Whether you have some lovely exposed brick in your apartment or you are just wanting to hang some decorations on the exterior of your family home, looking to jazz up the brick slightly, you’ll need to find a way to hang stuff.

You’ll find looking at blank walls can be a bit of a downer but you may have a furiously intimidating landlord, who exclaimed before the tenancy you cannot drill any walls in the apartment, so you are stuck.

Or, perhaps you are trying to decorate the outside of your family home with some lights or decorations but you don’t want to hinder the integrity of the house by messing with it. Or maybe you just don’t have a drill?

Well if you have found yourself looking for an alternative to drilling holes in your brick then this article is for you! We will look at how you can hang and stick things to a brick wall without drilling it.

6 Ways to Hang Stuff on Brick wall Without Drilling

Depending on what you want to hang up you can actually get away with hanging up a lot of stuff using the following methods that don’t require you to drill the brick walls.

1- By far the best and most popular method used for hanging things on brick walls without drilling is using something called a Brick Clip. This metal grip works by hooking over the top and bottom of the brick to attach itself onto the wall. Fitting onto most bricks you can then hang up to 25lbs of things from them, perfect for frames, lights or mirrors. These clips come in different forms but all function in the same way. They are really sturdy, useful and most importantly cheap coming in at around $8 dollars!

2- If your bricks are maybe not sufficient for brick clips or you would like to try another way to hang objects from your wall you can try adhesives (liquid nails is your best bet). You want to make sure you purchase the ‘heavy duty’ adhesive or you might face very weak hooks/application. These act in much the same way as the brick clips but instead of gripping the brick, they can be directly applied to the surface. These are best applied indoors as the elements outside may damage how they function. It’s as simple as removing the super sticky side and placing the hook where required. You could also use double-sided sticky tape in the same way, just make sure that it is fairly heavy duty. Super quick, super easy.

3- What about trying to stick a hook in a groove and attaching string or rope to this. You can use this method indoors more than out due to weather and wind. But by attaching the hook to the top of the brick you can suspend things down and display them effectively. All you are going to need is a double sided hook and some string. This method is a bit more mobile and because of this is less secure so it’s recommended not to suspend valuable or heavy things in this manner. You wouldn’t want 7 years bad luck after smashing a mirror from this falling down after all.

4- So you have decided against drilling, but no other ways are actually working to help you stick things up on your wall. Why don’t you try the implementation of furniture or a prop to help you display your stuff in a nice fashionable yet functional way. This could range from a backless bookcase to a ladder which can display things on. This means you can display what you are after by using an extra bit of furniture to help you out. Not the most practical method if you are short for space but effective and stops the need for drilling or potentially footery alternative resolutions.

5- This method depends on the layout of your space but a solid alternative to drilling when hanging stuff from brick walls is the use of tension rods. These work by extending with enough pressure against opposing walls and create a pole across between the walls. You will need two facing walls fairly close by for this option to work but it works really effectively if you do have this layout. They traditionally are used for blinds or curtains, but can easily be implemented with a few hooks or strings to hang loads of things from pictures or mirrors to plant pots or pots and pans. This  method is really handy in tight spaces but does mean you may be limited on the weight of what you hang depending on the quality of tension rod you are using.

6- Maybe, you have permission to make holes in the wall or see fit to do so but you don’t actually have a drill that would do this. There are other methods of getting viable objects injected into the wall. The best example of this is a driving masonry nail. You can drive these in (using a heavy hammer and with glasses on) to the joint or mortar. Do not whack these nails into the brick as it will just crack the brick and damage your wall. By whacking into the mortar you can now use nails as an object to hang things from as you would normally without the need for a drill. It does require a good old whack, bear that in mind when performing this technique.

What’s the largest weight you can hang on a brick wall without drilling?

Depending on what method you have used for your hanging apparatus does depend on how much you can realistically have hanging in weight. Things like tension bars and adhesive hooks will be able to hold less. But things like the brick clips and masonry nails will be able to hold a lot of weight. Up to 25lbs for the brick clips which is more than enough for hanging things from.

What Sticks to brick walls (Hang Without Drilling)

Instead of drilling, you might be looking at trying to ‘stick’ things to your brick wall to allow for decorations or the hanging of stuff. But because of what it is, not everything is going to stick to brick walls. They can have very rough jagged exteriors or very smooth non-porous facing. Both of which are not very adhesive friendly.

