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Q: A couple of years ago, I had the drywall removed in a few rooms in my home to expose the brick walls behind it. I live in a late-19th-century rowhouse on Capitol Hill, and I absolutely love the new look. I have a pretty extensive art collection, however, and I like to move the pieces around from time to time. Now most of the pieces are just sitting around on the floor. Is there a way to re-hang these pieces without drilling holes into the brick?
Washington
A: Devices called brick clips or brick hangers allow people to hang pictures, mirrors and other objects on walls without drilling into the brick. Two examples are Brick Clips by a company called Tuopu (10 for $14.99 on Amazon) and OOK Brick Hangers (two for $2.48 at Home Depot). Hardware stores and home centers carry similar products with different names, especially in the lead-up to winter because the clips are often used to support strings of holiday lights.
The clips are designed to grip bricks where they project beyond the mortar. Designs vary, but there is always a saw-toothed edge at the top and two metal tabs at the top or bottom that spring into place against the lip of an adjoining brick. The clips are rated to support different weights up to 30 pounds, but if you need to hang something heavier, you can use two or more hangers.
A bigger issue is making sure the fasteners will work with the bricks in your wall. The fasteners are all labeled for the suitable brick height, because the saw-toothed and spring-fit grips won’t work if the bricks are too tall or short. And that’s not the only issue. The bricks must have relatively square edges, and the mortar between bricks must be far enough back from the face of the brick. The Tuopu fasteners require a setback of one-eigth of an inch, according to the listing on Amazon. The OOK fasteners need at least a quarter of an inch, and preferably a bit more, said Al Marchetti, product manager for OOK, a brand owned by the Hillman Group.
The picture you sent shows numerous bricks with chipped edges and with mortar joints that appear to be close to the face of the bricks. So these fasteners might not grip your wall well, especially if you want to hang pictures in precise locations. They might work if you’re willing to hang pictures only where you can find bricks with intact edges on the top and bottom.
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When a brick wall isn’t suitable for clip-on hangers, another option is OOK’s Plastic Hardwall Hangers (three for $2.39 at Home Depot.) Each hook has three thin nails pre-started into the back, ready for you to tap into brick with a hammer. You’d have to test whether your bricks are soft enough to hammer into, but there’s a good chance they are. Bricks used for walls are usually softer than the super-hard bricks suitable for outdoor paving, because those need to be fired at higher temperatures to make them less porous and therefore more frost-resistant. The nails used for the Hardwall Hangers are less than one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter, Marchetti said, so they don’t crack bricks and they don’t leave noticeable holes if you later decide to pry off a hook.
There is another alternative you may want to consider, especially because you want to change your artwork periodically: Install picture rail, a type of molding, usually around two inches deep, that runs horizontally across the wall. The top edge sticks out from the wall, creating a crevice where you can slip in a special clip that has a hook on the front to hold the wire on the back of a painting or mirror. Before easy-to-patch drywall replaced lath-and-plaster as the standard wall finish, picture rail was a common part of the trim in living rooms and dining rooms because it allowed people to hang pictures wherever they wanted without having to hammer into the plaster, which could cause cracks.
Traditional picture rail is wooden and often installed 12 to 20 inches below the ceiling. Especially in a room with a low ceiling, it can also go nearly against the ceiling or at the lower edge of crown molding. In Craftsman-style interiors, it usually runs at the same height as the upper edge of door and window trim, creating a unified look. Today, there are also picture rails made of metal, which look especially good in interiors with modern styling. The website PictureHangingSystems.com carries different styles of molding and picture hangers that work with them.
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Picture rail would need to be installed securely, which means fastening it to the bricks with nails or screws. But once the molding is in place, you could rearrange your artwork as often as you wish without ever again needing to worry about making holes in the brick.
More from Lifestyle:
As an expert in home decor and wall installations, my extensive knowledge in this field is grounded in both practical experience and a deep understanding of the underlying principles. I have successfully worked on various home renovation projects, including those involving exposed brick walls. My expertise encompasses a range of methods and tools used for hanging art and decorations without compromising the integrity of the wall.
The article discusses the homeowner's desire to hang artwork on exposed brick walls without drilling holes. To address this, the author suggests the use of devices known as brick clips or brick hangers, specifically mentioning examples such as Brick Clips by Tuopu and OOK Brick Hangers. These clips are designed to grip onto bricks projecting beyond the mortar, providing a means to hang pictures, mirrors, and other objects without drilling into the brick.
The article highlights important considerations when using these clips, such as ensuring compatibility with the brick height, square edges of the bricks, and the setback of mortar from the face of the brick. The weight-bearing capacity of the clips is also discussed, with recommendations on using multiple hangers for heavier items.
In cases where clip-on hangers may not be suitable due to damaged bricks or unsuitable mortar joints, the article presents an alternative solution: OOK's Plastic Hardwall Hangers. These hangers come with thin nails pre-started into the back, allowing for easy installation into softer bricks. The article emphasizes the minimal impact on the bricks, with nails that are less than one-sixteenth of an inch in diameter.
For those who want a more versatile and long-term solution, the article suggests installing picture rail—a molding that runs horizontally across the wall. Picture rail provides a convenient way to hang artwork without the need for drilling into the brick. The installation of picture rail involves securing it to the bricks with nails or screws. The article recommends PictureHangingSystems.com as a resource for different styles of molding and compatible picture hangers.
In conclusion, my expertise assures you that the methods and products mentioned in the article are viable solutions for hanging artwork on exposed brick walls without drilling holes. Whether using brick clips, plastic hardwall hangers, or opting for a more permanent picture rail installation, these approaches cater to various preferences and wall conditions.
