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Don’t Leave Us Hanging: Shelves and Pictures 101

Ellicott City Tenant Hanging Artwork in Their New HomeWhen hanging shelves and pictures in your Ellicott City rental home, it is crucial to do so as safely as possible. Household accidents and falls result in over 30 million doctor’s office and emergency room visits each year. To avoid injury, make sure you know and follow proper safety guidelines.

If you are going to be hanging shelves and pictures safely, you must take the time to do the job correctly. If you do not want shelves that are both ugly and dangerous, make sure you don’t install them in haste.  Properly installed shelves can last for years. You need to know where you want to place the shelves or pictures before you even begin.  Afterward, you need to gather the proper tools and materials.

Most homes today have drywall for their interior walls.  Drywall is not strong enough to hold heavy objects. To hang shelves and large pictures, you will need to anchor them to the wooden studs in your walls. To find them, you will need a stud finder. If you do not want to damage floors and walls or you wish to minimize the chances of causing injuries, make sure that you place shelf supports and picture hangers on wooden studs to keep the shelves and pictures from falling.

Next, plan out the placement of your shelves and pictures. Use a measuring tape, pencil, and a level to ensure that your installation will result in proper placement. The use of proper safety precautions is a must if you will be hanging shelves at a height that would require a ladder. Ladders alone injure more people than any other household accident.

For pictures, the height at which you hang your pictures is critical. The finished work might look out of balance or unprofessional if done poorly. As a general rule, the center of a framed picture should be located approximately 57 inches above the floor (this is eye level for the average person). Carefully measure and mark the placement of each picture.  After doing this, proceed to the next step.

Now, determine what type of screws, anchors, and brackets you will need to support the item’s weight. For shelves, be sure to include the weight of the objects that will be stored there. You may overestimate the weight, just to be safe. To place screws, anchors, and brackets in the studs and walls, you might need a drill driver or other power tool.

Always educate yourself on the proper use of your drill driver before attempting to use it for the first time. If you will be hanging shelves or pictures on a brick or concrete wall, that will require a masonry bit and plastic anchors to install the screws required to hold the shelf or picture in place. Once you are ready to install the shelf or picture, ask for help. It’s great to have someone to help lift and steady things. Getting someone else’s opinion on your placement and measurements never hurts, either.

Pictures can also be secured to the walls by other methods such as double-sided adhesives if you opt to not work with screws, drills, and power tools. Select the adhesive that is right for your needs.  Remember, some adhesives may be permanent or removable.

By taking a few precautions and choosing the right tools, you can start hanging shelves and pictures on the walls of your Ellicott City rental home in no time.

Need a new rental home to hang your art?  Take a look at our current selection of rental listings and give Real Property Management Prime a call at 410-415-1736. Our Ellicott City property managers would be glad to speak with you.

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