Hanging options for fragile walls

As the word suggests, fragile or weak walls need to be treated with the utmost care, least they are made weaker, especially when thinking about hanging anything on them.

In general, as Solomon Mukisa, a structural engineer says, it is best that walls are left as pristine as possible especially when it comes to wall hangings. He specifically discourages hammering into the wall, since one may not know where the weak areas are, hence causing minor or major cracks into the wall. If not, the cement or plaster around the hammered area may crack , causing an even deeper and wider hole into the wall. 

Below, experts share hanging alternatives to explore when dealing with weak walls.

Don’t hammer. Drill. 

To start with, Mukisa shares that drilling screws into the wall is better than hammering a nail into it.

“This is because as you swing the hammer to insert the nail into the wall, a lot of effort is used, and the wall endures those shocks, weakening it even further. Again, for a nail to be properly inserted into the wall and to stick, one needs to hammer farther into the wall. This means more penetration into the wall, especially if dealing with long nails,” he explains.

 On the other hand, screws are usually shorter in comparison hence little penetration into the wall, and the drill used has less impact on the wall, and gets the job done quicker.

So, if you are thinking of hanging heavy things such as flower pots, mirrors, or heavy frames, consider drilling instead of hammering.   

Hooks and clips

 For Sharon Mutesi, an interior designer, the ideal situation is when walls are not tampered with. This, she considers is the best way to keep fragile walls intact and looking great.

“I find using wall clips or adhesive hooks to be the best way to do this. These come in different shapes, colours, and sizes and one can always pick hooks according to the weight of what they intend to hang on them,” Mutesi says. She adds that these are decorative as well, made with  words such as Love, Family, OK, Welcome, among others and so, one can hit two birds with one stone - hanging what they want without lifting a finger to the wall and having the decorative designs.

However, she cautions that before buying hooks one should ensure to get the appropriate type because not every hook or clip can be used for everything.

Use tape

“The other alternative that I find extremely useful and one I employ a lot when designing and dealing with wall hangings such as frames and art, is tape. This is some special tape for that specific purpose. It has double-sided taping so that it adheres on both the wall hanging and on the wall. It is usually packed in a roll, so one can use it over time,” she explains. On top of this, there are also hanging strips that are normally heavy-duty and ideal for heavier wall hangings. She notes that such tape is also easy to peel off the walls without damaging them or coming off with the paint, which makes it very ideal for weak walls.

 Hanging equipment

Raymond Mugulusi, an interior designer, also notes that hanging equipment is another alternative to consider. Apart from the fact that many of them provide for numerous hangings when installed, they also do the work without the need to drill into the wall. There are however, options that also need wall drilling.

“Hanging equipment can range from those that can be clipped onto doors, window frames, and other existing furniture. Those that can be suspended on existing poles or timber, or hang lines among other varieties,” Mugulusi says.

 He shares that instead of tampering with the wall, one can also hang things they would have done on the wall on existing furniture.

“Instead of drilling a wall to hang a frame, have it placed onto a bookshelf for example,” he advises.