Any tips for hanging the Great Wave?

DCBuilder

I recently finished building the Great Wave painting - it looks beautiful and I'd love to hang it up on the wall. It has two hanger elements in the back and I'm trying to figure out if regular picture nails (like these) would be strong enough to hold it, or if I need to buy something stronger like drywall anchors or something. Any advice would be really appreciated, thanks!

560Heliport

Any small nails should work. Those are usually used with hooks, but you don't need hooks. Just put the nails in at a slight downward angle so the picture won't slide off. The tricky part might be getting the nails even so the picture is level. If you don't have a level, it might be worth buying one.

DCBuilder

560Heliport said:

Any small nails should work. Those are usually used with hooks, but you don't need hooks. Just put the nails in at a slight downward angle so the picture won't slide off. The tricky part might be getting the nails even so the picture is level. If you don't have a level, it might be worth buying one.

Thanks for the tips! I actually have picture hooks (like these) so if it's better to use those, I can definitely do that. I just wasn't sure if hooks would work with the lego hangers.

Yeah I'm a little nervous about nailing them in at the same height, but I have a level so we should be good!

Lo1sJess

You can use the toothpaste trick to set up - put a little bit of toothpaste on the back on the hangers where the nails will be and place on wall where you want and then set aside. You can then check the spots for level and use them for nailing and wipe of with damp paper towel.

DCBuilder

Lo1sJess said:

You can use the toothpaste trick to set up - put a little bit of toothpaste on the back on the hangers where the nails will be and place on wall where you want and then set aside. You can then check the spots for level and use them for nailing and wipe of with damp paper towel.

That's a good idea! 

560Heliport

@DCBuilder those are exactly the hooks I was thinking of. They're great for pictures with a wire, but the nail will keep the top of the picture from sitting tight to the wall. Using only nails will look better, IMO.

560Heliport

@Lo1sJess I did office furniture including hanging many hundreds of pictures for 19 years- and never heard of the toothpaste trick!
The facility manager at one place had a rule that you could only use a pencil for making marks on walls. I carried a pen, not a pencil! And besides, I'm only making a mark where I'm going to put a nail, so what's the difference? What they don't know won't hurt 'em!  ;)

rockethead26

Just a tip not to place it next to the main doors for the house. The walls tend to shake a bit when someone closes the door with a little enthusiasm. My Starry Night will attest to when happens when such a wall suffers a minor tremor and the bulk of the protruding 3D art falls off and hits the floor. The wide eyed, gaping mouth syndrome follows.

DCBuilder

rockethead26 said:

Just a tip not to place it next to the main doors for the house. The walls tend to shake a bit when someone closes the door with a little enthusiasm. My Starry Night will attest to when happens when such a wall suffers a minor tremor and the bulk of the protruding 3D art falls off and hits the floor. The wide eyed, gaping mouth syndrome follows.

Good tip! The place I have in mind for it isn't near a door, so we should be good.

Speedman29

I just used red plugs and screws. Get a piece of wide masking tape, lay across the back top edge, it should cover the Technic screw blocks, if not just tape another piece below. Poke a hole through in line with the screw hole. Mark the edge of the frame or cut to the same width.

Using spirit level or a good eye! Place tape on the wall and mark the holes. Drill, plug, wind screws in, peel off tape and hang.

MrJackson

Honestly, as a homeowner, one of the things you should absolutely own is a level. And depending on where on the wall you're hanging it, I'd try to have at least one of the nails be in a stud. Studs are 16 inches on center, so if the picture's hangars aren't that distance apart, then the other nail will need a drywall anchor. 

Lo1sJess

If newer construction don’t count on 16 inches for studs now 20 inches is common unfortunately.