Moving into a new home, finishing a renovation or just getting around to it after a year of art leaning against the wall: hanging things is one of those jobs that seems easy until you try it. The picture ends up slightly crooked, the shelf sags in the middle, the mirror needs four hands to hold up while someone marks the wall, and the heavy one has to be fixed into something solid or it will end up on the floor.

We hang pictures, mirrors, shelves, curtain rods and wall fittings for homeowners and renters across Berwick, Narre Warren and Casey. Most jobs can be done in a single visit, and we bring the right fixings for plasterboard, brick, timber and concrete so each item is held securely.

What we hang

• Framed art, prints, canvases and photos of all sizes
• Gallery walls with multiple frames, laid out to a plan
• Large and heavy mirrors, including bathroom and hallway mirrors
• Floating shelves, bracket shelves and wall-mounted bookshelves
• Kitchen and laundry shelves
• Curtain rods, tracks and blinds (internal fitting)
• Coat hooks, key racks and entry organisers
• Wall-mounted clocks, ornaments and sculptures
• Kids’ room storage, wall cubes and display ledges
• Bathroom accessories (see bathroom fixtures)
• Whiteboards, pinboards and home office accessories
• Wall anchoring of tall furniture to prevent tip-overs

Choosing the right fixing

The fixing is the most important part of hanging anything. A wall that looks the same on the surface can be very different underneath.

Plasterboard

For light items, a plasterboard hook or small anchor is fine. For medium items, we use rated plasterboard anchors such as spring toggles or screw-in anchors. For heavy mirrors, shelves carrying books and anything that can be pulled on, we find the studs or add backing. Plasterboard anchors are rated for weight hanging straight down, and they perform much worse when a shelf is loaded or a child pulls on something.

Brick and block

Brick walls need masonry drilling and plugs or anchors. Mortar joints are softer than bricks, and drilling the wrong spot can mean a loose fixing. Hollow bricks need fixings designed for voids.

Timber

Timber panelling, studs and architraves take screws directly, but care is needed not to split the timber or damage finished surfaces.

Tiles

Hanging on tiles needs a tile drill bit and a careful approach to avoid cracking the tile. Fixings go into the wall behind, and the hole is sealed against moisture in wet areas.

Floating shelves done right

Floating shelves look simple but are one of the most demanding things to hang. With no visible brackets, all the load goes through hidden rods or a concealed bracket into the wall, and any sag or tilt is obvious. We fix concealed brackets into studs or masonry, check level along the full length and use shelves rated for the load you intend. If you want a long shelf to carry books or a record collection, tell us beforehand so we can plan the fixing.

Gallery walls and arrangement

A gallery wall can look effortless or chaotic. The difference is planning. We can lay out your frames on the floor, mark templates on the wall with low-tack tape, adjust the arrangement with you, and hang to consistent spacing. Common approaches include aligning to a central horizontal line, keeping equal gaps between frames, or working to a grid. We are happy to follow your plan or suggest options.

Hanging height

Hanging art too high is the most common mistake. A good starting point is to have the centre of the artwork around eye level for an average standing adult. Over furniture such as a sofa or sideboard, leave a modest gap between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame so they read as a group. In hallways, we consider sight lines from each end.

Mirrors

Large mirrors are heavy and fragile. We use proper mirror fixings, French cleats or D-ring hangers rated for the weight, and fix into structure where needed. Bathroom mirrors may be glued or fixed with clips; we can replace or reposition mirrors that use standard fixings.

Curtains and blinds

Curtain rods and tracks need fixings strong enough to handle curtains being pulled open and closed every day. Above windows, there may be a timber lintel, a steel lintel or just plasterboard, depending on the house. We check and fix accordingly. We can install curtain rods, tracks and internally mounted blinds you have bought. Motorised blinds that need power are a job for an electrician.

Furniture anchoring

Tall bookcases, chests of drawers and wardrobes can tip over if climbed on, and this is a serious risk for young children. We anchor tall furniture to wall studs or masonry using anti-tip straps or brackets. It is a quick job and one of the best safety steps you can take in a family home.

