(7 Easy Ways) On How to Hang Things on Cement Walls Without Drilling Holes

As convenient as it is to drill holes to hang something on cement walls, it’s not the best for the long term. So, avoid piercing your cement walls if you want to spruce or brighten up a room. But how to hang things on cement walls without drilling holes?.

From mounting putty to powder-actuated fasteners, there are many techniques to explore! Read on to see which attachment method will work best for the item you’re hanging.

How to Hang Things on Cement Walls Without Drilling Holes?

1. Mounting Putty

Mounting putty is a robust adhesive made from a sticky and clay-like material. You can get mounting putty in sticks or cubes, making it an excellent substitute for tacks or push pins. Either way, you use a mounting putty by rolling it into balls and using it as the adhesive.

Although you can use mounting putty in cement walls, it works best for cinder block walls. It’s thick enough to fill in the bumpy surfaces. So, if you have rougher concrete walls, mounting putty can help you hang things without worry.

But the best thing about mounting putty is that you can remove it if unsatisfied! You can reuse it to hang different things on your walls as much as you want. And it doesn’t leave behind residue on your cement walls, unlike other adhesives.

But beware, mounting putty isn’t the strongest and can only hold lightweight things. At most, it can hold up to two ounces without issues.

2. Hard-wall Hangers

Hard-wall hangers are your best bet if you want to hang heavier decorative items on your cement walls. These are robust, heavy-duty plastic hooks with many embedded metal pins. And they help you attach the hard-wall hangers to cement walls and other hard surfaces without drilling.

You can use hard-wall hangers not only on your cement walls but also for your other masonry materials. So, whether you have blocks, bricks, or concrete walls, hard-wall hangers have you covered.

But beware, hard-wall hangers also have weight limits, with some holding up to 25 pounds! Moreover, this attachment alternative is semi-permanent. After all, the pins attached have no heads, and if you remove the hook, they will get left behind. So, if you’re unsure what to do with your cement walls, don’t install these hard-wall hangers yet.

Still, you can remove the leftover pins if needed, but it’ll take a lot of time and effort.

I recommend using hard-wall hangers for hanging items like coats, mirrors, or umbrellas. And if needed, you can use hard-wall hangers when mounting shelves.

Either way, installing hard-wall hangers is easy and quick, only involving a few steps. Here’s how you can install hard-wall hangers on your cement walls:

Mark the Exact Spot

Leave a mark on the pace where you’re looking to install the hard-wall hangers. After all, you’d want to be as accurate as possible since you’re working on cement walls. Hard-wall hangers are semi-permanent, so adjusting them isn’t an option.

Don’t rush; take your time to guarantee the hook will be in the right place!

Installing the Hard-wall Hangers

Place the hard-wall hangers on your marked areas. While holding the hook with your hand, use the other to nail its pins into the wall. You don’t have to worry about leaving pin marks as they’re thin and won’t damage the cement.

I recommend hammering the hard-wall hanger’s pins halfway at first to see if the hook is still in the right spot. Once you know that it’s spot on, hammer the hard-wall hangers all the way.

After confirming it’s where you want it, continue hammering the pins. But only do this once you’re 100% sure since having two holes nearby isn’t ideal.

Also, please don’t do it too hard when hammering the hard-wall hanger pins. After all, you’re not driving in a nail! So, remember to be gentle and slow to ensure the hard-wall hanger is in the right place and is secure.

Hang the Decorative Items

Once you’ve installed your hard-wall hangers, hang the decorative items you want. Remember never to put anything too heavy for the hooks as it can rip them off your cement walls! And not only will this break the decorative item, but also your walls.

3. Hot Melt Glue

Using hot melted glue as an adhesive is ideal if you have smooth and leveled cement walls. Although most use this for light activities like crafting, it can also work for cement. But only opt for hot melt glue if you want to put a non-paper decorative item on your walls.

After all, it can warp paper and is best for sticking solid things to concrete!

You can use any glue gun and a solid glue stick. Just make sure the latter is strong enough to adhere to cement. The application is easy, and anyone can use this attachment method.

But beware, curing time is fast, so be sure to attach the decorative item to the cement walls fast. If not, the glue will dry up. I recommend using construction-grade hot melt glue sticks for the best results. They offer better holding capacity and are generally more robust.

4. Self-Adhesive Hooks

Self-adhesive hooks are tools with foam at the back, sticking to cement walls well. You peel off a protective coating to reveal the item’s adhesive and attach it to wherever you want on your walls. And though all have the same application, there are many variations available.

You can get small self-adhesive hooks, broom, utility, and picture hangers. Whichever you choose, all have thin foam at their backs, helping them stick to cement walls.

