We've moved into an older home. The wall are plaster. How do you recommend me hanging framed pictures? When we first moved in I tried to hammer a nail into the wall...making a lovely hole that wouldn't hold the nail anymore. Help! TIA
Yep, there are anchors to put in, then the nail. Then, don't expect to hang anything heavy at all. The wall damage is not worth it.
OR, do you have moulding around the tops of your walls? Then you can use picture rail hooks:
http://www.houseofantiquehardware.com/hooks-for-picture-rail
Go to the store and look for an item that has needle like nails sticking out the back. We used these all the time when I was in college. They are so fine that they barely make a hole too. They work in concrete and lath and plaster walls.
There are two ways to hand stuff on plaster:
1. Tap the wall and every few feet you will find a different sound. That's a beam of wood and you can hang nails there.
2. Get a picture hanging kit that has an anchor. There are two types of anchors, one that you put inside a hole (looks like a very small ice cream cone) and another that is external and is usually metal piece that resembles a hook with a hole for a nail. You nail through the nail hole and then hang stuff on the hook.
The second one allows you to hang anywhere.
I have plaster walls too. I have used a very small drill to start the hole and then used a nail in there and it seems to work.
I can't remember what they are called but just go to Lowes or Home Depot and tell them what you are doing. There is a special anchor for plaster because, as you have noticed, it crumbles.
