How to Hang a Picture on a Brick Wall
How does one go about hanging art on a brick wall?
Hanging art on a brick wall is a cinch!
All you need is 5 minutes, a drill, a hammer, those plastic anchor thingys and a common 1/2″ masonry bit!
TOOL LIST:
- Electric Drill
- A ½” masonry drill bit
- Plastic anchor sleeves
- Hammer
Important!
Once you figure out where you want to hang your picture, drill into the mortar, NOT the brick.
The brick may crack and leave you with a whole new set of problems, whereas if mortar gets a crack it tends to stay within the mortar, which makes it easier to fix. Mortar is typically stronger than brick, but is easier to drill into.
Make sure you know what’s behind the brick
You don’t want to drill into the flue or chimney of a fireplace, for instance.
Drill a 1-inch deep hole into the mortar
If you’re no good at guessing how far an inch is, measure an inch on the bit and wrap some masking tape above that part and only drill in until you come up to the tape.
Blow the dust out of the hole
Then insert the plastic anchor sleeve.
Be careful not to bind it, but a few light taps of the hammer should do fine.
Put it all the way in until the edge is flush with the wall.
Get Screwing!
The anchors usually come with screws, but you may need to find one of your own.
Screw it into the anchor’s hole and leave the head of the screw sticking out ¼” or so.
Hang it up
Hang your art by its hanging wire on the protruding screw, step back, and collect your accolades!
And if you haven’t yet
Be sure you download a free copy of “The Consumer’s Guide to Picture Framing – 7 Things You NEED to Know!”
Scroll Down and Leave a Comment!
At Jackson’s We Take Pride in What We Do!
Nobody has the level of Training, Education, Awards, Distinctions and International Acclaim that We Do!
We Know Our Stuff
- Parkland County’s ONLY Certified Framer
- One of only FOUR Guild Commended Framers in Canada!
- One of only 17 Advanced Guild Commended Picture Framers in the world!!!
- Former Canadian Picture Framing Champions
- International People’s Choice Winner in Orlando, Florida!
- Past President of the National Picture Framer’s Assoc. (twice!)
- One of only 23 Certified Picture Framing Competition Judges in the world!
Check out our Awards and Distinctions
So Your Project is Done Right!
- Artwork of All Types
- Shadowboxes
- Historical Photos
- Sports Collectables
- Degrees and Awards
- Holiday Souvenirs
- Military Medals
And Much, Much More!
Request an Appointment at Jackson's Gallery and Engraving
Get Our Undivided Attention
Jackson's is by Appointment Only
Why?
So we can give you the distraction free attention you deserve.
We're also happy to accommodate our clients outside of "normal" business hours.
Click here to Request an Appointment, or call us at (780) 960-1215
Good idea on not drilling into the flue or chimney of a fireplace when doing brick drilling. Really, I’d imagine that masonry could be pretty fun. If I’m ever interested in attempting it, I’d imagine I’d want good supplies too.
I had no idea that you are supposed to drill into the mortar when hanging a picture on a brick wall. My wife has been interested in photography and would like to find some large frames so that she can hang family portraits in our living room brick wall. Maybe it would be best for us to find a frame that can be safely hung on brick walls.
The article explained why putting a sinker in the mortar and not the brick is important when hanging a picture. This can help one prevent problems with cracking the brick. Thanks for providing the information!
I’m thankful that you brought up how you should refrain from drilling a hole into your bricks when hanging a picture since it can cause cracks to form. My sister recently had some pictures taken during her wedding and wants to find a way to hang them over the fireplace in her living room. Maybe she should find a picture framing service that can help her find exactly what she needs to display her photographs.
Thanks for teaching people the right way to do this hang a picture on a brick wall, I love this post!
Thank you for these helpful tips! I was having a hard time how to hang my newly bought canvas on our brick wall. Good thing I found this blog. I’m just wondering if it’s still okay to hang a heavy canvas on a brick wall? The one I bought is pretty heavy, and I’m worried that it might fall or that the wall will crack. Any thoughts as to what canvas size should be the limit?
Hard to say without specifics, but if you’re concerned, you’ll want to use multiple hangers spread across the wall to spread the load.
Wow, this is an awesome blog. One of the easiest tricks I do when hanging pictures on my brick wall is with a brick clamp or clip. I just make sure that the mortar is well-pointed behind the brick itself to make a ledge from the cramp. After I measure the brick’s depth, I get a clip that coincides with that depth. It’s also important that you measure the height of the hanging picture you like to hang. Your blog is very useful to people who don’t know about this process. Good job! Very on point and detailed.
Thanks for sharing the great tips, we had some great success with following them.
Your step-by-step guide makes it so easy to follow and visualize. I appreciate how you’ve covered various methods, from the traditional approach with nails and hangers to the more modern and innovative solutions like adhesive hooks and wire systems.