Though there are several methods of locating studs or supports behind the wall the most reliable is using a magnetic stud finder.
Hanging something heavy on the wall.
Older walls from the 1940s usually have plaster walls.
Do a quick survey and find.
Luckily you have some other options.
If you re hanging a heavier piece expandable metal anchors also known as molly bolts are an option.
Decide where to hang your stuff.
The second step is to decide where to hang your stuff.
How to hang heavy stuff on wall easily step by step guide know the type of wall you have.
Simply hanging something heavy on a plaster wall can result in damage to the wall and the object if you don t tap into the supporting structure behind the plaster.
These may hold up to 20 pounds according to this old house but be sure to check the package to confirm.
Unfortunately in many cases that isn t possible.
Removing wall anchors is a pain and patching the wall after removal never looks perfect.
Hold it up to the wall where you want to hang the item then use a hammer to tap the nail into the wall.
Typically when you want to hang a heavy item on the wall where there is no stud you have to get out your drill drill a hole hammer in a wall anchor and then screw in a large screw.
This is a very important step.
In normal cases you should use a stud to hang a heavy object on the wall but oftentimes it can be difficult to locate your studs they aren t a standard distance from each other or you have a unique wall type that doesn t have studs in it at all.
If you want to hang something heavy like a bookshelf or a mirror onto drywall by far the best way is to fasten it directly into the underlying wall studs.