Generally speaking it s best to hang heavy pictures on a wall stud.
How to hang heavy stuff from adobe plaster walls.
Plaster walls have a tendency to crack and crumble if you attempt to hammer a nail directly into the wall.
Hanging things on plaster walls is easy if you have a drill and screws.
Therefore it s the strongest part of the wall and the ideal place to hang pictures from.
Simply hanging something heavy on a plaster wall can result in damage to the wall and the object if you don t tap into the supporting structure behind the plaster.
All you need to do is pre drill a hole slightly narrower than your screws then use the drill to drive a screw into the hole.
How to hang heavy things on plaster walls using a wall stud.
Make sure you leave half an inch out of the wall so you have space to hang your artwork.
As mentioned earlier the wall stud is where the wooden lath attaches to the wooden frame behind the plaster.
Screws and screws with masonry anchors for heavy items are your best choice for hanging things on plaster walls without picture rail.
Though there are several methods of locating studs or supports behind the wall the most reliable is using a magnetic stud finder.