Hanging a picture sounds simple until you are standing on a chair with a hammer, a nail and a heavy frame, trying to get it level and wondering what is behind the plaster. Large mirrors, gallery walls, floating shelves and heavy art all need the right fixings for the wall and the weight, and a careful eye for spacing and height. Getting it wrong means crooked frames, holes in the wrong places, or a mirror on the floor.

We hang pictures, mirrors and art, and install shelves, curtain rods, blinds and wall-mounted storage in homes, offices, clinics and rentals across Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Newborough, Churchill and the wider Latrobe Valley.

What we hang and install

Pictures and art

• Single framed pictures, prints and canvases
• Gallery walls with multiple frames
• Heavy framed art and large canvases
• Picture rail hooks and hanging systems in older homes and galleries
• Hanging rail systems for offices, cafes and rentals where you don’t want holes for each picture

Mirrors

• Bathroom and hallway mirrors
• Large floor-to-ceiling and leaning mirrors (secured to the wall for safety)
• Heavy framed mirrors over fireplaces and sideboards

Shelving

• Floating shelves with concealed brackets
• Bracket shelves in timber, steel or melamine
• Book shelving and display shelving
• Garage and laundry shelving
• Wall-mounted storage, pegboards, hook rails and key racks

Window furnishings

• Curtain rods and tracks
• Roller blinds, venetians and roman blinds (installation of supplied blinds)
• Blind and curtain repairs

Other wall-mounted items

• Clocks, coat racks, hat stands and hook boards
• Whiteboards, noticeboards and screens in offices and schools
• Bike hooks and garage storage
• Wall-mounted heaters and fans (mounting only; electrical connection by an electrician)
• TV wall mounts

Fixing into different walls

The right fixing depends on what is behind the surface:

• Plasterboard over timber or steel studs: light items can use plasterboard hooks or anchors; heavier items go into studs or use heavy-duty hollow wall anchors rated for the load.
• Lath and plaster in older homes: brittle, and needs care to avoid cracking. We use picture rails where present, or fix into the frame behind.
• Cement sheet or fibre cement: common in SEC-era homes. Pre-1990 sheeting may contain asbestos and should not be drilled without checking.
• Brick, block and concrete: strong, using masonry plugs or anchors suited to the material.
• Tiles: drilled with tile bits and sealed in wet areas.

We use a stud finder and a cable and pipe detector before drilling. We do not use command strips or adhesive hooks for anything heavy or valuable, though they have their place for light items in rentals.

Getting the height and spacing right

A good rule of thumb is to hang pictures with their centre about 145 to 155 cm from the floor, which is roughly eye level for most people. Over furniture, such as a sofa or sideboard, leave a gap of about 15 to 25 cm between the furniture and the bottom of the frame. For gallery walls, keep a consistent gap of 5 to 8 cm between frames, and plan the layout on the floor first or with paper templates on the wall.

We can follow your exact plan, or help you decide on the layout. We mark positions in pencil, check with you before drilling, and use a laser level for long rows and gallery walls.

Floating shelves

Floating shelves look clean because the brackets are hidden, but they are the most demanding thing to hang. The load acts as a lever on the fixings, so they must go into studs or solid masonry. A floating shelf fixed into plasterboard anchors alone will droop or pull out. We check the rated load of the shelf, locate studs, and level the shelf carefully. If the studs are in the wrong place for where you want the shelf, we’ll talk through alternatives such as a longer shelf spanning two studs, a bracket shelf or adding backing.

Mirror safety

Large mirrors are heavy and dangerous if they fall. We fix mirrors with D-rings, cleats or mirror clips into solid fixings, and add safety restraints to leaning mirrors so they cannot slide or topple. For mirrors over basins and in kids’ rooms, we use secure fixings that cannot be knocked off the hooks.

Earthquake and knock safety

Victoria has small earthquakes from time to time, including in Gippsland. More commonly, kids, pets and doors bump frames. Security hangers and secure fixings keep frames in place. For heavy art over beds and cots, we use extra-secure hangers.

