How to Hang a Very Heavy Object on Furring Strips

If you live in a brick or cement-block house, and have drywall inside, then you may think that you are not able to hang heavy objects on your walls. You would, however, be wrong. Drywall attaches to brick and other masonry by means of furring strips, which are narrow wooden boards anchored to the masonry to provide a firm point of attachment for the drywall. You can take advantage of this fact to hang picture frames, clocks and even shelves on your walls.

Stud finder
Pencil
Nail finder
Drill
1-inch screws
Screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  Run a stud finder over the approximate location where you want to hang something. Make a light mark to indicate the boundaries of the furring strip, which will usually be from 2 inches to 3 inches wide. When searching for the strip, keep in mind that sometimes furring strips run vertically, sometimes in a zig-zag, and sometimes in a cross-hatch pattern. You may not be able to hang the object exactly where you want it.
- 2
  Mark the wall in the locations where you want to actually sink the screws to support the object you are hanging, over the furring strips. Check these locations with a nail finder to make sure there aren't any bolts securing the furring to the masonry where you intend to put your screws. Neglecting this step could lead to injury or damaged tools.
- 3
  Drill guide holes into the drywall in the locations you marked. Stop drilling once you feel the drill bite into the furring strip. Make sure the drill bit is narrower than your screws.
- 4
  Hang the object on the wall with 1-inch screws. Most furring is 1 inch thick, and even 1-inch screws can handle loads in excess of 50 pounds, so you can even hang heavy objects with this method.

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