Is "no more nails" sufficient for a working picture rail?

Question

I want to use it as a picture rail ie hang framed pictures off it. The walls are a mixture of; painted plaster board; old plaster which is freshly skimmed; old plaster lath which is freshly skimmed.

Basically, I want to avoid the effort of screwing the rails to the walls if I can, but I don't want them coming down later when I hang pictures off them.

? · Accepted Answer

Avoid the effort????????????

Find a stud, use an electric corded or cordless drill with a screw driver bit and some drywall screws.

You can't possibly be that lazy.

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Fitting Picture Rail

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The woodworking plans are straightforward so they are not complicated at all. Even if you are a total newcomer to woodworking you will simply be able to master all the techniques that are needed and the woodworking skills very quickly by following the concise and clear instructions. 

Another thing which is so great about these woodworking plans is that there have been some videos included and there are some to guide you in how to build benches home furniture dog houses bird feeders sheds and much much more.

Anonymous · Answer

Never mind the irony of using a computer, one of the fruits of science, to bash science in the first place...

Anonymous · Answer

The no nails will only be adhering to the plaster,and anything heavy will pull the plaster skim off the wall

Mark N · Answer

I remember, as a boy, sitting around talking about this very subject with my Dad and fifteen generations of grandfathers, which made that front porch pretty crowded.  They all said: "Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it twice!"   (Plus, you won't have to deal with fixing the damaged walls and decorations) Liquid Nails is great stuff but it's not made for that application.  Screws into wood is the only sensible answer

? · Answer

I wouldn't.

Just yesterday I got done replacing a soap dispenser that had come off the wall.  It had a gigantic patch of adhesive on the back, big enough you'd think it was intended to hold up a refrigerator, and it just popped off.  Didn't even take the paint with it, just *clunk* and there it was.  That's just taking possible failure of the adhesive into account, no idea how well your plaster might take it.  I wouldn't trust it at all.

Drill and screw, mate.  Don't go halfway, you'll have to come back again and do it over.  An extra 10% effort right now means not having to do it again at all, so it's actually cheaper and faster in the long run.

Good Monkey Ten Bananas · Answer

I wouldn't risk it. I've used no nails for lighter things but I wouldn't trust it for heavier things like this especially as it will be above head height - I wouldn't want a picture falling on my head.

Is "no more nails" sufficient for a working picture rail?

9 Answers