How to Prevent Walls From Being Destroyed by so-Called “non-Damaging” Hooks

Hanging things on the walls is a great way to decorate and decorate your home or add storage space, but it has a downside: holes in the walls. Depending on your level of skill with putty and whether you own or rent, a few holes in the wall may not seem like a big deal unless you’re confident in your ability to fix them and/or are worried about losing your deposit. as a result, you may be hesitant to drill or hammer into the wall.

Enter so-called “harmless” adhesive products such as Command hooks. In theory, these products attach to your wall, support enough weight to be useful, and then can be removed without leaving marks or holes, protecting your walls and collateral from damage. Overall, these products work as advertised (as long as you follow the instructions), but they can damage your walls if you’re not careful. Instead of assuming you’re safe and paying the price when it comes time to move and clean everything up, keep the following details in mind every time you use a wall-friendly adhesive product.

Know your surfaces

Non-damaging adhesive products like Command hooks are not magic. They’re just specially formulated adhesives that don’t stick to anything. Your first step when you plan to hang them on the wall is to read the instructions and make sure you’re placing them on a suitable surface. Most of these products will not work well on, for example, unfinished wood, brick (or any uneven surface), or any fabric or wallpaper.

The condition of the wall also matters. If the surface is dirty, crumbly or peeling, there is a good chance that the adhesive will not hold. And if the wall has been recently painted, it’s best to wait—the paint needs to be completely cured before you apply an adhesive product to it, otherwise the paint may peel off the wall right away. For oil paints this is about a week, but for latex paints you will have to wait about a month before attaching the hooks.

Clear the walls

When was the last time you cleaned your walls? At the very least, you should wash your walls annually , but many people don’t bother, especially if they’re renting. But if you plan on putting any adhesive on them, cleaning the walls is essential (that’s why this is literally the first step in the command hook instructions ). Particles and dirt can get caught between the adhesive and the wall, weakening the bond, and residue can also undermine the bond.

This doesn’t mean you should just wipe down the wall with whatever cleaning product you have. Most cleaners actually leave behind residue that can interfere with adhesion , so you should use rubbing alcohol.

Suitable climate

Non-damaging adhesives are designed to be removed, so they are more fragile than some other adhesive products. For example, they are quite picky about the climate of the room they are in: they will not perform well if the room is very cold or very hot (the official temperature range is 50° to 105° Fahrenheit for most indoor command posts). products).

Humidity must also be taken into account. If you are hanging something on a bathroom wall, make sure you buy a product designed for the bathroom and other wet areas, otherwise humidity and moisture may cause hooks and shelves to slide off the wall. Luckily, they’re pretty easy to find .

Correct removal procedure

The most dangerous moment for your collateral or pristine, intact wall comes when you remove the supposedly harmless adhesive. Again, you should check the instructions that came with the product to make sure you’re doing everything correctly . But your expectations are just as important: you’ll probably have more trouble removing the adhesive from the wall than you expect, and you’ll probably be left with adhesive residue (no damage doesn’t mean no residue ).

So have a small tool kit ready when it’s time to remove everything from the walls:

• A hair dryer can soften glue that doesn’t want to come off.

• The putty knife can get under the adhesive and gently pull it away from the wall. You can also use dental floss by inserting it into a hook that won’t come off and gently sawing down until it comes free.

• A microfiber cloth and a little warm water will help remove residue from the wall, but if it’s stubborn, you can scrape it off with a putty knife (gently). If it really doesn’t want to come off, you can try a little more rubbing alcohol to rub it off.

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