Hanging a picture sounds simple until you are standing on a chair with a hammer, a nail and a heavy framed print, trying to work out whether the wall will hold it. Getting artwork, mirrors and shelves level, well placed and securely fixed is one of those jobs that is quick for someone with the right tools and experience, and frustrating for everyone else. A heavy mirror that falls can shatter, damage floors and injure someone. A floating shelf on the wrong fixings sags, then drops.

We hang pictures, mirrors, shelves and wall fittings for homes, rentals, offices and shops across Warragul, Drouin, Trafalgar, Yarragon and the surrounding district. Whether you have just moved in with a stack of boxes of artwork or need one heavy mirror hung safely, we can help.

What we hang

• Pictures and framed artwork, from small prints to large, heavy canvases and framed pieces.
• Gallery walls, with multiple frames arranged in a planned layout.
• Mirrors, including heavy framed mirrors, frameless mirrors and full-length mirrors.
• Floating shelves, with concealed brackets fixed into studs or masonry.
• Bracket shelves, for books, plants, display and storage.
• Curtain rods and tracks, including long spans and double rods.
• Blinds, mounting brackets for roller blinds and venetians (supplied by you).
• Wall hooks and coat racks, in entries, mudrooms and laundries.
• Clocks, wall hangings and textiles.
• Key racks, noticeboards and whiteboards.
• Hanging systems, such as picture rail hooks in older homes and track systems for rotating artwork.

Fixing into different walls

The right fixing depends on the wall and the weight:

• Plasterboard on timber studs: light items can go on plasterboard anchors rated for the weight. Heavier items, mirrors and shelves should be fixed into studs, or onto a timber batten spanning studs.
• Lath and plaster in older homes: brittle, and nails can crack the plaster. We drill carefully and fix into the studs behind or use fixings designed for old plaster.
• Brick, block and render: masonry anchors, drilled to the right size so the anchor grips.
• Timber panelling: screws into the panelling or the framing behind.
• Picture rails: many older homes in Warragul, Trafalgar and Yarragon have picture rails near the ceiling. Hanging from the rail with hooks and wires avoids drilling the walls at all and makes rearranging easy.

We check for hidden pipes and cables before drilling, using a detector, and avoid drilling in zones where services commonly run, such as directly above or below power points and switches.

Planning and layout

Getting the position right is as important as fixing it securely. We can:

• Hang artwork at a comfortable viewing height, usually with the centre near eye level.
• Centre items over furniture, such as a sofa, bed or sideboard, at the right distance above.
• Plan gallery walls by laying out frames on the floor or using paper templates on the wall first.
• Align multiple frames along a common centre line or top edge.
• Space shelves evenly and at heights that suit what they will hold.

Heavy mirrors

Large mirrors are among the heaviest things hung in a home, and the consequences of a fall are serious. We weigh or estimate the mirror’s weight, check the hanging hardware on the back (replacing weak wire or D-rings if needed), and fix into studs or masonry with fixings rated well above the load. For very large mirrors, we use French cleats or mirror clips. Mirrors in bathrooms and hallways where people may brush past should be fixed so they cannot be bumped off their hooks.

Floating shelves

Floating shelves look clean because the brackets are hidden, but that means all the load is carried by the fixings and the bracket rods inside the shelf. They work best fixed into studs or masonry, and the load rating matters, especially for books or kitchen items. We will tell you honestly if a floating shelf is not suitable for what you want to put on it, and suggest a bracketed shelf instead.

Curtain rods and blinds

Long curtain rods in living areas and bedrooms need firm fixings at each end and centre supports on wide spans. Above windows, the framing (lintel or header) usually provides solid fixing; where it does not, we fix into the plaster with suitable anchors and add extra brackets. We install curtain rods, tracks and blind brackets that you have purchased.

Picture hanging for rentals

Tenants often worry about holes in walls. In Victoria, renters can make some minor modifications without consent, such as installing picture hooks in walls other than exposed brick or concrete, under the residential tenancy rules, but the rules have conditions and change over time, so check the current Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance and your lease. Adhesive hooks, picture rails and freestanding options can avoid holes altogether. At the end of a tenancy, we can patch and paint holes. See plaster and wall patching and end-of-lease repairs.