Most self-adhesive hooks can only handle lightweight items, but some can hold up to 5 pounds! And that is more than enough to hang huge decorative items like large-framed pictures or artwork.

The downside to self-adhesive hooks is that they leave gummy residue, which can be tough to remove. But removing them is doable, and with some mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol, you should be able to remove the residue.

Using self-adhesive hooks to hang decorative items on cement walls is easy, and here’s how to do it:

Clean Your Cement Walls

It’s best to clean the parts where you want to put the hooks before sticking them into the cement. Doing this gives the self-adhesive hooks a better grip, quickly holding heavy objects. After all, uncleaned cement walls will likely have a lot of dust and dirt. As a result, the adhesive won’t adhere to the cement much.

I recommend using robust cleaners like rubbing alcohol for the best results. And wiping your cement walls with these should be enough. There’s no need to scrub hard unless your walls are filthy.

Remember, you’re here only to remove the dust, dirt, and bits of concrete powder off your cement walls.

Once your cement walls are clean, let them air dry. And only proceed with attaching the self-adhesive hooks once the surface is 100% dry.

Mark the Exact Spot

Like with hard-wall hangers, marking the exact spots on your cement walls is vital. After all, unlike other attachment methods, self-adhesive hooks aren’t reusable. So, if you mess up, you’ll need to replace each self-adhesive hook, giving you more work.

So, grab your pencil and mark the spots where you wish to put the self-adhesive hooks. Be sure your markings are even and leveled for the best results. And remember, take your time to avoid irreparable mistakes and achieve precision!

Stick the Self-Adhesive Hooks to The Wall

A self-adhesive hook has an anchor covered with a plastic cover protecting the glue. So, once you confirm the spots on your cement walls, remove that cover and stick the adhesive side to the wall. Be careful not to touch the sticky part, as the oils from your fingers and hands can weaken its adhesiveness!

Once you’ve removed the cover, press the adhesive anchor to your cement walls and hold it there for half a minute. But don’t press it too hard as it can disrupt the adhesiveness. Just exert enough force to keep the hook in place.

Allow the Adhesive to Dry

I recommend waiting at least half to one hour for the adhesive to dry before hanging anything. Doing this guarantees the glue has a perfect grip on your cement wall. And it prevents accidents and breaking your decorative items.

Once enough time has passed, proceed to hang your decorative items. But be sure not to place anything heavy as it can rip off the hook from your cement walls.

5. Landscape Block Adhesive

Although most adhesives don’t cling to porous materials like cement walls well, landscape block adhesives are another story! They love sticking to even the roughest cinder blocks, holding on for a long time.

A landscape block adhesive is a potent, heavy-duty exterior adhesive. And unlike others, it has a pasty texture, allowing for better grip and application. You can use landscape block adhesives for heavy items like block caps and large pictures.

Aside from decorative items, you can also use a landscape block adhesive for attaching things like shelves. But be sure they’re not too heavy and go under the 50-pound mark.

Be careful when using landscape block adhesive as it has a semi-permanent effect. Like self-adhesive hooks, a landscape block adhesive is challenging to remove from cement. And even if you can remove the item, you’ll be dealing with a cured and hardened residue.

Unlike self-adhesive hooks, residue from a landscape adhesive is impossible to scrub off!

6. Self-Sticking Display Strips

If you want to stick lightweight decorative items on your cement walls, self-sticking display strips are your best bet! They’re cheap and have a decent grip on cement. You can get them in rolls around 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide and 12 feet long.

But unlike other attachment methods using adhesive, this one needs an activator. And you can activate display strips with a water mist. You’ll also need to spritz some water on them now and then, as their adhesive can lose its stickiness over time.

Despite being intended for lightweight items, display strips are very flexible. You can use them on other masonry walls besides cement walls, like cinder or brick. And adding more to their flexibility is their re-usability! If unsatisfied, you can remove the display strips and move them to another spot on your cement wall.

Moreover, unlike most adhesives, display strips don’t leave hard-to-remove markings. And once you remove them, you’ll have a clean surface in perfect condition.

7. Powder-Actuated Fasteners

Powder-actuated fasteners are a potent attachment alternative that uses a powder charge. It fires nails or pins into the cement walls without extra steps. But beware, powder-actuated fasteners use gunpowder and can be dangerous!

I recommend only using this method on poured cement. If not, at least wear some eye and ear protection.

Final Words

How to hang things on cement walls without drilling holes?. There are many alternatives to piercing for hanging items on your walls. All the mentioned techniques should help you attach the things you want to your walls without needing a drill.

So, you must find the best attachment method to handle the item’s weight, shape, and size. From there, you should be able to hang the things you want without damaging your cement walls.

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