|
Transport.
Frames are designed to hang on walls, not to be driven around in hatchbacks. When you are picking up your picture. try to do it as a single job, not part of a larger shopping expedition. If you need to do it as part of a bigger trip, try to leave it till last. This will mean that you wont be placing anything on top of it, & you wont be driving too far with a potentially fatal piece of glass in the back seat.
Also please don't pack frames around the feet of children. It doesn't take much of a kick to end up with a lot of broken glass and a trip to the hospital.
One of the most important concepts when transporting frames, is to try & keep pictures facing each other. By placing the pictures, face to face, & back to back , you will minimise the risk of scratching the front of one frame with the back of another. As many pictures have screwed or stapled on attachments at the back, the fonts make a much smoother surface, that will scrape the front of another picture much less severely. Even if the pictures have been bubble wrapped, the hangers can still make their way outside & into the face of another frame.
When carrying frames keep in mind that they are structurally strong in some aspects, though weak in others. If you can, carry it by the string on the back. Frames are made to hang off this for a long time, so don't be scared that the picture will drop. Even if it does, it is best it does so at the framers than when you have already got it home.
Hold the frame by the sides or by the one side & the bottom. Never hold a frame by the top, as this will often leave you with a pile of splinters where your picture used to be.
Never lift the frame by one corner as this can severely weaken it. This may lead to a loss of structural integrity at best on the spot. At worst, when you have it at home hanging above something valuable that will be broken when the frame comes crashing down on top of it.
When transporting canvas works, hold the strainer by the edges. If you use one of the cross struts to pick it up, you may dent the painting, which can be difficult to fix.
In the car, keep the frame as vertical as possible. The reason for this is that glass travels best standing up. You seldom see a glaziers truck driving by with glass packed flat on the back .
If you pack frames in the back seat. Lash them down with seatbelts. This is an easy way of keeping everything together & secure.
When tying frames to roof racks, be gentle. Tightening ropes too tightly to make sure your picture stays where it is supposed to be can have detrimental effects. Pack something flat & sturdy between the ropes & the frame. This will stop most denting that can occur.
Putting things on top of your car is never ideal. so ask your framer if is reasonable that you do so.
Hanging.
The main thing to consider when hanging a picture is, will the hook hold the weight. All other matters such as height, spacing & whether it is going to be level, are secondary. Because if your picture falls down, these factors wont matter one bit.
Look for studs
If you are going to simply put in a few screws into a plaster wall, locate the studs. Remember though that many modern buildings have metal supports holding up the drywall. So a screw in this case is going to make nothing but a mess.
Most people believe that studs are the best place to put a hook. Whilst it is far better to put a simple screw into a piece of timber than the straight plaster, sometimes a simple screw is not the best solution. There are products on the market that consist of a large thread plastic screw that is put straight into the plaster away from the studs. A smaller screw is then fitted into this forming a strong bond. Many picture hangers will deliberately avoid timber studs because they don't give as secure attachment point as one of these big screws.
Look for wires.
When drilling or digging anywhere it is very important to know what is beneath the surface. Find out what it really is that you are drilling into. Because if you hit the mains power, a water pipe or the gas line, you may end up in casualty with no home to hang your pictures in anyway.
Sticky hooks.
Self adhesive hooks are a valuable solution to many renters all around the world. Though there are a few pitfalls to think of before you go sticking them all over your apartment.
Fresh paint is a definite no no. The solvents still being released by the paint up to 6 months after painting, can eat away the stickiness of most hooks resulting in breakages.
Dry & crumbling paint work will come off with sticky hooks. Put one up. Stick it firmly & wait a few days. Then take it off & survey the resulting damage. If it comes off easily there should be no real problem. If it does not. be thankfully you didn't put up another 12.
Be prepared to use more than 1 hook. Sticky hooks are known to give up the fight at 3:00am, sending your picture into the carpet and shards of glass all over your room. If you use 2 or 3 hooks, chances are that one will become unstuck days before the others fail under the increased strain. Meaning you may rescue the picture before it drops.
4 nail hammer in hooks.
