When hanging shelves and pictures in your Southlake rental home, it is crucial to do so as safely as possible. Household accidents and falls result in over 30 million doctor’s office and emergency room visits each year. To avoid injury, it is important that you know and obeys the proper safety guidelines.
One of the most important things to remember when hanging shelves and pictures safely is to take the time to do the job correctly. Properly installed shelves can last for years, however, a hastily done job might make your shelves both ugly and dangerous. Before you start, you will need to know where you want to place the shelves or pictures. Second, gather the proper tools and materials.
A lot of homes have drywall for their interior walls. This is not strong enough to hold heavy objects. To hang shelves and large pictures, you will need to anchor them to the wooden studs in your walls. You might need a stud finder to find them. If you do not want to damage floors and walls or you wish to minimize the chances of causing injuries, make sure that you place shelf supports and picture hangers on wooden studs to keep the shelves and pictures from falling.
This time, you may plan out the placement of your shelves and pictures. To ensure that your installation will result in proper placement, use a measuring tape, pencil, and a level. Hanging shelves at a height that would require a ladder will also require you 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. If not done correctly, the result might look out of balance or unprofessional. As a general rule, the center of a framed picture should be located approximately 57 inches above the floor (this is eye level for the average person). Before proceeding to the next step, measure and mark the placement of each picture carefully.
Determining what type of screws, anchors, and brackets you will need to support the item’s weight is the next step. For shelves, be sure to include the weight of the objects that will be stored there. It is all right to overestimate the weight, just to be safe. You will likely need a drill driver or other power tool to place screws, anchors, and brackets in the studs and walls.
Always educate yourself on the proper use of your drill driver before attempting to use it for the first time. If you will be hanging shelves or pictures on a brick or concrete wall, that will require a masonry bit and plastic anchors to install the screws required to hold the shelf or picture in place. As soon as you are ready to install the shelf or picture, consider having someone around to help lift and steady things. Asking for a second opinion on your placement and measurements never hurts, either.
Pictures can also be secured to the walls by other methods such as double-sided adhesives if you opt to not work with screws, drills, and power tools. Remember, some adhesives may be permanent or removable. Choose the one that best suits your needs.
By taking a few precautions and choosing the right tools, you can start hanging shelves and pictures on the walls of your Southlake rental home in no time.
Need a new rental home to hang your art? Check out our current selection of rental listings and give Real Property Management Five Star a call at 682-831-1300. Our Southlake property managers will gladly assist you.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
