Picture hanging often involves drilling and installing picture hooks, anchors, and other hardware, and any marks you make on the wall or your pictures can be hard to reverse, if not permanent. That’s why it's important to go through all the steps of creating a layout and using helpful tools like painter’s tape and a level.
But sometimes, you’ll have a collection of art pieces that you feel like swapping out regularly, or you might be in charge of an exhibition hall where you change the entire display every few months or so. In these situations, what becomes crucial for your hanging hardware is the ability to be easily adjustable. This is where adjustable picture hanging hardware enters the picture (no pun intended).
In this guide, we’ll discuss the importance of adjustability in many picture hanging scenarios, introduce you to our collection of adjustable picture hangers and hanging systems, and guide you through the know-how you need to use them for your own gallery wall or display. Let’s begin!
Table of contents
What are adjustable picture hanging hardware?
Adjustable picture hanging hardware are picture hangers, hooks, and picture hanging systems that feature adjustability as a primary function. This adjustability makes rearranging pictures on the wall a much easier and more convenient part of the picture hanging process. While the standard method of first marking the wall and leveling measurements and then using traditional picture hooks makes it challenging to move a picture from its initial spot, adjustable hangers can ease up this need for precision, allowing you to be more freely creative and scale up your display.
The adjustability of adjustable picture hardware is possible because of a fundamental hook-and-vertical mechanism, which comes in several design types. An adjustable hanger may have a J-hook, a strap hook, a self-grip hook, a J-hook with side screw, a flat hook, or a monkey hanger. In the next section, we’ll talk about each type, how they vary, and how to install them.
Types of adjustable picture hanging hardware
We’ll look at three main categories of adjustable picture hanging hardware: adjustable strap hangers, adjustable J-hooks, and gallery systems.
Adjustable Strap Hangers
An adjustable strap hanger is a two-part hanger consisting of a wall mount and a slotted strap with a hook at the end. The strap is attached to the wall mount and slides up and down with the help of its thin slots.
There are two types of adjustable strap hangers: the single strap and the T-strap. Both are highly durable and offer incredible precision in their adjustability. So how are they different from each other?
Single Strap Adjustable Hangers
Single strap adjustable hangers come in pairs and are designed for use with D-rings. They are heavy-duty and you can hang up to 300 lbs of decor or art with two hangers (150 lbs per hanger). Each strap has slots that are only 1/16”, so any adjustments made to a picture’s position are in specific increments.
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Increase the single strap adjustable hanger’s weight capacity by installing it with a Molly bolt. A Molly bolt boosts capacity from 150 lbs to 200 lbs per hanger.
Ideally, single strap adjustable hangers would be used with D-rings, but you can also use them to hang pictures with wire. Single strap adjustable hangers are compatible with the following D-rings:
⚒️ How to install single strap adjustable hangers
- Push the lever on the wall mount and pull the adjustable strap out.
- Position the wall mount on the wall. Then install it by hammering the nails provided into each nail hole.
Assemble the hanger by pressing on the lever and pushing the hanger strap upwards to your desired position. You can adjust the hanger up to 1 1/2" up and down.
Measure the distance between your frame’s side rails. Install the second hanger based on this distance by repeating steps 1-3. Make sure the two picture hangers are aligned evenly with each other.
Hang the frame using D-rings or picture hanging wire. Adjust the height on the hanger as desired.
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For a stronger hold, install a ¼” x 20 Molly bolt into the hole at the top of the hanger.
Pencil mark the position of the Molly bolt hole on the wall, then pull the hanger strap out of the wall mount.
Drill the hole for the Molly bolt.
Reassemble the adjustable strap and reposition it on the wall.
Install the Molly bolt and secure the strap using a screwdriver.
T-Strap Adjustable Hanger
The T-strap adjustable hanger, like the single strap version, features a strap with a hook and 1/16” teeth, as well as a heavy-duty wall mount. Unlike the single strap hanger though, the T-strap is designed in a stable T shape (hence the name) to accommodate picture hanging wire and avoid the risk of slipping wire and falling pictures. This makes it the perfect tool for picture hanging with wire. Each T-strap adjustable hanger can support up to 150 lbs.