These are a good solution for hanging small to medium pictures directly on a wall, in a property that you own. We say a property that you own because many landlords take particular exception to these hooks being used, because their extraction can leave large craters.
They can be grouped together to take the weight of larger frames (The hooks. Not the landlords). Though big pictures & mirrors should really have something stronger used to ensure they are secure. If you are unsure of the strength of the plaster you will be hammering into, & you really have your mind set on using these hooks. You can ad a spot araldite to the nails to ensure a better, though not perfect bond.
On the level.
If you don't have a natural eye for hanging frames, use a spirit or laser level. There are a few very small spirit levels specially designed for picture framing. Don't buy one. Don't use one. They are inaccurate & ill-conceived.
If you don't have a level there is a simple trick to get your pictures straight. It only works with one hook in the wall, & you must have cord, string or wire on the back of the frame. Just lean your picture against the wall below where you are going to hang it with a felt tip / marker pen in one hand. Tip the frame forward slightly so that the top comes away from the wall & the bottom stays on the ground. Then reach around the back of the frame & pull up the string roughly in the middle until one corner of the frame lifts off the ground. Keep your finger where it is & lower the frame so that both corners are on the floor again. Then move you finger slightly toward the corner that lifted off the ground before. Now when you lift the picture with your single finger again, you should notice the frame rising straighter. keep moving your finger until you have both corners of the frame lifting at the same time. When this happens, you have found the balancing point of your picture. Mark this with your pen on the string or the back of the frame. Then place this point over the hook & you artwork should hang level on the wall.
| When hanging straight onto a wall there are a few main ways that you can do so. You are not simply limited to one hook & one piece of string. Indeed with heavier works you should consider using more than one hook for safety's sake. |
|
Single hook
Simply put the mid point of the cord over the hook |
|
Double hook
Hang the picture off 2 hooks if it is difficult to get levle.Also good for wide short works that use a long string without much height to stop it protruding above the frame |
|
Triple hook
Use 3 or more hooks to spread the load over multiple anchorage points if you feel 2 wont stand the weight. Be sure to put the middle hook/s higher than the outer ones so that they take some of the load. |
|
Notice in the above example how the middle hook is at the same height as the outer 2. This is not a good idea as the middle hook is taking no weight, & so has no point.
|
|
| When hanging a picture from picture rails, it is worth considering a more adaptable approach than just tying two straight pieces of cord from hanger to hook. If you take a different tack, you may find the end results more satisfying, as well as easier to achieve. |
|
11.
With picture rails, tie 2 pieces of equal chord of chain from the rail to the eyelet / D-ring on the frame You have to be very good at getting your lengths the same, or the picture will lean to one side. |
|
A.
Use this method if you want to hang off one hook from a picture rail. Because you only use 1 length of cord, you can easily adjust the angle if does not hang level. |
|
U.
The best way of dealing with picture rails. Run a length of cord from one rail hanger, through both D-rings, then up to the other rail hanger.Tthi's gives an easily adjustable & secure attachment. |
|
Cleaning.
Pretty much the only thing to remember when cleaning frames is to be gentle.
When you take pictures off the wall, remember to treat them with respect so that they do not break.
When you use solvents, be careful that they are not going to damage the glazing or the finish of the frame. In most cases a duster will keep the frame clean while something like windex can work well on the glass. Windex is also acceptable on perspex, although there are other specialty cleaners on the market which may do a better job. Be sure when using any cleaner on the glass, to read the manufacturers instructions & don't put too much on, or it may seep under the glass & ruin the picture.
|
Quick check
Transport
Hanging
Cleaning
Put them up.
Get you pictures on the wall as soon as you can. This not only means you get to appreciate them as quickly as possible, but it stops them from sitting around & getting damaged.
Pass it on.
If you are happy with your framing job. Be sure to tell your friends where you got it done. This is the best way to keep the good guys busy & the not so good ones pursuing a more suitable vocation.
Check up.
Take the occasional look at the back of your frame to check its condition. Mould & dampness will often show their presence there, long before you see anything on the front.
|
