Hooks are one of the most useful pieces of hardware that you can install at home. They can handle up to two pounds of load (or more at a time), they are inconspicuous, and they are also extra useful when you are trying to organize almost anything.
Hooks can be used to organize items in the kitchen, pantry, bedroom, closet, etc. You can also use hooks to organize wires when you are doing electrical work at home. No matter what the need, hooks are there for us all when we need to attach something. In today’s blog, we are going to show you how to install different kinds of hooks to different walls or surfaces.
Mounting on Wooden Studs
Wooden studs refer to the robust framework behind a wall. It is what literally holds up the wall, and thus, studs are the most stable spots to attach hooks. The first step is to use a stud finder to locate the right places on your wall. Turn on your stud finder and sweep your wall, and wait for the device to start beeping.
When it’s beeping, you will know that there is a solid piece of wood at the spot where it beeped. If you do not have a stud finder, you can try to locate the wooden studs yourself with your fingers.
Slightly press on the wall until you feel some form of substantial resistance to the pressure. Walls are usually somewhat flexible when you apply pressure, so you will know that you’ve hit upon the jackpot when it suddenly feels hard behind the wall.
Grab your cordless drill and install the proper attachment for turning screws. Once the attachment is secure, get some wood screws (the thick ones are best) and mark the spot with the hook that you want to install. Wall-mounted hooks usually require two to three screws, depending on their design.
Hook sets that have five or more hooks may require more screws. Mark the wall with a chalk or pencil so you know where to aim the drill to create the holes. Load the training with the wood screws and fire away. Your hooks should be mounted tightly against the wall. The hooks should be firm and snug, but not so profoundly screwed into the wall that the surface of the wall is damaged.
Some wall-mounted hooks require nails instead of hooks. If this is the case, use your nail gun (or manually hammer in nails) but do not pre-drill the spots as this will cause the nails to come loose. This can be problematic later on when you have a lot of stuff on your hook already, and it suddenly disengages from the wall.
Mounting Using Anchor Hooks
Anchor hooks are tubular devices made of plastic. These are meant to grab a screw that is being used to mount anything onto a wall. The purpose of an anchor hook is to maintain traction while screwing and preserving the threading or path of the screw when the screw needs to be removed later on.
You can only reuse a hole in a piece of wood so many times before the grain of the wood is pulverized, and the gap becomes useless. Anchor hooks can be used repeatedly, and should these be worn down, and they can be pulled out and replaced, reducing the need to drill more holes in the wall.
This method of mounting hooks can also be used on cement or concrete walls – just remember to change the drill bit so your drill can cut through stone/rock instead of wood.
Reminders when using anchor hooks:
- Measure the size of the anchor hook and use a drill bit that is as close as possible to the size (thickness) of the anchor hook. Next, measure how long the anchor hook is, as this will be your target depth.
- Remember to wear protective gear when drilling. Drill slowly in the beginning to reduce dust that might blow into your face. Use a dust mask as well to protect yourself from breathing in dust and other particles.
- For the drywall installation of anchor hooks, an awl attachment for your drill or screwdriver should be sufficient.
- Once you are done drilling, feel free to push in the anchor hook into the hole. If the anchor hook is meant to be screwed into space, just use a manual screwdriver to drive it home. Remember that the anchor hook has to be flush. If not, you can either pull it out or drill again, or you can slice off the excess if you already have sufficient depth in the wall anyway.
- When the anchor hooks have been firmly embedded or screwed into the wall, it’s time to mount the hook with wood screws or ordinary screws. Use either your drill with a screw attachment or a manual screwdriver to secure the latch.
Mounting Adhesive Hooks
Adhesive hooks are a boon to folks who don’t know how to use a drill or have no interest in punching holes through their walls. This is the simplest way to attach a hook to a wall, though results may vary because the strength of the adhesive determines how much weight or load you can put on the hook. Unlike regular mounting, it doesn’t matter where you set the hook, and it will attach to any surface and stay there unless you remove it.
Begin by removing the safety sticker that protects the adhesive tape at the back of the hook.
Avoid touching the adhesive tape or getting any dirt on it. Press the back of the hook onto the wall and apply pressure for thirty seconds. Don’t let go before half a minute is done. Before placing the hook attachment on the back panel of the mount, wait at least one hour to give the adhesive tape time to attach to the surface properly.
Some people use their hooks immediately, but our method will ensure that the adhesive behind the hook is at full strength before you add any load to it. After one hour, slide the front side of the hook and feel free to use it.
