes are in the reversed position on the other side. This method does assume that your windows are somewhat square. It’s never a bad idea to check the holes with a level before installing the brackets.

This trick increases in value with the number of brackets you have to hang. Maybe one isn’t worth it, but two or three or more will repay this small investment in cardboard cutting.

You can watch a demonstration of the template and read many other curtain-hanging tips at the link above (you have to scroll down a bit for the template part).

CH Hanson magnetic stud finder
https://www.amazon.com/CH-Hanson-03040-Magnetic-Finder/dp/B000IKK0OI
For hanging heavy objects, you often want to find a stud, one of the wooden structural pieces that holds up the wall. Without X-ray vision, studs can be maddeningly hard to locate. They are supposed to be 16 inches apart, but that spacing can be off for many reasons, and anyway you still usually need to find that first one before you measure for the others.

Stud finders are plentiful in hardware stores and online, many of them full of flashing lights and advertising somewhat mystical technologies. I have had the most success with this very simple stud finder. Basically it is an extremely strong magnet (so keep it away from your computer and phone) that is attracted to any metal pieces in the wall. Usually, when the magnet pulls on the wall, it is locating the nails or other metal objects in the stud.

I usually move the stud finder in a figure-8 pattern in the area where I am looking for a stud. It takes a little patience but eventually I feel a little tug as the magnet tries to grab onto a bit of metal hardware.

I suspect that, for the right price, I could get a stud finder that worked more efficiently, but this little magnet is a great cheap solution.

Threaded drywall anchors
https://www.walmart.com/ip/2PK-EZ-Ancor-50-Pack-50-Self-Drilling-Plastic-Drywall-Anchor-Twist-N-Lock/499575587
Sometimes studs aren’t in the right place so you have to hang your item in the drywall alone. For the lightest pieces, a nail or screw will work, but anything heavier needs an anchor. Often anchors come in the package with mounting hardware; they are most often the small, tube-shaped ones. You drill a hole and gently hammer them in.

For a step up in strength and usability, I rely on threaded drywall anchors (the link goes to one brand that I use, but there are others that work just as well). An anchor screws into the wall, then a screw threads into it. One advantage is that they are removable; simply unscrew them if you change your mind. A disadvantage is that they leave a slightly larger hole in the wall than traditional anchors. However, if you have to patch the hole anyway it doesn’t really matter.

One caution: these anchors are often called “self-drilling,” the idea being that you can screw them directly into a flat wall. I have not had good luck with that approach; the plastic tips are not strong enough to penetrate the drywall cleanly. I always drill a pilot hole first, then screw in the anchor. If done correctly, this setup is strong enough for most things that go on the wall, even heavier items like mirrors and framed pictures.

Those are a few things I’ve learned. Happy hanging!