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I live in a condominium that was built in 1904. I was told by the HOA president that they are the original walls - untouched. I would love to hang few art pieces and when I hit nails, the wall is chipping. Nail does not stay in and comes off easily.

I tried molly bolt and masonry bits but they are not going all the way in. When I hit plastic anchors, they are also not going in as wall is providing some resistance.

I am reluctant to use command strips as I have come across mixed reviews and don't want to hang a fragile glass art frame that will fall any minute.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

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  • For nailing, can try tape on the the wall first. With nails you do want to hit studs.
    – crip659
    Commented Sep 22 at 17:39
  • For what it's worth, I have had good luck with command strips, when the wall is cleaned before applying them and you use strips rated for the weight you are going to put on them. But it sounds like what you are looking for is either wall anchors, or finding a stud and setting the nail into that.
    – keshlam
    Commented Sep 22 at 17:41
  • @keshlam i am willing to give command strips a chance. is cleaning with alcohol the only gotcha?
    – biostat
    Commented Sep 22 at 18:06
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    The surface should be reasonably smooth, not heavily textured. If you have old flocked wallpaper, adhesive is a bad bet. Ditto cinder blocks. But the foam allows these to conform well enough to most flat surfaces.
    – keshlam
    Commented Sep 22 at 18:29
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    What is the weight of the "fragile glass art frame "? Have you tried using a stud finder? Do you know the spacing of studs, and can measure from corner?
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Sep 22 at 19:12

2 Answers 2

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From your description, it sounds very much like you're living with plaster and lath walls. If I'm correct, there are two possibilities for solid fastening.

  1. Find the studs. They are probably 16" apart, so once you find a couple, you can probably find more. Stud finders in those walls are fraught, as there's so much wood and metal to confuse things. If you already have holes, you can stick a bent clothes hanger in and spin it to find a stud. (Unless, ha ha, you have insulation in the way. Then all bets are off.)

  2. Get a picture rail high around the perimeter and hang the art from it wherever you want. You still have to find studs, but at least it's a one-off exercise. Plus, it's very much in keeping with the 1904 aesthetic.

Edit to discuss stud finding…

  • electrical boxes and switches usually have a stud to the immediate left or right of the junction box. This, plus knowledge that studs are usually 16” center to center can help.
  • if there’s no insulation, and you already have a small (like, 1/4”) hole, you can bend a coat hanger into a square U shape (~9” legs). Stick one leg of the U into the hole and spin until you tap the stud. The visible leg shows you where the invisible leg is hitting the stud. Spin the other way and you might hit the other stud for verification.
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    any tricks to finding studs? i used magnet method but could not find it on that wall - i was able to get the magnet to stick on the other wall though but not on this wall.
    – biostat
    Commented Sep 23 at 14:31
  • Seriously considering a picture rail in my own 1890s house. But since I'm also considering crown molding, and it would want to go below that...
    – keshlam
    Commented Sep 24 at 12:10
  • @biostat — some extra stud-finding ideas added.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Commented Sep 24 at 13:57
  • I added photo to my original post. are you saying that the electrical outlet down at the bottom is a good start to search for studs?
    – biostat
    Commented Sep 24 at 16:13
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    Yup, the stud is very likely to be beside the junction box. Remove the cover plate (power off), and you might be able to see something.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Commented Sep 24 at 18:57
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If you can afford it go for a decent stud finder that penetrates deeper. These will also find electrical wiring and rebars. Maybe your local hire store may have them.

This one for example will scan 1.6" and is not that expensive Franklin Sensors ProSensor 710+ Wood & Metal Stud Finder with 13-Sensors, for Interior Drywall

Disclaimer - I have no experience with lath walls.

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    If you bought from a place with a relaxed return policy, you could definitely try it and return it if unsatisfied.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Commented Sep 24 at 13:37

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