Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Drew345]

I am wanting to hang some pictures and clocks in my apartment, and little differences between here and home have me confused.
I have some wood walls and concrete walls here.

Back in America almost all walls are wood, and we hang pictures with these little hooks that look like a letter "j" with a loop at the top. Then a small nail goes through the loop at the top and into the wall at a 45 degree angle. It is a really strong way to hang a picture while leaving only a tiny hole in the wall.
I have looked at Homever, E-mart, and Lotte-mart, and they never heard of these picture hanging hooks with the small nail. Has anyone seen any of these picture hanging hooks here in Korea?

For concrete walls, I am not sure what to do, since we don't have many concrete walls in America. I can get a cement screw; where you drill a hole, put a plastic holder into the wall and then put in the screw. But this makes a pretty big hole. It there some other solution for hanging pictures on concrete walls. Actually it is concrete walls covered with "contact paper" that seems to suffice as the local wallpaper.

I see lots of glue-on hooks for hanging things; but I already had one of these drop off after a week holding a clock. I don't think these glue-on hooks are my solution.

Finally, I do own my apartment, so don't need to worry about the landlord. But I still want to make as little damage as possible.
Any good ideas for how Koreans hang there pictures on wood and concrete walls?

Thanks, Drew

[doc_ido]

I've not seen the picture hooks specifically, bit given their low-tech nature you could almost certainly find or get something improvised at your local hardware shop - they always have metal offcuts and things lying around and would probably even help you out drilling holes (if not, your local key copy guy will do it).

[nobbyken]

We use the hooks with the wax on the back of them.
You just melt the wax with a lighter and before the wax runs off, stick it to the wall. Hang something after a few minutes of cooling.
Should be OK except for heavier things, in area's where there is some air between the paper and the wall!

Some are good for 2-4Kg, and we have even hung a light curtain rail on one.

You can get thin nails, suitable for concrete and them wee pins are OK to hang light pictures, but you can get aesthetically pleasing wax-on hooks instead if things aren't too heavy.

[pkang0202]

I never understood why the walls were thick concrete/plaster that negated all sound, whereas the doors were just thin metal sheets.

Back home its the doors that are thich and sturdy where the walls where just plain drywall.

[Drew345]

I guess I was looking for some picture hanging hooks like in this picture:
http://www.govart.com/hardware_hooks.html

Just the J and the little nail. Just one of those Korean shopping moments where "here's the nails, here's the screws, where are the picture hooks?"
I haven't actually brought this picture to show them just what I am looking for yet. Maybe that will help me.

And thanks for the advise about really little nails for use in concrete. I didn't know about those. That will help me to not have to drill a huge hole for a concrete screw.

Also good advise about the hooks using the melted wax. Haven't tried that yet either.

I'll go check the Homever again today and then tomorrow maybe ask a Korean friend for help.

Thanks, Drew

[KumaraKitty]

In our building the maintenance guy will drill appropriate holes and insert screws for hanging pictures. If you have a maintenance person for your place, I'd ask them. They have drills to get through the concrete without making a big hole or mess. Good luck!

[Drew345]

Yeah, for the concrete walls, I am pretty much going to have to just drill holes; but I am still hoping for a better way with my wooden walls. I am mostly looking for picture hanging hooks; like this:
http://www.govart.com/hardware_hooks.html

I checked the Homever with the picture of the picture hanging hook. They said that they didn't have them. I went to their bedroom department to see how they hung their own pictures. They had big screws in the wooden walls, totally ruining the walls.

I went to a portrait studio, they don't have the hooks, they use big nails in their wooden walls. Destroying the walls a bit less than the screws, but still unnecessary.

I went to an artist supply shop. They said they had seen picture hanging hooks one time before in a shop in Ejilro 3-ga.

One last visit to a frame shop. Again, no picture hanging hooks.

So I'll check Ejilro 3-ga sometime soon.

So it seems the Korean way to hang a picture on a wooden wall is with a screw or a big nail. I really hate to do that to my walls. Hope to find the hooks.

Thanks, Drew

[Suwoner10]

Concrete drillbits & concrete screws. Brought some of these big bad boys with me when I went home between contracts. I needed 'em for hanging my mountain bike, to save some space in my apt. (Actually they were hook screws, but same diff.)