How to Hang Pictures and Mirrors
The Old-fashioned Way
Traditionally, when hanging a picture or mirror on the wall, the first step is to find a stud in the wall to nail into. Some people have a knack for knocking on the wall and finding studs. Others use hi-tech stud finders, which sometimes work. Other times, the blinking lights and beeps from the stud-finder appear not to work.
My father-in-law gave my wife and me a subscription to This Old House magazine. I enjoy reading the magazine and it often features good tips. A recent tip in the magazine suggests using a cow magnet to find studs via the metal nails in them.
A New Low-Tech Method
We recently purchased a bench and mirror for our foyer from The Miller House, which sells locally hand-made quality furniture. I highly recommend that store for those living in Northern Virginia, the West Virginia panhandle, and Western Maryland.
When selling us the mirror, they provided a Hercules Hook which can securely hang items up to 150 pounds on the wall. I was a little skeptical at first, but ended up really liking the simple, low-tech device. When using Hercules Hooks, there is no need to find a stud. You simply push the hook directly into the drywall (no tools required) and it securely can hold a picture or mirror by design. I found it is easier to center hangings when using the Hercules Hook because there is no need to to use studs.
Hercules Hooks are available from Amazon.com: