When hanging shelves and pictures in your Spokane 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. It is of utmost importance that you know and follows proper safety guidelines so you can avoid injury.
Take the time to do the job correctly– that is one of the things to know about hanging shelves and pictures safely. To avoid having shelves that are both ugly and dangerous, make sure to take time installing it. Properly installed shelves can last for years. Before beginning the job, you need to know where you want to place the shelves or pictures. Next, you need to gather the proper tools and materials.
Is your home one of those that have drywall on their interior walls? If so, do note that 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. To find them, you will need a stud finder. 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 in wooden studs to keep the shelves and pictures from falling.
At this point, you can 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. It is very important to use proper safety precautions when hanging shelves at a height that would require a ladder. Ladders alone injure more people than any other household accident.
For pictures, the height at which you hang your pictures is critical. The result may look out of balance or unprofessional if not done properly. 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). Measuring and marking the placement of each picture must be done before going to the next step.
Now you have to determine what kind of screws, anchors, and brackets you will need to support the item’s weight. For shelves, be sure to include the weight of the objects that will be stored there. You may overestimate your weight, just to be safe. You might need a drill driver or other power tool for you to place screws, anchors, and brackets in the studs and walls.
Ensure that you have educated 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. Consider having someone around to help lift and steady things when you’re ready to install the shelf or picture. Getting a second opinion on your placement and measurements never hurts, either.
If screws, drills, and power tools are not your kind of thing, you still have options. Pictures can also be secured to the walls by other methods such as double-sided adhesives. Choose the adhesive that best meets your needs. Remember, some adhesives may be permanent or removable.
By taking a few precautions and choosing the right tools, you can start hanging shelves and pictures on the walls of your Spokane rental home in no time.
Need a new rental home to hang your art? Take a look at our current selection of rental listings and give Real Property Management Spokane County a call at 509-462-1042. Our Spokane property managers would be glad to speak with you.
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