Blu tack

Whilst blu-tack technically does attach to brick walls quite well it’s highly recommended to not use it. Because of the porous or rigid texture of bricks the tack gets stuck in crevices and becomes IMPOSSIBLE to get out. It’s really not worth the hassle for this alone. But whilst it does adhere to brick you would not be able to use blu-tack outside and if you are using it on brick walls inside, the tack struggles to keep anything up for a prolonged period. Even the blu-tack website recommends to not use it on brick walls!

Velcro

Heavy duty adhesive velcro does work on brick. Nowadays there are numerous brands that advertise a long-lasting effect without hindrance from weather or other external outputs. Whilst these velcro sticks do work, they do struggle to maintain their strength over long periods. This means it would be a rash decision to attach anything of importance or easily breakable to them. Limiting their use slightly. Nonetheless they are a solid option for this like hanging decorations in classrooms for teachers or attaching fairy lights to the side of your house.

Gorilla Glue

Applied exactly how you would expect by cleaning the area, wetting it, then sticking a big blob of glue before clamping it, Gorilla glue (sometimes named rhino glue) is used as an option for a heavy duty hanging adhesive. Gorilla glue is an excellent option on bricks and mortar. This is because the glue is designed to bubble upon application meaning it can actively ease its way into any gaps or crevices in the wall, a superb option for hanging stuff from your brick walls.

Liquid Nails

Liquid nails is a heavy duty landscape block and wood adhesive that will certainly stick to your bricks. Using the tube to apply, you simply want to zig-zag your application and stick what you would like to the wall. As a recommendation, an application of the liquid nails to the brick attaching onto a platform (either wooden or metal) is a good option before hanging something from that platform. Otherwise it may be a bit tricky or persnickety to apply the adhesive in a way that catches a small hook or wire. A good option for a brick wall adhesive though. Industrial compared to the other options here.

Command strips 

Command strips may seem like a good idea when applying to brick but Command themselves recommend not using their strips on cement or brick. There are numerous accounts however of the strips being applied successfully to brick walls and being able to hang stuff on them well, with some swearing by their application using a dab of hot glue helping. Teachers are especially huge fans of these pieces of kits for decorating their classroom. These strips may work better inside and could perhaps be pulled off if they are only being used for very lightweight stuff.

Double sided tape

In much the same vein as the commando adhesive strips, double-sided sticky tape is not going to last. It might hold a poster for a few months but anything substantial being displayed using double sided tape will struggle to sustain its hold. Pretty ineffective method all told.

What adhesives will stick to brick?

Whilst all of the above we have mentioned do actually technically stick to bricks let’s clarify what adhesive will actually effectively work. It does come down to a case of the more industrial you go, the better results you are going to get. No more nails and gorilla glue are your best adhesive options to attach things to brick walls because of their nature they can actually embed themselves into the pores and ridges of the brick whilst also being super sticky and resistant to nature.

See also: How To Attach Wood To Concrete Without Drilling

Tapes that sticks to brick

You can actually get gorilla glue mounting tape which would be super effective as an adhesive for your brick wall. Alternatively there are a number of other brands who are now producing adhesive tape which uses a molding method to help adhere effectively to the bricks such as Scotch. It is the nature of bricks which makes it so hard for things to be attached to them.

Hooks that stick to brick

The best option for hooks that are going to stick to bricks is to use brick clips. Specially designed for this job these guys attached onto bricks perfectly and are the most secure option for hanging things from your brick wall. You don’t have to rely on the gamble of adhesion, these clips use gravity and technology to work, making them much more reliable and strong.

Let’s Explore How to Stick Lightweight things to brick wall

For more lightweight and temporary things, there are certainly more and easier options for sticking to brick walls. The fact that you don’t need as much strength in your solution is huge as it means things that would tend to lose adhesion to the texture of the brick now can be presented on the wall without any risk of damage.

Posters

For posters it’s all about the Scotch items. Your best two options are going to be Scotch moulding putty or Scotch magic tape. This brand is a specialist in lightweight options of adhesion and are perfect for posters. With little effort and low damage you can apply these products to the brick wall and it should be enough to keep up them posters with ease. These are also malleable and don’t leave marks on the wall behind, after all you want to keep them posters up to date.

Signs

The surface area of a sign is very handy for using Gorilla Glue or liquid nails. Because it is usually going to be a fairly nice flat area of adhesion you can apply these products directly to the back of the sign and stick it to the brick walls. You will also rarely find the need to be frequently changing the sign and the adhesion will last a lot of time.