Offices, clinics and shops

We hang artwork, signage, noticeboards, whiteboards, mirrors and display shelves in commercial premises. For businesses with many items, we can plan layouts and work outside trading hours. See commercial handyman.

Moving in? Make it one visit

After moving house, many people have a pile of jobs: pictures, mirrors, shelves, curtain rods, blinds, hooks, a TV bracket and some furniture assembly. Booking all of these into one visit is efficient. We work through the list room by room. See also TV wall mounting and flat-pack assembly.

A typical picture hanging visit

Here is a common example. A couple have moved into an older weatherboard home in Trafalgar. They have twelve framed pictures, a heavy antique mirror, three floating shelves for the study and curtain rods for two bedrooms.

Planning

We walk through the house with them to decide placements. The living room has an original picture rail, so the larger framed pieces are hung from the rail with hooks and adjustable cords, avoiding drilling into the old plaster. A gallery wall of six smaller frames goes in the hallway, laid out on the floor first and marked on the wall with painter’s tape.

The mirror

The antique mirror is heavy and its old hanging wire is frayed. We replace the wire with new D-rings and fix two heavy-duty hooks into the studs above the sideboard.

Shelves and rods

In the study, the floating shelves are fixed into studs with the bracket rods levelled. Curtain rods in the bedrooms are fixed into the window framing with a centre support on the wider window.

Finishing

Everything is checked for level, dust is vacuumed and packaging is taken away.

Tips for hanging your own pictures

• Use a stud finder before drilling and avoid areas above and below power points.
• Use two hooks for wider frames; they stay level better than one.
• Check the weight rating on picture hooks and anchors, and choose one comfortably above the frame’s weight.
• Keep frames out of direct sunlight to stop artwork fading.
• In bathrooms and laundries, use moisture-resistant frames and fixings.

Getting a quote

Tell us how many items you have, which rooms they are going in, the approximate size and weight of any large mirrors or artwork, and the wall type if you know it. Photos of the walls and the items help. We will reply with a written scope and free quote. We do not publish prices.

Areas

Picture and shelf hanging in Warragul, Drouin, Trafalgar, Yarragon, Nilma, Darnum, Rokeby, Buln Buln, Neerim South and Longwarry. See our service areas and all services.

Hanging on feature walls and brick

Exposed brick feature walls are common in homes from the 1970s and 1980s throughout the district. Drilling into brick is straightforward with the right masonry bit and anchors, but positioning matters: drilling into the mortar joint is easier to patch later but holds less weight, while drilling into the brick holds more but leaves a more visible hole if removed. We discuss this with you before drilling. For rendered and painted masonry, we drill carefully to avoid cracking the render around the hole.

Garage and laundry hooks

Practical wall storage is just as valuable as artwork. We fit hook rails in laundries and mudrooms for coats, bags and dog leads, wall-mounted racks in garages for bikes, garden tools and ladders, and pegboard systems for workshop tools. Heavy items such as bikes and ladders need fixing into studs or masonry with rated hooks.

Kitchen and bathroom shelving

Open shelving in kitchens is popular for displaying crockery and keeping everyday items handy. Because plates, jars and cookbooks are heavy, kitchen shelves should be fixed into studs or masonry with brackets rated for the load, and positioned clear of cooktops and rangehoods. Where shelves go over a tiled splashback, we drill tiles with the correct bits and seal fixings. In bathrooms, shelves above toilets and beside vanities are useful for towels and toiletries, and should be moisture-resistant and fixed so they cannot be knocked loose.

Children’s rooms and nurseries

In children’s rooms, safety comes first. Shelves and frames over cots and beds should be avoided or fixed especially securely, glass frames are best swapped for acrylic, and bookcases and drawers should be anchored to the wall to prevent tip-overs. We can fit anti-tip straps to furniture while hanging pictures and shelves, and position hooks out of reach of small children where cords or straps could be a hazard.

Lighting and art

Picture lights and LED strips under shelves can transform a display, but any hard-wired lighting must be installed by a licensed electrician. Battery-operated and plug-in options can be mounted by us where suitable power is already available.

Rehanging after painting

After a room is painted, everything needs to go back on the walls. If you mark positions or photograph the room before painting, we can rehang items in the same places, reusing existing holes where they were filled, or improve the arrangement while the walls are clear.

Frequently asked questions