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Like the single strap adjustable hanger, you can expand the T-strap variant’s weight capacity with a Molly bolt.
⚒️ How to install the T-strap adjustable hanger
- Push the lever on the wall mount and pull the adjustable T-strap out.
Position the wall mount on the wall, then install it by hammering the nails provided into each nail hole.
Assemble the hanger by pressing on the lever and pushing the hanger strap upwards to your desired position. You can adjust the hanger up to 1 1/2" up and down.
Hang the frame using picture wire and adjust the height on the hanger as you like.
- For an even stronger grip, install a ¼” x 20 Molly bolt into the hole at the top of the hanger.
Pencil mark the position of the Molly bolt hole on the wall then pull the hanger strap out of the wall mount.
Drill the hole for the Molly bolt.
Reassemble the adjustable T-strap and reposition it on the wall.
Install the Molly bolt and secure the strap using a screwdriver.
Adjustable J-Hook Kit
Adjustable J-hooks are specialty wall hooks similar to the adjustable strap hangers in that they’re also two-part hangers, but that’s about the only similarity. The first part of a J-hook is mounted to the wall, and the second part ends with a hook in the shape of the letter J. These two parts are connected by a nail with ridges that allow the hook to move up and down by an adjustment capacity of approximately ¾”.
You’ll notice that a mounted J-hook has a uniquely angled nail collar—this design is what makes its adjustability possible without removing a picture from the wall. Each pair of J-hooks can support up to 100 lbs, and they’re used together with D-rings, strap hangers, or picture hanging wire.
⚒️ How to install adjustable J-hooks
- Position D-ring or strap hangers at the top corners of your picture frame. Align them vertically at an equal distance from the frame's top edge and far enough down to hide the J-Hooks once the picture is hung on the wall.
Measure the distance between the center points of the two hangers and mark this measurement on the wall. The marks should be reasonably level with each other and spaced apart at the same distance between the hangers on the frame.
To add strength and holding power to the hooks, use anchors and screws in wall studs. Note that this step is optional.
Hammer the four nails provided into the marks to install the J-Hooks.
Hang the frame on the hooks.
You can fine-adjust the frame to level without taking it off the wall by turning the head of a J-Hook connecting bolt with a Phillips screwdriver. Insert the screwdriver through the opening on the top side of the hook.
For larger adjustments, remove the frame from the wall and move the hex nut on either J-Hook connecting bolt up or down as required.
With screws and anchors (optional)
Follow steps 1-2 above.
Drill or punch two 3/16" diameter holes in the positions you marked. These holes indicate the position of the screw hole in the J-Hook upper sections.
Install two #8 white plastic anchors by gently hammering them into the wall holes. The anchor tops should be just flush with the wall.
Attach the J-Hooks to the wall by inserting the screws into the anchors. Once secure, you can hammer in the two J-Hook nails for each hook to add holding power.
Hang the frame on the J-Hooks.
Adjust as per steps 6 & 7 above.
Read more about J-hooks in our wall hook guides:
Gallery System
The last kind of adjustable picture hanger on our list is the gallery system. It is a tried-and-tested method of picture hanging that is the standard in many museums and galleries. With a gallery system, you can display an art collection bigger than the usual handful of home decor pieces without drilling or nailing more than a few holes.
Rather than a hanger, a gallery system is a picture hanging system that brings together several components:
Wall channel, track, or molding - if not built in, installed on the wall using screws as the base of the hanging system
Hanging rods/cords - rods made of brass or cords made of either steel or nylon that are hung on the wall tracks or molding to align multiple pictures together
Hooks - adjustable picture hooks attached to the rods or cords that pictures hang from
There are various types of gallery systems, built either on wall tracks that you mount yourself or around built-in picture rail molding or ogee molding more commonly found in older buildings. For most of them, adjustability is a main feature—not just a perk—and these are the gallery systems we’ll be exploring in this article.
