Skip Nails And Drywall Screws: The Right Way To Hang Things On Cinder Block Walls

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It can be surprisingly difficult to hang up shelves and decor on cinder block walls, both because of and despite their durable exterior. Because they are made of tough concrete, it can be tricky to pierce the surface with your everyday hammer and nails. At the same time, the interior of a cinder block can be full of holes and may easily break apart if you use the wrong technique. Fortunately, there are several methods for hanging things up on cinder blocks, and we can separate these methods into two categories: adhesives and fasteners.

Generally speaking, adhesives like display tape and mounting putty are perfect for sticking lightweight items like posters, art, and other decorations to cinder blocks. Fasteners like expansion bolts and masonry screws, on the other hand, are better for projects that require more stability such as cabinets or elevated floating shelves. While typically not as strong as fasteners, adhesives do have a number of other advantages that make them extremely viable options. For example, adhesives can be placed anywhere on a cinder block wall, as opposed to screws or bolts that need to be attached to the edges of cinder blocks so they have something to drill into. Additionally, most adhesive options don't leave any marks or holes behind once removed. Still, you shouldn't discount fasteners when durability is a priority.

There are a plethora of sticky solutions for hanging things on cinder blocks. For example, if you've ever spent time in a classroom, dormitory, or anywhere you aren't allowed to damage the walls, chances are you already know the power of products like 3M's Command Hooks. Depending on the specific model, you can use these hooks to hang up everything from clothing to wall art, all without leaving any damage behind. Whenever you're putting adhesive on cinder blocks, you can use rubbing alcohol to clean the wall beforehand to remove any debris that will interfere with the stickiness, as well as after removing the adhesive to get rid of any rogue goo.

For especially light wall hangings like posters or paintings, you may want to use mounting putty or double-sided mounting tape. Both of these options are easy to form into the right size and shape for whatever you're hanging up, and can be reused.

Adhesives may be mostly used in lightweight jobs, but heavy-duty landscape block adhesive is the exception. This building paste can hold up to 50 pounds, making it a good choice for small shelves or heavier decorations, such as a budget-friendly piece of DIY wall art. However, it is basically permanent once applied, so make sure you're not going to change your mind after sticking up your decor.

Expansion bolts and concrete (or masonry) screws are two of the most popular and accessible forms of cinder block fasteners, especially when you only have access to one side of the wall. Masonry screws are much like normal screws, except they are coated with plastic and have a bit of extra threading that helps them bite into concrete. Before using a masonry screw, you will first need to drill a guide hole slightly smaller than the screw itself — it's best to consult the concrete screw packaging to determine the right size.

Concrete screws are good for drilling into the solid edge of a cinder block, but expansion bolts actually work best when they can utilize the cinder block's holes. There are a few different specific types of expansion bolts and ways to install them, but in general, these tools feature a long threaded bolt accompanied by a two-pronged clip that expands into a long bar of metal. In practice, this clip will go through one side of a cinder block, then pop open once it reaches the cavity on the other side. It then essentially clamps the wall between the opened clip and the bolt head, allowing one to safely hang up large, heavy items that cinder block is great at supporting — wall-mounted TV, anyone?

Using fasteners definitely takes more effort than a simple blob of putty or strip of mounting tape. But if you want to ensure that all of your wall items are secure no matter how heavy they are, it's important to know all the techniques available when it comes to hanging things on cinder block walls.