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Exposed brick walls add tons of extra charm and character, whether they’re in surrounding a fireplace or greeting guests at the door. But hanging a painting, mirror, or even a television on brick can present some challenges you don’t face with plain old drywall—especially if that brick is vintage.
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“Older houses have much softer bricks, and with new building standards, newer bricks have got stronger and harder to drill through,” says Andrew Dunlop, director of the Art of Hanging, a picture hanging service in Brisbane, Australia. But, Dunlop adds, even with the possible challenges, you can still hang from all types of brick.
However, with older homes, there might be additional permissions that homeowners need to drill into the brick. Michael Russo, proprietor of New York City interior design and construction service Porter Stable, says that you should “always check with your local preservation society to make sure if any drilling is frowned upon.” That’s especially true for renters, who might be subject to additional restrictions from their landlord.
Once you get the green light to hang from your brick wall, you’ll need the following to get started:
- cordless drill
- masonry drill bit sized to fit your screws
- hammer
- Philips head drill bit
- screws
- anchors
- level
- tape measure
- marker
Once you choose your artwork, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to hang things safely and securely on brick.
1. Mark the location on the wall where your holes will go
To start, it’s important to figure out where on the wall you’re going to hang your piece and how many holes you’ll need to hang it. Is it a large piece that has a wire across? In that case, one hole will do the trick. But if it has mulitple D-rings or sawtooth hangers, you’ll need as many holes as there are hooks.
Once you’ve figured out how many holes you need, take a marker and note where your frame will attach to the wall. Make sure your mark is centered and that you account for how high or low you want the piece to hang.
“The different ways I hang stuff depends on size and weight. If it’s a small picture on a string drilling one hole should be fine. For larger pictures, art mirrors with a cord or D-Rings, two screws are necessary to ensure balance and proper support,” Russo says.
It’s also a good idea to use a level to make sure that any holes you make are even.
2. Drill into your marked locations
Next, grab your drill and masonry bit. A masonry bit is designed specially for concrete, stone, and brick. Place your bit in the drill. Drill deep enough to accommodate the length of the screw that you’re using, making sure to move slowly to avoid overheating your drill. You may need to take breaks. Do this in each area that you’ve marked. Once you’ve drilled the holes, remove the debris with a dry cloth.
3. Hammer your anchors in
Use your hammer to tap the anchors into the holes that you have just created. The anchors will keep your screws in your wall and provide extra security for your hanging.
4. Drill your screws into the anchor
Next, take your screws and drill them into the anchor, making sure you leave enough screw away from the wall to hang the cord on or to attach the screw eyes to. Russo says that ⅛ to ¼ inch of extra space is usually just enough to hang your piece.
5. Hang your art and make sure it’s level
Now, tighten your screws and then hang your piece. Once it’s up, make sure it’s level (especially important for pieces hanging from a single wire).
If this whole hanging process seems daunting—or you’re unwilling or unable to make holes in the brick walls of your space—you could give brick clamps a try. Both handy and inexpensive, these hooks grab onto your brick without any tools. Make sure you measure your brick before you buy—they’re available in a range of sizes.
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Hanging a picture on a brick wall may seem daunting. You can’t just hammer a little nail into the wall like you could with drywall. But it’s actually quite simple! All you need to do is drill a hole into the mortar and put in a wall anchor. Then you can hang your picture hook on the wall anchor, and you’re ready to go! If the picture you’re hanging is very lightweight, you may not have to drill at all, and can instead use brick clamps, adhesive hooks, or double-sided tape.
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Cover nearby items with a drop cloth. You’ll be drilling into the mortar (the sealant in between the bricks) which can produce dust. Covering nearby items will keep them clean. If your items are easily movable, just scoot them out of the way! Also keep your window open, to prevent dust from lingering in the air.[1]
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Chalk the spot on the mortar where you want to install the hook. Mark the mortar, and not the brick, because the brick is too hard to drill into. Don’t worry about leaving a mark. You can rub away the extra chalk when you’re done.[2]
- Mortar holes can be filled in, but holes in brick can't. Always drill into the mortar, not the brick itself.[3]
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Position the frame over your mark and have a friend look from across the room. From a distance, your friend can tell you if it looks like a good spot to hang the picture. If it doesn’t look good, readjust. It’s much easier to readjust at this stage than when you’ve already drilled a hole!
