Real Property Management Northwest Chicago Suburbs

Don’t Leave Us Hanging: Shelves and Pictures 101

Every time you are hanging shelves and pictures in your Rolling Meadows rental home, it is crucial to do so as safely as you possibly can. Household accidents and falls result in over 30 million doctor’s office and emergency room visits each year. To avoid injury, comprehending and sticking to proper safety guidelines, is very critical.

Among the first important things to truly understand related to hanging shelves and pictures safely is to take the time to do the job correctly. Properly installed shelves can last for years, but a job accomplished in a hurry makes your shelves both ugly and dangerous. Before you do start, you will indeed need to know where you want to place the shelves or pictures and then gather the proper tools and materials.

Other homes have drywall for their interior walls, which is not strong enough to hold heavy objects. To hang shelves and large pictures, you do need to anchor them to the wooden studs in your walls. To determine their position, you need a stud finder. It is essential to place shelf supports and picture hangers on wooden studs to keep the shelves and pictures from falling, maybe disfiguring walls and floors and probably even causing injury to someone.

After that, 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. Just in case you are hanging shelves at a height that would require a ladder, be certain to put to use proper safety precautions. Ladders alone injure more people than any other household accident.

For pictures, the height at which you hang your pictures is critical. Supposing it’s carried out awfully, the result can appear to be out of balance or unprofessional. As a rule, the center of a framed picture should be located approximately 57 inches above the floor (this is eye level for the average person). Measure and mark the placement of each picture meticulously before going on to the next step.

After, you have to 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. It is a good idea to overestimate the weight, just to be safe. To place screws, anchors, and brackets in the studs and walls, you would most probably need a drill driver or other power tool.

Make it a point to educate yourself on the proper use of your drill driver before attempting to use it for the first time. If you like to hang shelves or pictures on a brick or concrete wall, that will surely require a masonry bit and plastic anchors to install the screws required to hold the shelf or picture in place. Each time you’re keen to install the shelf or picture, seriously think about getting someone there with you to give help lift and steady things. Also, a different opinion on your placement and measurements never hurts, either.

If screws, drills, and power tools are not something you are good with, pictures can also be secured to the walls by other methods such as double-sided adhesives. Remember, some adhesives may be permanent or removable, so be sure to choose the one that best fulfills your needs.

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

Need a new rental home to hang your art? Consider our current selection of rental listings and give Real Property Management Northwest Chicago Suburbs a call at 847-892-4040 to speak freely with one of our Rolling Meadows property managers today.