Georgetown rowhouses are full of beautiful walls that are not drywall. Most were finished in plaster over wood lath, and many have a brick party wall plastered directly over the masonry. Art hangs beautifully on both, but the methods are different from a modern house.
First, know your wall
- Plaster over wood lath. Hard, brittle and usually thicker than drywall. A knock sounds solid, and stud finders often give confusing readings.
- Plaster over brick. Common on party walls and chimney breasts. There are no studs at all; the strength is in the brick.
- Newer drywall. Found in renovated rooms, additions and basements.
Look up: picture rails
Many older homes have a picture rail molding a foot or so below the ceiling. Hooks that hang over the rail, with cords or rods down to the art, let you hang and rearrange pieces without putting a single hole in the plaster. If you have a picture rail, it's often the best option for valuable or frequently rotated art.
Light and medium pieces
For lighter frames, picture hooks with thin hardened nails, driven at an angle, often hold well in plaster. Put painter's tape over the spot first to reduce chipping, and don't use a heavy hammer swing. For anything heavier, drill a small pilot hole rather than hammering, so the plaster doesn't crack or lose its grip on the lath.
Heavy art and mirrors
The plaster is only the skin. For heavy pieces, carry the weight into the framing behind the lath with screws long enough to pass through the plaster and lath into wood, or use a French cleat screwed into framing. A strong magnet that finds lath nails, careful knocking and a small test hole in a spot the art will cover help locate framing. Avoid hollow-wall anchors designed for half-inch drywall; many don't grip properly in plaster.
Brick party walls
On plaster over brick, drill through the plaster with a masonry bit and set the anchor into solid brick, not the mortar joint. Mortar in old rowhouses can be soft, and anchors in it loosen over time.
Height and spacing
A common gallery standard is to hang art with its center around 57 inches from the floor, adjusted for furniture, ceiling height and the room. Our guide to picture height covers spacing over sofas and stairs.
When to call a pro
Valuable art, heavy mirrors, large groupings and pieces on a party wall are worth handing off. We hang art on plaster every week across Washington, DC, including Georgetown, and if a wall already has cracks, our plaster repair in Georgetown fixes them before anything goes up. See our full picture and art hanging service.