For renters

Many renters want to hang a few things without causing damage. In Victoria, tenants may be able to make some minor modifications, such as installing picture hooks, under certain conditions and with consent where required. Rules change, so check the current requirements with Consumer Affairs Victoria and your rental provider. We can use minimal fixings, and when you move out, we can remove them and patch the holes. See end-of-lease repairs.

Preparing for the visit

• Have your items in the room where they will go
• Decide on positions, or let us suggest them
• Let us know about heavy items so we bring the right fixings
• If you have fixing hardware supplied with the item, keep it handy
• Tell us of any wiring or pipes you know of in the wall

We check for wiring and pipes before drilling using a detector, but older wiring paths are not always predictable, so knowing what you know helps.

Related services

• TV wall mounting
• Flat-pack assembly
• Plaster and wall patching for old hook holes
• Carpentry for custom shelving and joinery

Areas we cover

Picture and shelf hanging across Berwick, Narre Warren, Narre Warren South, Narre Warren North, Narre Warren East, Hallam, Hampton Park, Lynbrook, Lyndhurst and Harkaway.

Moving in? Make a list

When you move into a new house in one of Casey’s newer estates, there is usually a long list of things to hang and install. Bundling them into one visit saves time. A typical move-in list might include curtain rods in every bedroom, a mirror in the entry, a few framed pieces in the living room, floating shelves in the study, hooks by the back door, and anchoring of children’s furniture. Send us the list with photos, and we will quote the whole lot.

Getting things level and even

We use a laser level and spirit levels so frames line up, shelves sit true and rods are straight. For rows of frames or shelves, we measure from a consistent reference line rather than the ceiling or floor, because those are rarely perfectly level in a real house. The result is something that looks right to the eye, not just right on paper.

Hanging on older walls

Some older homes in Berwick and on acreage around Harkaway have walls of hard plaster over brick, lath and plaster, or timber lining boards. Hard plaster can crumble around a drill bit, and lath and plaster has voids behind it. We adjust drilling technique and fixings to suit, and in period homes we can use picture rails where they exist, so you can hang art without drilling into the walls at all.

Hooks and storage that get used every day

Entry hooks, key racks, bag and coat hooks in the laundry, towel hooks in bedrooms and tool racks in garages all take more load than you would think, because they are pulled on every day. A coat hook loaded with school bags and wet jackets can carry a surprising weight, and it is pulled outward, not just down. We fix these into studs, noggings or masonry wherever possible, and use heavy-duty anchors rated for pull-out where there is no structure behind.

Garage and shed walls

Garages in Casey homes often become storage rooms. Wall-mounted shelving, pegboards, tool rails, bike hooks, ladder hooks and hose reels make the space usable and get things off the floor. Garage walls might be brick, block, plasterboard over studs or bare timber framing, and we fix to suit each one. On acreage blocks around Harkaway and Narre Warren East, shed walls may be steel framing with cladding, which needs its own fixings.

Kids’ rooms and nurseries

Children’s rooms often have shelves for books and toys, hooks for bags and dress-ups, name signs and artwork. Everything in a child’s room should be fixed to handle being pulled on or climbed. We keep heavier shelves above head height when sitting on the floor, use rounded or soft-edged hardware where practical and anchor all tall furniture. Over a cot or bed, we recommend keeping wall decorations light and fixed securely, or avoiding heavy items altogether.

Office and study setups

Working from home has made studies more important. Shelving above a desk, monitor arms, pinboards, whiteboards and cable trays can turn a spare room into a functional office. We can mount these and plan the layout around your desk so everything is within reach.

Removing old fixings first

Often there are already holes, hooks and old anchors where you want to hang something new. We pull out old fixings, fill the holes and, where time allows, sand them flush before hanging the new item. That way old marks do not peek out from behind a smaller frame. If the patches need paint, we can touch them up with your existing paint where it matches.

Frequently asked questions