Which one?

Adhesive picture strips or a nail-in picture hook?

Updated 5 Nov 2026

Adhesive nails and strips go only on the surfaces their maker names, within the maker's own figure. A hook in the wall needs a hole, and the wall decides the fixing.

Adhesive nails and strips

Where it goes: Only on a surface its maker names. tesa makes its Adhesive Nails for Wallpaper & Plaster for textured and sensitive surfaces like wallpaper or plaster. Painted plaster and painted plasterboard are not on that list.
What it needs: No drill: a strip pressed on, then the nail. tesa adds: Ensure the surface can support the weight of the item.
How it comes down: By its tab. tesa describes its Adhesive Nail for Wallpaper & Plaster as Removable without a trace, and says Leave the tab accessible behind your object or below the nail for easy removal.
Which maker's figure applies: tesa's own figure for one nail, or for two used together, on the surfaces it names. It gives none for three or more. Our pictures guide lists each figure.

Sources: tesa, tesa Adhesive Nail for Wallpaper & Plaster 1kg, Product Information BNR 77773, en-GB, as of 16/08/25. Checked 13 Oct 2026; tesa, tesa Adjustable Adhesive Nail for Wallpaper & Plaster 2kg, Product Information BNR 77777, en-GB, as of 04/08/25. Checked 13 Oct 2026.

A hook in the wall

Where it goes: Into the wall itself.
What it needs: A hole in the wall. If you drill and plug it, B&Q says: If you're using the wall plug to hang an item such as a clock or picture frame, remember not to drive the screw in all the way.
How it comes down: Taken out, and the hole stays. Shelter lists holes in walls or doors among the things a deposit can be charged for in England.
Which maker's figure applies: We hold no maker's figure for a nail-in picture hook, so we show none. For a drilled fixing, a picture hangs flat against the wall, so What's my wall? compares its weight, shared between its fixings, with fischer's figure.

Sources: B&Q, How to fit wall plugs. Checked 13 Oct 2026; Shelter England, Damage and missing items (deposit deductions, last updated 6 May 2024). Checked 12 Oct 2026.