Simply hanging something heavy on a plaster wall can result in damage to the wall and the object if you don t tap into the supporting structure behind the plaster.
How to hang heavy things in plaster walls.
Generally speaking it s best to hang heavy pictures on a wall stud.
Although plaster walls are thicker and denser than drywall they re also hollow so require heavy duty fasteners to secure weightier objects.
Therefore it s the strongest part of the wall and the ideal place to hang pictures from.
All you need to do is pre drill a hole slightly narrower than your screws then use the drill to drive a screw into the hole.
Either of these will help you find a stud so you can use a screw into the stud for hanging heavy things in plaster.
For the next option you can use an anchor and screw designed for plaster.
Though there are several methods of locating studs or supports behind the wall the most reliable is using a magnetic stud finder.
Anchors for plaster walls.
Make sure you leave half an inch out of the wall so you have space to hang your artwork.
How to hang heavy objects on plaster.
Plaster is more easily damaged than drywall so it s recommended to tap into the supporting studs where possible.
Screws and screws with masonry anchors for heavy items are your best choice for hanging things on plaster walls without picture rail.
As mentioned earlier the wall stud is where the wooden lath attaches to the wooden frame behind the plaster.
I ve also heard great things about studpop2 since the magnet pops out when you get to a stud.