Curtains and blinds

We install curtain rods and tracks, roller blinds and venetians that you supply, measuring and mounting them so they are level and clear windows properly. Window coverings are important for privacy and warmth in winter, especially in older Valley homes with single-glazed windows. In rental properties, bedrooms and living areas must have window coverings under Victoria’s minimum standards. We also repair broken blind chains, cords and brackets, and we fit child safety cleats on cords, which are required by the mandatory standard for corded internal window coverings.

Rentals and picture hanging

Tenants in Victoria can hang pictures without the rental provider’s consent in many situations, subject to conditions, and must generally repair any damage when they leave. Check current Consumer Affairs Victoria guidance. When you move out, we can remove hooks and patch and paint the holes. See end of lease repairs.

Offices, clinics and shops

We hang art, signage, noticeboards, whiteboards and shelving for offices, health clinics, cafes and shops in Traralgon, Morwell and Moe. We can work outside business hours. See our commercial handyman page.

Areas we cover

Picture hanging and shelf installation across Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Newborough, Churchill, Yallourn North, Glengarry, Tyers, Traralgon South and Hazelwood North.

Moving in? Book a hanging session

After moving into a new home in Traralgon or the surrounding towns, the boxes of pictures and mirrors are often the last thing to be unpacked. Book a few hours and we’ll hang everything, put up curtain rods and shelves, mount the TV and assemble any flat pack. Lay the items out in each room before we arrive, with a note or sticky label on the wall showing roughly where each one goes.

Picture rails in older homes

Many older homes in Traralgon’s established streets, and some original homes in Moe and Morwell, have picture rails: a moulded timber strip running around the room a short distance below the ceiling. They were designed so pictures could be hung on hooks and wires without putting holes in the plaster. They still work well, and they are perfect for renters and people who like to rearrange their art often. We supply picture rail hooks, wires or cords, and adjustable hooks so frames hang level. For heavy frames, we check the picture rail itself is firmly fixed to the wall, because old rails can work loose. If the rail is damaged or missing in sections, we can repair or replace it with a matching profile.

Hanging systems for flexibility

For people who change their art often, or for businesses such as cafes, galleries and clinics, a track hanging system is a smart option. A slim track is fixed along the top of the wall or ceiling, and cords or rods hang down with adjustable hooks. You can move pictures sideways and up and down without new holes. We install track systems and set up the first hang.

Heavy items: know the weight

Before hanging anything heavy, it helps to know its weight. A large framed mirror can weigh 20 to 40 kg, a solid timber shelf loaded with books can carry even more, and big framed art with glass is often heavier than it looks. Weigh the item on bathroom scales if you can (weigh yourself holding it, then without it). We choose fixings with a working load well above the item’s weight, and use two fixing points for anything substantial so it stays level and has a backup.

Kids’ rooms and nurseries

In children’s rooms, we avoid hanging heavy items above cots and beds where possible, and we use secure hangers that cannot lift off the hook if bumped. Shelves at child height should have rounded edges and be fixed into studs so they cannot be pulled down by climbing. We also anchor bookcases and drawers; see flat pack assembly.

Outdoor hanging

Outdoor art, mirrors, planters, signs and house numbers need weather-resistant fixings such as stainless steel or galvanised screws and plugs, and must handle wind. We mount outdoor items on brick, weatherboard, fences and pergola posts.

Getting a quote

Email photos of each item and the wall you want it on, with rough sizes and weights. Tell us the wall type if you know it. We’ll reply with a clear quote and bring the right fixings.

Common picture hanging mistakes

• Hanging too high. The most common mistake. Art hung near the ceiling feels disconnected from the room. Bring it down to eye level.
• One nail for a wide frame. A single central hook lets a wide frame tilt every time a door closes. Two hooks spaced apart keep it level.
• Ignoring the wire stretch. Picture wire stretches under load, so the frame hangs lower than measured. We allow for it.
• Tiny art on a big wall. A small frame alone on a large wall looks lost. Group smaller pieces, or hang them over a piece of furniture.
• Wrong fixings. Nails in plasterboard alone pull out with heavier frames. Use hooks or anchors rated for the weight.

• Uneven gallery gaps. Inconsistent spacing between frames makes a gallery wall look messy. Use a spacer block or a laser level to keep the gaps even.

Frequently asked questions