How To: Hang your pictures

At Picture This! our clients often ask, “How do I hang my pictures?”
This is a great question. After you get your new piece of art home or into your office, of course you’ll want to show it off right away. So how do you know you’re doing it right?
Here are some general rules of thumb:

In a seating area. . .
In a seating area, it’s appropriate to hang pictures lower so that they are at viewing level for the people sitting there. You’ll also notice that this immediately creates a warmer atmosphere.
Hang your picture so that there is about a 6 inch space between the bottom of the picture and the top of the couch or seats.

In a standing/walking area. . .
In an area where people will most often stand or be walking, hang the picture so that the centre is at eye-level. Smaller pictures may have to be hung higher.

About groupings. . .
For picture groupings the height will depend on the configuration of the grouping. A great way to see what a picture grouping will look like is to cut pieces of craft paper or newspaper the same size as the pictures and pin the paper pieces on the wall with dressmaker pins. You’ll be able to see if the grouping works before inserting wall hangers which can mark the wall if they have to be moved.

Use the right hanger. . .
Have you ever had a picture crash down from your wall? Have you come home to find your favorite lying on the floor? Not much fun of course, especially if your picture or frame is damaged!
We repair many picture frames and often the damage is caused by improper hanging using plain nails. Over time, the picture’s weight will cause plain nails to wear larger holes in the drywall. This is when they fail!

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, use a properly sized J-hook wall hanger for the weight of the picture.

The weight requirements should be on the package of the J-hook. Your professional picture framer will be able to tell you if you have the correct size for the weight of your picture.
Carefully hammer the nail at the angle of the J-hook for full support. A wall stud does not have to be hit as the angle of the nail in the J-hook against the wall is what supports the weight.

Create an air space. . .
It’s also a good idea to create an air space between your picture and the wall. To create an air space insert rubber bumpers on the bottom corners of your picture. This will stop your pictures from moving left to right which is helpful when the pictures are located near a doorway or an area people walk through often. It’s especially important to use bumpers when hanging on an outside wall as they can stop the picture from “sticking” to the wall as a result of the change in temperature. We supply bumpers for free at Picture This.

If you follow these simple suggestions, the subtle changes will make your pictures look better in the space. You’ll also have peace of mind, knowing that they are secure. If you need any more information, contact us at Picture This! We’re happy to help.

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© 2008 Rollie LaMarche   Visit my site to learn more about picture framing.