How to Hang a Skateboard on the Wall Without Nails

You can show skateboard deck art on the wall without nails or drilling, but every method has a trade-off. Adhesive strips put the deck on the wall with no holes, a picture ledge or shelf lets it lean safely, and a floor stand needs no wall at all. What you should not do is trust a random hook or a piece of tape with a deck that hangs above someone's head.

Quick answer - Renting and want it on the wall: heavy-duty removable adhesive picture strips or an adhesive deck hanger, on a smooth painted wall, never over a bed or sofa. - Want zero risk to wall and deck: lean the deck on a picture ledge, shelf or sideboard, or use a floor stand. - Weight to plan for: a bare 7-ply deck weighs roughly 1 kg, so the deck is light, but the strips must also handle leverage, a concave shape and the odd knock. - Honest note: my DeckArts wall mounts are fixed with small screws. If you truly cannot drill, use the floor stand or a ledge.

I hand-print every DeckArts deck myself in Berlin, and many of my customers live in rented flats where drilling is not allowed or the landlord keeps the deposit for every hole. So this is the guide I give them: what actually works, what is risky, and where I would put my own decks.

Two DeckArts decks simply leaning against the wall: no nails, no drilling, no risk.

Before you start: what you are hanging

A deck is not a framed poster. Three things matter for any no-nail method:

1. Weight. A bare 7-ply maple deck is roughly 1 kg. A complete skateboard with trucks and wheels is two to three times heavier, and that changes everything for adhesives.
2. Shape. Decks have concave and kicked-up nose and tail, so a flat strip touches the board only in a few places.
3. The back. Many decks have printed or finished backs. My DeckArts decks have nothing on the back and come without any hanging hardware, so you choose how to display them.

Ways to hang a skateboard without nails: comparison

Method 1: Removable adhesive picture strips

This is the method most people mean by "without nails". Heavy-duty removable picture strips lock together like Velcro: one half goes on the wall, the other on the object.

Check the real rating. Read the weight rating on the pack you buy, not on a blog. For example, 3M rates four pairs of its Command Large Picture Hanging Strips for a frame of up to 7.2 kg and up to 60 × 90 cm. A roughly 1 kg bare deck is well within that on paper, but the rating assumes a flat frame on a suitable wall, pressed on correctly.

How to do it well:

1. Choose a smooth, painted wall. Avoid wallpaper, textured plaster, brick, tiles with grout lines and freshly painted walls (the paint needs time to cure; check the pack).
2. Clean the wall and the contact points on the deck with isopropyl alcohol and let them dry.
3. Put the strips on the flattest parts of the deck, near the nose and tail, not in the deepest part of the concave.
4. Use the number of pairs the manufacturer specifies, press firmly and wait the stated time before loading.
5. Mark the position with a level first. Strips are hard to reposition once pressed.

Honest caveats:

• Adhesive manufacturers usually advise against hanging valuable items and against hanging over beds. Follow that.
• Removal can lift paint, and the adhesive touches your deck. If the board is special to you, put the strips on a bracket, not on the deck.
• More strips do not automatically mean more safety. Use exactly what the instructions say.
• Heat, humidity and sunlight weaken adhesives over time. Check the deck now and then.

Method 2: An adhesive deck hanger

A step up from strips on the deck: a small plastic bracket that holds the nose and tail, attached to the wall with removable strips. The deck itself never touches adhesive, and you can lift it off any time. Pick a bracket that states which strips it is designed for, and apply the same wall rules as above.

Method 3: A picture ledge or shelf

My personal favourite for renters. A narrow picture ledge or an existing shelf lets the deck lean at a slight angle, like a painting in a gallery storeroom. You get the "art on the wall" look with no load on the wall at all.

• Lean the deck with the tail on the ledge and the top resting against the wall.
• Choose a ledge with a lip so the deck cannot slide forward.
• Ledges are perfect for pairs and triptychs. My diptych sets and triptych sets look great leaning side by side, and you can swap the order whenever you like.

