# Picture hooks in the house - yes or no? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 27, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132 "2010-07-27T01:29:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/1 "2010-07-27T01:29:31Z")
We moved into a house last month which has just been done up for rent. New carpet, new paint, bathroom redone - really nice. One thing that surprised me though - there were bits where there had obviously been picture hooks previously, and all of them had been taken out and carefully plastered over and painted. They were in what looked like standard picture-hook places - over mantlepieces, mid-walls. So I sent off a message to the landlords - “Can we put some picture hooks up? We’ll pay.” and got a message back - “Yes, but we’d want you to remove them again whenever you finish the lease. How about stick-on ones?” That’s certainly easier for us. But I thought it was kind of strange. Don’t _most_ people like to hang pictures in their houses? I would have thought picture hooks would be a plus point, not something you’d have to wipe away as a blemish at the end of the tenancy. What do you guys say? Picture hooks - yes or no? ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/2 "2010-07-27T01:45:16Z")
Every place I have ever rented wants them down and speckled IF they even allow them. One person’s hooks must be someone else’s nails in the wall. ---
**Author:** ![DivineComedienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c67d28/32.png) [@DivineComedienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DivineComedienne)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/3 "2010-07-27T01:52:04Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > . Don’t _most_ people like to hang pictures in their houses? I would have thought picture hooks would be a plus point, not something you’d have to wipe away as a blemish at the end of the tenancy. You’re assuming that the next tenant will want to hang their pictures/mirrors/etc. in the exact same places you did. But odds are their wall decor will not be exactly the same size, shape or placement as yours. So your hooks/nails may be in the way of the ones I want to put up next, or yours may be exposed in un-decor’ed areas and look out of place. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/4 "2010-07-27T01:52:38Z")
Oops, spackled. Hate the autocorrect! Half the time I don’t realize my typing has been changed! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/5 "2010-07-27T05:35:28Z")
Long time renter tip. White toothpaste fills in a tiny picture nail hole. Put some on your finger and rub into the nail hole. It’s invisible on a white or creme wall. Did that in various apartments for 20 years. Took about 15 minutes as I was packing up to move. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/6 "2010-07-27T06:05:10Z")
Is this drywall or plaster? ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/7 "2010-07-27T11:40:19Z")
Most landlords IME repaint and recarpet every time they get a new tenant; charges for damaging carpet and paint are just a way to cover their re-leasing costs, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/8 "2010-07-27T14:26:08Z")
Has anyone tried the 3M Command Picture hangers? They claim no nails and no adhesive. [http://hardware.hardwarestore.com/28-452-picture-hangers/picture-hanging-strips-616290.aspx](http://hardware.hardwarestore.com/28-452-picture-hangers/picture-hanging-strips-616290.aspx) I’ve seen them at Walmart, Walgreens etc and hardware stores. I never tried them. I’m curious how well they work. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/9 "2010-07-27T14:36:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Has anyone tried the 3M Command Picture hangers? > I never tried them. I’m curious how well they work. They work REALLY well, **aceplace57**. Just make sure that you buy the right hook for the weight of the item, that you properly prepare the place you want to stick it with alcohol, and leave it to adhere for the required 60 minutes (I think it is). ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/10 "2010-07-27T15:34:46Z")
I used 3M hooks to hang every picture in my apartment, eight years ago. Haven’t had to replace any. They work that well. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/picture-hooks-in-the-house-yes-or-no/548132/11 "2010-07-27T15:49:59Z")
I rented a place that had [picture rails](http://govart.com/hardware_rail_hooks.html) and provided the cute little hooks. Made life so much easier.