There are many different types of picture hooks. The type of picture hook you want depends on a number of different factors. First and foremost, you need to know what type of wall you have. There are four main types of walls that people deal with on a regular basis. Drywall (also known by its more common brand name Sheet Rock), plaster, concrete (or cement), and brick. There are two different categories of hooks. There are them for use on drywall and plaster or for use on concrete and brick. Picture hangers are also designed to hold certain weights that are designated on their packaging. The most common picture hooks used on drywall and plaster are steel with regular common nails, brass hooks with smaller black hardened steel nails, hook-and-loop (Velcro) self-adhesive picture hooks, push hooks, and snap hooks. anchored, among others.

• Common steel hooks with common nails should be mounted to wood studs or wood battens behind the wall. Therefore, you limit the potential places you can place your frame. The wood studs are every 16″ on center of them. Although this is the cheapest option, a stud finder is needed to find where the studs are behind the wall.
• The smaller brass hooks with black hardened steel nails, often referred to as hook hooks, can be mounted anywhere on the wall surface where you want to place them. The reason for this is that the hook has more surface area to hold onto the wall, so it uses more of the wall to strengthen it. Also, on heavier pound-rated hooks, the weight is spread over more than one nail, sometimes of a thicker gauge.
• Self-adhesive hook-and-loop (Velcro) picture hangers are definitely the easiest to use, but they can only hold a maximum of 10 pounds. Bathrooms and high-traffic areas are also probably not the most ideal place for these hooks due to the humidity in the bathroom and the chance of getting knocked over in high-traffic areas.
• Push hooks are also fairly easy to use and can hold as much weight as the nail on picture hooks. These look almost like a section of lightning. The reason it works is that one side of the hook rests against the wall while the other is pressed against the back of the wall inside with equal pressure. The only drawback I see with these hooks is that they often protrude further from the wall than regular hooks.
• There are two types of picture hanging systems that you can use anchors with. There are the ones that are just a hook that you can drive a screw into and then there are the ones that have a wide mounting plate that has a level built in so you can get a perfect level for your frame. The simple is often only for lighter weight images. Those that allow multiple anchor points are very secure and the most recessed way to mount your picture on the wall. It is also the safest method. It is versatile enough to use on any wall surface. The only drawback is the amount of work it takes to assemble it.

The most common hooks for concrete and brick use are nail hooks with a pad on the nail for when you hammer it in, brass plated nails with hooks, and small hooks. All of these hooks have hardened nails that are used specifically for cement surfaces.

• The steel nails on the hooks with the cushion are very useful because there is less impact on the wrist when driving the nail.
• The brass plated hooks are more decorative and also spread the weight between a couple of nails on the heavier weight versions.
• The smaller pin hooks also spread the weight over multiple nails, but this is for lightweight frames only.

When installing the frames on the concrete walls, it’s ok to place the hook anywhere you like. When installing the hooks on a brick wall, be sure to install the hooks into the mortar between the bricks, otherwise it may split the brick.