If the ledge itself needs installing, it needs screws once, but then you can change decks forever without new holes.

Method 4: Lean it, like in the photo

The simplest method of all: lean the deck against the wall on the floor, a sideboard or a low bench. An 85 × 20 cm deck leaning on the floor in a hallway or next to a sofa looks deliberate, not unfinished, especially in pairs. Put a small felt pad under the tail so it does not slide on smooth floors, and keep it out of walkways where people or pets can knock it.

Method 5: A floor stand

If you want the deck upright and stable without touching the wall, use a stand. My DeckArts floor stand holds decks vertically, leaning slightly back, and needs no wall fixing at all. It fits all standard 8" decks, including every DeckArts deck, and is the option I recommend to renters, to shops and for exhibitions.

Method 6: Hooks, rails and tension systems you already have

Old buildings, including many Berlin Altbau flats, often have a picture rail near the ceiling. Picture-rail hooks with cords can carry a deck without new holes, as long as the hooks and cord are rated for the weight and the deck hangs from a secure cradle rather than a loose loop. Tension rods and over-door hooks can work too, but they are not designed as skateboard supports, so test them carefully and keep them away from places where they could fall on someone.

When small screws are the better choice

Drill at the ready: the screws go into the wall for the mount, never into the deck itself.

Sometimes the honest answer is: drill two tiny holes. If your contract allows small holes (many do for picture hanging), a proper mount is the most secure way to display a deck long term. My horizontal wall mount cradles the nose and tail and sits flush to the wall, and my 360° rotating wall mount clamps the deck by its edges so you can turn it vertical, horizontal or diagonal. Both come with screws and wall plugs, nothing is drilled into the deck, and the holes are easy to fill when you move out. Mounts are sold separately from the decks. For the full step-by-step, see my complete mounting guide.

Thinking about a frame or shadow box instead? I compared all the options in Skateboard Frame: How to Frame and Display a Deck.

Where to put a deck you hang without nails

• Good: above a desk or sideboard, in a hallway, next to a bookshelf, on a ledge in the living room.
• Avoid with adhesives: above beds, sofas and cots, behind doors that slam, bathrooms and kitchens (steam and grease weaken adhesives), walls in direct sun.

For more room ideas, see where to display skateboard art, room by room.

About DeckArts decks

Every deck is printed by hand by me in Berlin on 7-ply Canadian maple pressed in Butzbach, Germany, and ships from Berlin. Decks are 85 × 20 cm, have nothing on the back and are not ready to hang out of the box, so pick the display method from this guide that suits your home. You have the statutory 14-day right of withdrawal plus my voluntary 30-day return (custom decks excluded). Browse all designs in the DeckArts shop.

FAQ

Can Command strips hold a skateboard? On paper, yes for a bare deck: it weighs roughly 1 kg, and large picture strips are rated far above that. In practice, success depends on a smooth, clean, cured wall, the right number of strips and contact on the flat parts of the deck. Never hang a deck with strips above a bed or seating.

Will adhesive strips damage my deck? They can leave marks or lift a finish when removed. To protect the artwork, use an adhesive bracket that holds the deck instead of sticking strips onto the board.

How heavy is a skateboard deck? A bare 7-ply deck is roughly 1 kg. A complete skateboard with trucks and wheels is much heavier, so do not use deck-level adhesive solutions for completes.

What is the safest way to display a deck without drilling? A floor stand or leaning the deck on a ledge, shelf or the floor. Nothing can fall from height, and neither the wall nor the deck is touched.

Can I hang a skateboard vertically without nails? Leaning and a floor stand give a vertical look with no risk. Vertical hanging with adhesives puts more stress on the top strips, so it is riskier than horizontal.

Do DeckArts wall mounts need drilling? Yes. Both the horizontal and the 360° mount are fixed with small screws and wall plugs (included). If you cannot drill, choose the DeckArts floor stand.

Further reading: the history of the board itself on Wikipedia: Skateboard, and why layered maple is so strong for its weight on Wikipedia: Plywood.