I have done this, and I bet you have too: You work hard to hang a heavy picture or mirror on the wall using several heavy-duty picture hooks. The picture is tough to align in just the right position because of its size and weight, complicated by the hanging wire and multiple hooks.

Then, during the night, you hear a crash. You jump out of bed to discover that the mirror has fallen. The floor has a big gouge, the frame is broken, and you’ve got lots of broken glass to pick up.

You can prevent this problem with a unique picture- and mirror-hanging bracket available at larger frame shops. This metal device comes in two parts. One bracket is attached across the back of the picture frame with a few screws. A matching bracket is screwed to the wall with long screws that reach the studs. Because the wall bracket is wider than 16 inches, it can easily be screwed into several wall studs.

Then you hang the mirror by slipping the frame bracket over the wall bracket. It’s easy to level the frame and place it in the right location with just a few measurements when you first attach the bracket to the wall.