- Most people opt for hanging their pictures at eye-level on open walls, and higher if the picture is going over a fireplace. The average eye level is 57 inches, or 145 cm, above the floor.[4]
- If you need to hang a group of pictures, place the largest picture in the middle, and have the center of the group be at 57 inches (145 cm).[5]
- If you can't get your picture in the right spot on the wall because of where the mortar falls, you can adjust the hardware on the back of it.[6]
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Attach a masonry bit to your drill. The masonry bit is to make sure your drill is equipped for the heavy-duty task of drilling through mortar. You can change your drill bit by loosening the chuck (the part that holds the bit), either with your hands or with a chunk key if it has a keyhole. Remove the regular bit and insert the masonry bit so that the smooth part of the bit is facing the chunk. Tighten the chunk, and you’re ready to drill!
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Put on a dust mask and safety goggles. Drilling into mortar stirs up a lot of dust, so protect your lungs and eyes with a dust mask and safety goggles. A dust mask is especially important if you have asthma.[7]
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Drill a hole into the spot on the mortar you’ve marked with your chalk. To drill, place the tip of the bit against the spot you want to drill, making sure the drill is perpendicular to the wall. Hold the drill steady with both hands and squeeze the trigger gradually until the bit picks up speed. Drill deep enough that a wall anchor will fit in. [8]
- It may help to mark the length of your wall anchor on your drill bit with some masking tape, so that you know how deep to drill.
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Tap a wall anchor into the hole with a rubber mallet. Tapping it with a mallet will make sure it goes in much better than if you tried to just stick it in with your fingers. If your picture is under 10 pounds (4.5kg), then a plastic wall anchor will be strong enough to hold it up. If your picture is somehow over 10 pounds (maybe you have an incredibly ornate frame), then opt for a self-drilling anchor.[9]
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Screw a picture hook onto the wall anchor. Just place the screw into the hole in the picture hook and match it up with the hole in the wall anchor. Use a screwdriver and twist clockwise until the hook is in place.
- Some wall anchors already have a stud in them for hanging pictures, in which case you can skip this step!
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Hang your picture frame over the hook. Have a friend stand across the room and tell you if it looks right. Move the picture side to side until it is hanging evenly.
- To make extra sure your picture is hanging evenly, you can place a level on top of the frame, and adjust the position of the picture until it is even.
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Mount brick clamps if the bricks are not flush. If the bricks poke out over the grout, and are not all flush with each other, then you can attach a brick clamp. Simply snap the clip onto the protruding brick face, and you’re ready to hang the picture.[10]
- When buying the brick clamp, check how much weight it can bear.[11]
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Attach adhesive hooks if your bricks are flush. If your bricks are all flush with each other, then you won’t be able to put on a brick clamp. Instead, use adhesive picture hanging hooks. These have the advantage of coming off without leaving a mark, which is especially desirable in a dorm room or if you have a picky landlord. But adhesive hooks can’t bear as much weight as an anchored hook drilled into the mortar, so make sure your picture is light enough.[12]
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Use double-sided tape if your picture is extremely lightweight. If you are trying to hang a piece of light paper on the wall, such as a child’s drawing, then double-sided tape will be strong enough to hold it onto the brick. Simply place pieces of double-sided tape on all four corners of the back of the child’s drawing and then stick it onto the brick.[13]
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Things You’ll Need
- Drill
- Masonry bit
- Chunk key (optional)
- Wall anchor
- Rubber mallet
- Screw
- Screw driver
- Picture hook
- Level
- Adhesive hooks
- Brick clamps
- Double-sided tape
References
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