Balloons

There are few things more infuriating in the world than sticking a whole load of balloons up overnight for a birthday or party and coming in the next day to start the event and the balloons being on the floor because they have lost adhesion. We have all been there. So much so, that there is now a large market of balloon adhesive strips. These are effectively double sided sticky tape with a cut out specifically for catching the balloons knot, very smart indeed. These are lightweight items but are cheap and cheerful and will do the job for any party event, indoors or out. A no mess, no putty, easy solution to the disappointment of falling balloons.

Christmas lights

Putting up christmas lights is fun, right? No scrooges here. But what can be a pain is the placement and assembly of christmas lights, especially on the outside of your house. You can solve this by drilling in hooks, but if you want to avoid having them hooks the rest of the year round there are alternatives. Adhesive (command) strips with a dab of hot glue usually works well for attaching christmas lights to as they are lightweight and hook onto the strip, whilst these strips are only going to be needed to be up for a maximum of 3 weeks really.

If you are weary of the adhesive option, or you live somewhere where the weather could interfere with adhesion, brick clips are your best shout here. Easy to clip on, and sturdy, these guys ain’t going to move or fall down, sparing your Christmas lights and letting them shine bright to allow a nicely lit landing area for Santa.

How to install a ring doorbell on brick without drilling

Lightweight and usually sheltered, your doorbell can easily be attached to brick using double sided adhesion. I would recommend Scotch tape or Scotch moulding putty for doorbells (putty is probably better) because by using this it should stick to the wall better. This means you don’t miss any visitors to the house from a missing doorbell

 

Let’s Explore How To Hang Heavier Things to Brick without Drilling

Now, when it comes to hanging up heavier things it’s a different story. Not only is it harder because options are more limited, but the heavier the thing is the more chance it is of being valuable or easily breakable.

Art & Pictures 

There are numerous ways you can display your art or pictures which spare your brick being drilled. Brick clips are a solid option if you would like to apply the art straight to the wall. However, there’s much more fun and ingenious alternatives. You could hang the art suspended from a hook and string, use a tension bar and hang the art from that or you could even apply adhesive straight to the back of the picture or art. Alternatively you could use a prop (like a ladder), utilise a bit of furniture to aid your display or try experimenting with displaying your art from the floor.

Shutters

Because of their weight and function the best option for hanging your shutters is using brick clips. Able to hold up to 25lbs comfortable they should hold you shutters in place and allow for movement unlike some other options.

Shelves

Shelves are a tough one. Adhesives can be used to attach shelves to your wall. Double sided tape or gorilla glue would work. Despite this, for you to have any weight on the shelf you are going to need to drill into the wall. Perhaps the best option for not drilling but attaching shelves to your wall would be to use masonry nails and lay the shelf on top of these alongside the application of gorilla glue.

Mirror

Much like the options suggested previously for hanging art or pictures, you can use a number of different techniques for hanging your mirror from clips, to suspended options to the use of additional furniture or props.

Curtains

Without a doubt, the best option for hanging curtains or blinds on a brick wall is using a tension bar in the area. These work by opposing forces against the perpendicular walls and means you can hang things easily on the brick wall. A perfect alternative.

Wreath

Wreaths don’t tend to weigh too much and usually are seasonal so not up all the time. This means you could easily get away with an adhesive hook with a little extra glue on the back to hold up your wreath. This is easy, cheap and saves leaving a hole in your wall.

Guitars

The best way to hang your guitar on the wall without drilling is to look at using gorilla glue or liquid nails. The wall mount for the guitar will have a really nice surface area which means you can apply a big blob of industrial strength adhesive and should hold up a guitar absolutely no bother.

Flower boxes

Much like art and mirrors you can get really creative when displaying flowers. So for hanging flower boxes you could look at suspending them from hooks, brick clips or tension bars. Or you could look at placing them on props. These are very versatile and most of the options discussed should work no bother.

TV

Without drilling you are taking a big risk when hanging a TV. For a surefire way to avoid breakages then you will need to either drill or look for alternatives such as mount TV stands which still offer the same benefits of wall mountings. If you do really want to hang it and are willing to take a risk the Wall-X hanging picture kit is a good option. I would recommend doubling or tripling up on the use of these wall hanging kits just in case and to distribute the weight. You wouldn’t want to come home from a long day at work looking to binge some Netflix and find your TV sprawled on the ground in a broken heap.