For as long as history remembers, people have been decorating their walls with various objects and art pieces. That’s still the case today, but now we’re looking for new ways to do that — ones that don’t involve damaging the walls. Luckily, the solution exists, and it comes in the form of command strips.
But if you’ve never used command strips before, you probably have many questions. What exactly are they? And do they work on textured or brick walls? In this article, you’ll find most of the answers you are looking for.
What Are Command Strips Exactly?
At first glance, command strips may not look particularly impressive. In fact, they may remind you of decorative stickers you might put on your walls. But unlike stickers, command strips have adhesive on both sides, allowing you to stick an item to them.
Although command strips don’t look like they can hold much, they are actually stronger than they seem. You can hang paintings and pictures on them or even use them to mount wall plant holders and floating shelves.
Of course, there is a weight limit (12 pounds for medium-strength and 16 pounds for heavy-duty command strips) that you should pay attention to, but you shouldn’t have an issue with most items.
But the best part of using command strips is that you don’t have to put holes in your wall or spend an hour trying to hang something. It’s all quite straightforward — simply stick the strip to the wall and then place the item over it. The whole process doesn’t need to last more than a few minutes!
On top of that, if you don’t like the way your wall decorations look, simply take them off and remove the strips. It will be as if nothing had been hanging from your wall at all!
Can You Use Command Strips on Textured Walls?
Obviously, a tool as useful as a command strip would be great to have. Just imagine how much easier it would be to hang your paintings around the house! But now you’re wondering — do command strips actually work on all types of walls? Will they even hold onto your textured walls?
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee. It simply depends on the amount of texture. For instance, if the surface you want to stick them on is still fairly smooth, command strips may work. However, the more textured the surface, the less likely they are to hold.
In this sense, command strips are a lot like stickers — those usually adhere only to smooth surfaces too. Thus, it’s better to find alternative solutions if you want to hang your decorations on rough-hewn or textured walls.
Now, if you do manage to stick a command strip to a textured wall, make sure you don’t put too much weight on them. Even if it seems like it’s working at the beginning, it’s quite likely that the command strip will eventually fall off. And then, whatever you hung on it will end up on the ground too, probably broken. To make matters worse, the strip might take the paint off your wall too.
Do Command Strips Work on Brick Walls?
Because brick walls aren’t as smooth as regular walls, attaching a command strip to them won’t be easy. You’ll also have to consider the gaps between the individual bricks on your wall, which are bound to drive you crazy as you’ll have to avoid them.
Even if you happen to find a perfect place to stick a command strip onto your brick wall, it simply won’t last there long. Outdoor walls, in particular, get wet and dirty all the time. Such rough and messy surfaces will simply make all your efforts crash together with the thing you’re trying to hang up.
Alternatives to Command Strips
So, if command strips aren’t the best for textured walls, how should you hang your decorations? Well, there are several alternatives you could use instead of command strips. Of course, you can stick to the tried-and-true nails and screws, but if you’d rather not, there are other solutions too.
Nails
When it comes to hanging picture frames and other home decorations, sometimes there’s no better replacement for Command Strips than old-fashioned nails. While they have the potential to damage drywall, they’re durable and easy to use.
Avoid causing too much damage to drywall by incorporating the use of a stud-finder. Hang pictures only from studs in the wall, and you won’t have to worry about drywall tears.
Adhesive Hooks
Adhesive hooks are a similar alternative to hanging items from your walls. They’re an affordable alternative, allowing you to hang a hook anywhere you need with style.
These hooks can hang objects of up to 22 lbs, making them a great option for hanging coats, backpacks, purses, and more. They’re waterproof and oil-proof, so you can use them to hang items in your bathroom and in your kitchen.
They’re also easy to install — all you need is a clean wall and a hair-dryer! The unfortunate downside is that they don’t work on brick, wallpaper, or other similarly textured surfaces.
MonkeyHooks
Whether you live in an apartment or rent a home, MonkeyHooks provide an excellent solution for those who want to hang pictures without causing serious damage to their drywall.
You can easily install them without the use of any tools, and they can hold weights of up to 35 lbs on drywall surfaces!
So, if you’re afraid to use Command Strips or other adhesive methods, these make a great compromise.
Hardwall Hangers
As you know, adhesive-based wall-hangers have their limitations. You may not be able to hang anything on your brick or concrete walls using Command Strips, but these Hardwall hangers offer the perfect solution.
All you need is a hammer and some attention to detail! These Hardwall hangers are great to hang items on drywall, concrete, brick, and more—and the tiny pinholes leave nearly no trace afterward!
These Hardwall hangers come with various sizes and shapes for different applications, so you’ll have something for items as small as 4 lbs, and as large as 22 lbs.
And remember — no matter what you use, make sure to check how much weight it can support. You don’t want to accidentally ruin both your walls and your decorations.
In Conclusion
Command strips are excellent for conveniently and quickly hanging all sorts of items on your walls. Be it paintings, plant holders, or shelves, you’ll find it easy to mount them using these adhesive tools. Unfortunately, that’s only the case for walls with smooth surfaces. If yours is textured, command strips won’t perform as well as you’d like them to.
So, look for alternative solutions instead. You saw some of them here in this article, but there are many more out there. Then you only have to pick out the perfect one!
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