Doing an assessment

• It's important that you first determine where you want to hang your picture, heavy artwork or wall decoration. Examine the wall area and determine if there is a stud available. You can purchase a stud finder at your local hardware store. Lightly tapping on the wall with a hammer or mallet also can help you locate studs, but this may be tricky. Be aware that a stud may not always be located where you want to install the wall hanger, so it is important to consider other picture hanging options.
  
  

Lots of wall hangers

• There are several types of heavy-duty wall hangers on the market. Most are fairly easy to install by following instructions. Choosing the right wall hanger however, depends on the type of wall you have. Inspect the wall area and find out if your wall is either wood, hollow, plaster-boarded, or cemented. This is especially important if you can't find a stud to support the wall hanger.
  
  Choose a hanger based on your wall type. Search online at either Home Depot or Lowe's or visit your local hardware store to identify the appropriate heavy wall hanger. Here are some options:
  
  The picture hook is the most common wall hanger for plasterboard or drywall. You simply place the hanger flat on the wall and hammer in the nail, which is in a slanted position that provides extra strength and leverage. Picture hooks come in a variety of weight limits.
  
  A "molly" or bolt anchor is used mostly for hollow walls. Metal bolt anchors usually work best for hanging heaver items. You must however drill a large enough hole to fit the spring loaded anchor, which then snaps back into position allowing for blot tightening. A key drawback here is that the anchor falls behind the wall when you have to remove the bolt.
  
  Anchors also are popular for use in plaster and cement walls. Available in plastic or metal, these work similar to a toggle blot in that they are held in place by pressure on the back side of the wall. A pilot hole is required however. The anchor is then placed in the hole and the screw or bolt is tightened, thereby compressing the umbrella closed.