How To Hang Metal Wall Art

If you have one of our metal wall art designs, or are wondering how to hang a similar metal sign, we hope to give you all the information you need in this article.

Briefly, there are several answers to the question "How to hang metal wall art signs," which are:

• Nails or screws
• Photo/Painting hooks
• Double-sided adhesives
• Neodymium Magnets

Don't want to read to the end of the article? We'll tell you now, we recommend Neodymium magnets (as long as your sign is magnetic). But, below are a few thoughts on each method.

Nails or Screws

OK, nails and screws can work, but be careful. Most walls in American homes are finished with drywall. A simple nail or screw driven into drywall is prone to failure if not properly anchored. 

If you use nails, ensure you can safely drive them into a stud or blocking board (if you're lucky, your builder put some of these in your wall, behind the drywall). But, since blocking boards are typically installed for televisions in custom homes, we recommend avoiding nails.

If you use screws, we recommend you use sturdy anchors. Most of you probably have a few plastic anchors on hand, but we recommend anchors designed to hold more weight, such as the self-tapping screwed anchors, or even better, hollow-wall drywall anchors. 

Photo/Painting Hooks

You will find numerous hooks, hangers, and push-pins online or in your local hardware store. While these can work, please ensure that you purchase a hook/hanger/pin that is capable of holding the weight of your metal wall art (a 14" design may weigh as much as 1 pound. Also, keep in mind that you may need more than one hook, hanger, or push pin. Finally, these hangers will likely be visible, distracting from the appearance of your wall art.

Double-Sided Adhesives

Double sided adhesives are a straight-forward option when you decide how to hang metal wall art. You can cut adhesive strips to any odd shape needed to ensure it's hidden behind the design. Double sided adhesives are also available in a variety of recommended strengths to accommodate lighter or heavier pieces. You can find these adhesives in a variety of colors, including clear. Once installed, your wall art is very stable. Best of all, you can use multiple attachment points to ensure the strength of your tape is more than sufficient for the weight of your wall art.

There are two downside to keep in mind with double-sided adhesives. First, over time any type of acrylic will tend to become brittle and any type of adhesive has the potential to lose strength. Try to determine the recommended lifespan of any double-sided adhesive you use so that you are not surprised by failure. Second, you need to understand that once you place your artwork on your wall it may be difficult to remove without damage to the paint or the surface of the drywall. We've even seen adhesive that was guaranteed to "easily peel off any surface" rip paint and drywall paper from the wall. So, while this is a fairly easy and reliable method, it does come with potential downsides.

Adhesive With Click Strips

An alternative to using double-stick tape is the use of adhesive strips with "click strips." Similar to velcro, these click-strips allow you to remove the artwork or adjust it's position relatively easily. These strips come in pairs. One strip adheres to your metal art. Once the strips on your metal art are "cured," you peel reveal the wall adhesive and press the artwork to your wall (try to do this so that the artwork is level). Once the wall the strips are cured, you can pull free from the click strip, move it slightly, and click the strips back together to get the artwork perfectly level and at the perfect height.

Be certain you follow the manufacturer's instructions so you don't pull the adhesive strip off the wall when you remove your artwork.

Neodymium Magnets

When people ask about our preferred mounting method for how to hang metal wall art, we recommend countersunk Neodymium Magnets.

Countersunk Neodymium Magnets are strong rare-earth magnets with pre-drilled holes for driving flat-head screws into your wall. Neodymium Magnets typically indicate how much weight they can hold, so all you have to do is weigh your metal art and purchase magnets that will hold the weight.

The benefits of using countersunk Neodymium Magnets include: they are hidden behind your artwork (be certain to order magnets that will fit behind thicker lines on your metal artwork); it is easy to mount and adjust your metal artwork; removal of your artwork is fairly simple.

There are a few downsides when using this method. First, some metal artwork may not have sufficient solid patterns for hiding the magnets. Second, moving the magnets might mar the back of your artwork (but who ever looks there anyway?). Finally, this method might introduce shadows if your lighting is harsh.

Save!

Want to use magnets? Get a 5% discount on 1 x 1/2 x 1/8 Inch Neodymium Rare Earth Double Countersunk Block Magnets when you use discount code CSF5 at totalElement.

Important Notes:

1) Most magnets show you a hanging (horizontal) pull strength. For wall mounts, double the indicated strength.)

2) Whenever using screws in drywall we recommend using hollow-wall toggles with your screws if you can't drive the screw into a stud or backing board.

3) Check your magnet for proper screw size. Many magnets capable of hanging our signs use s #6 flathead screw.

3) You must ensure that your metal wall art is magnetic (all of the metal art we sell is magnetic). Some materials, such as stainless steel, are not magnetic.