Picture hanging, mirrors and shelves in Fulham

Picture hanging in Fulham, level and secure

Picture hanging sounds like a job for a hammer and a nail, and sometimes it is. But a large framed print, an antique overmantel mirror or a run of twelve frames up the stairs needs planning, the right fixing for the wall and a good eye for spacing.

For a single piece, the usual rule of thumb is to put the middle of the picture near eye height, then adjust for the furniture below it. For a gallery wall, we lay the frames out on the floor first, or tape paper templates to the wall, so you can see the arrangement before any holes go in.

Our picture hanging in Fulham covers homes there and across Parsons Green, Chelsea and Earls Court, from single prints in rental flats to full stairways of family photos in terraced houses.

Picture rails in period rooms

Many Victorian and Edwardian rooms still have a picture rail, a wooden moulding that runs around the room a little below the ceiling. Pictures hang from hooks that sit over the rail, on cords or chains. Nothing gets drilled into the wall, and you can move frames around as often as you like.

If your rooms have picture rails, they are worth using, particularly in a rental or on fragile old plaster. We can supply and fit hooks and cords or chains, adjust the drop so frames line up, and refix a loose section of rail.

Heavy mirrors and the wall behind them

Big mirrors are heavy, and the glass makes a fall dangerous. The fixing has to suit both the mirror's weight and the wall it is going on.

Chimney breasts and outside walls in Fulham's older houses are usually solid brick under plaster, which takes a heavy mirror well with masonry plugs set into the brick. Inside walls in older homes are often timber studs covered with lath and plaster. LABC notes that most pre 1930s houses have lath and plaster ceilings, and the same construction turns up in partition walls. On those walls, the fixing must go into a stud. Plasterboard walls, common in conversions and newer flats, need heavy duty cavity fixings or a stud.

For the heaviest pieces, a French cleat is often the strongest option. That is a pair of timber strips with matching angled edges, one fixed to the wall and one to the mirror, which hook together and spread the load along the whole width.

A mirror with built in lights in a bathroom is different. Adding to or changing a circuit in a bathroom is notifiable electrical work, according to Hammersmith and Fulham building control, so the wiring is done by a registered electrician who can self certify the work. We arrange it.

Display shelves and ledges

Picture ledges and floating shelves are a good way to show off frames without a pattern of holes. The catch is that shelves carry more weight than people expect once they fill up. On brick, a floating shelf is fixed with long rods into the wall. On a stud wall, it needs to hit the studs. On plasterboard alone, keep it for light things only.

If you are after full alcove shelving or built in storage, our carpentry page covers that.

Renting, leasehold flats and textured walls

Tenancy agreements often say what you can fix to the walls, so check yours and ask your landlord first. Picture rails, where you have them, avoid the question entirely, which is why they come up so often in picture hanging in Fulham rentals. In a leasehold flat, hanging pictures inside your own home is not usually an issue, but your lease is the place to check if you are unsure.

Some older walls and ceilings have a swirled or stippled textured finish. HSE says asbestos can be found in any building built before 2000, and it has specific guidance on drilling through textured coatings. Mention it before the visit so it can be checked first.

What to have ready

Get everything unwrapped and leaning against the wall where it will go.

• Each piece unwrapped, with any hanging hardware still on the back
• A rough idea of the layout, or photos of arrangements you like
• The weight of any large mirror, if you know it
• Fragile or valuable pieces pointed out at the start
• Landlord permission if you rent

Common hanging problems

Frames that tilt forward usually hang from a loose wire. Swapping the wire for two D rings (small metal loops screwed to the back of the frame) lets the frame sit flat against the wall and stay level.

Nails hammered into old lath and plaster can crack the plaster around them or simply pull out. Small pictures are better on proper picture hooks with fine pins, and anything heavier needs a drilled fixing.

Picture hanging in Fulham often starts with someone else's mess. If you have a wall full of old holes from the last owner, we fill and sand them before hanging, so you start with a clean wall.

Common questions