Wall Track Kits
Wall track kits are picture hanging systems that utilize tracks instead of molding, and hanging cords instead of rods. For this reason, they are also called cable hanging systems. There are two types of wall tracks that each kit is formed around: Track 101 and Track 100
Track 101 is an open C-channel design that holds hanging cords by their cord hooks. Track 100, on the other hand, is a flat metal strip with a narrow, discreet channel at the underside that hides cord hooks out of sight.
Both tracks are 79 inches long and rated at 154 lbs. Each track has two types of kits according to the material of the hanging cords, steel or nylon, and the cord material dictates which kind of wall hook goes with a kit. Note that the hook is key to adjustability in a wall track kit.
Both kits with steel cords offer an 18-lb capacity for each cord and self-grip adjustable hooks, while the kits with nylon cords have an 11-lb capacity per cord and J-hook side screw hooks.
⚒️ How to install Track 101 kit
- Install the track on the wall by inserting screws through the pre-drilled holes. Make sure it’s level.
Hook the hanging cord on the track.
Attach a J-hook or self-grip hook to the cord.
Hang the picture.
⚒️ How to install Track 100 kit
- Install the locators on the wall, evenly spaced apart, using the screws provided.
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Snap the track onto the locators.
Hook the upper part of the track on top of the locator.
Press down the lower half to secure.
Insert the hanging cords into the channel.
Attach J-hooks or self-grip hooks to the cords.
Hang the picture.
Gallery Kit with Picture Rail Hooks
This gallery system is built for the traditional ogee molding that can come with some homes. The picture hanging kit includes loop cords and adjustable picture hooks to be attached to the cords, but on top of that, it adds S-shaped picture rail hooks as another component—to connect the cords with the ogee molding. Each rail hook carries up to 25 lbs, and a loop cord can hold up to 33 lbs.
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When using a gallery system and dealing with multiple weight capacities, the rule of thumb is not to outweigh the lowest weight rating within a hanging system, e.g. if your rail hook has the lowest weight rating in a picture hanging kit, your picture should not be any heavier than that rating.
The gallery kit comes with two styles of adjustable picture hooks: J-hook side screw hooks and flat hooks with side screws.
⚒️ How to install picture rail gallery kits
- Hang the picture rail hooks onto the ogee picture rail molding.
Attach the loop cord to the rail hook.
Attach the picture hooks onto the loop cables and adjust accordingly.
Hang your pictures.
Brass Gallery Rod Kit and OG rods
The brass gallery rod kit uses a wall track, hanging rods, and adjustable monkey hangers, all in brass. The brass wall track has a J-channel and is rated at 70 lbs, and each monkey hanger can support up to 35 lbs and slides up and down the hanging rod. The brass finish of this picture hanging kit lends a classy, vintage appeal to a gallery display and blends in well with other similarly coated hardware within a room.
While the gallery rod kit utilizes a wall track, OG rods are designed to perfectly fit the S-curve profile of traditional wood picture rail molding or ogee molding. They come in brass and white, and like the gallery rod kit, creates an adjustable hanging system with the help of monkey hangers.
⚒️ How to install brass gallery rod kits
Install the J-channel track on the wall by inserting screws through the pre-drilled holes. Make sure it’s level.
Hook the brass rods onto the molding.
Attach adjustable hooks onto the brass rod.
Hang the frames on each hook and adjust as needed.
⚒️ How to install OG gallery rods
Hang the rod onto the picture rail molding with the curve accommodating the shape of the molding.
Attach a monkey hanger to the lower end of the rod and adjust accordingly.
Final thoughts
When picture hanging, especially on a scale larger than the average homeowner or designer is used to, adjustability becomes a need that not only boasts convenience and efficiency but also alleviates our anxieties over damage to valuable pieces and our walls.
From adjustable strap hangers to entire adjustable picture hanging systems, picture hangers that are adjustable and reliable are all pillars in the picture hanging world. What’s your experience with these hangers? Are you interested in trying them if you haven’t yet? Let’s chat in the comments below.
Happy hanging!
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