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Home Decorating Design Dilemma

Help! How to hang art on wood shiplap?

last month

We recently purchased a home in which the prior owners install A LOT of tall wainscoting and even more painted white wooden shiplap. We have quite a bit of art we would like to hang and are flummoxed by how best to hang 30lb paintings on a surface we fear will split if we nail into it. Does anyone have experience with hanging heavy art, or actually any art on shiplap and could you share what worked? Many thanks.

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Comments (10)

millworkman
last month
If the shiplap actually wood? Many times it will be MDF or hardboard. How thick is it? Is there drywall behind it? Determining that would be the first step.
Paul F.
last month
You need to drill pilot holes or yes, you will split the wood. Drill in the seam to minimize repair when the art is removed. You could also use a picture hanging system if you move art a lot. The horizontal bar would blend right into a seam.
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Original Author
last month
Yes, it is real wood. Because it is covering all walls that were previously drywalled, I am guessing they applied over the drywall, but I can’t be sure unless I pull off some of the trim, which I am not willing to do. We do like to change out pieces and I LOVE the picture hanging system idea!!! Is there a particular system, you would recommend?
Paul F.
last month
last modified: last month
I am an art collector and because of a house fire restoration all my art is still in storage. I'm going to switch over to this type of system but I have not done the research yet. It looks very nice in your place.

I pulled that photo from here.

https://systematicart.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwh4-wBhB3EiwAeJsppE9B92ifaP4G46vvwbn_Lni7YagiYiyTlJWgY4gfHBsEMQwvBLNxhxoCQQEQAvD_BwE
PRO
JAN MOYER
29 days ago
last modified: 29 days ago
You can probably do a lot of it with Command, up to twenty lbs......?

( Picture a 20 dumbell? and bet not much, weighs that much. )

I'd start with that, and my bet is not all the art is 30 lbs? Even then, at the natural split between boards is not usually an issue, and we tend to over estimate how often art will actually move.

I have hung tons on shiplap. The only painful and murderous trim? MDF ! : )
la_la Girl
29 days ago
We’ve had good luck with French cleats
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
29 days ago
last modified: 29 days ago
IMO no way to know if wood or MDF without seeing the back side . The hanging system is a great idea bit you will need to know where the studs are to install it properly . I rarely move my pieces so I use french cleats for our heavy pieces and hang the others simply with hooks. I would never trust command hooks for original art .BTW I would suggest solar shades on those windows so you can at least see out and still control heat and UV
aziline
29 days ago
last modified: 29 days ago
My previous home had plaster walls. We put up the rail system to hang our art. After skim coating the entire house to cover all the holes from the previous owner I didn't want to ever have another one. It worked very well and also looked nice.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
29 days ago
Just put a nail in it! I have an entire house that is wood clad on the interior and hanging is a dream. I use OOK hooks (which I use in drywall too) and just nail them in. The board does not crack because the nail is very fine.
Lorraine Leroux
29 days ago
I bought and use these in my shiplap. Not sure if it will fit yours. Note I am in Canada so I took this screen shot from Amazon.ca

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