How to hang a picture on a wall?

Over the last few years, solid-color walls with accents of art painting or framed pictures attached to them have become trendy in interior design. More and more home designers and decorators are creating calm interiors where you can hang pictures at your discretion to make a cozy atmosphere. Another advantage of modern design is that by moving the paintings to other places, you can change the original interior without much investment of money and time.

However, not every painting can be moved so easily. In order for the picture to look good, not interfere with moving around the house, and complement the interior, you need to adhere to a few tips on how to properly hang a picture.

Сhoosing a place where to hang pictures in a room

You may find it difficult to figure out where to hang a picture in your home. Your worries are justified as incorrect art hanging add at least extra holes in your wall. You need to hang a picture in the room from the first attempt. Therefore, take a good look at where you want to install the picture and use the following tips:

1. Firstly, you need to consider a piece of art’s overall aesthetics. A gloomy picture will not look on an open wall where there is a lot of light, just like a bright joyful picture may not fit into a tight or dark corner.
2. Designers also advise against hanging pictures on the opposite side of a window, where direct sunlight will fall on them. In this case, you risk that the artwork will fade. 
3. Installing paintings should be taken with care when in a damp room such as a bathroom. It is better to use a frame with glass to prevent water vapor from entering the canvas.
4. The picture should not interfere with free passage, so do not hang it in narrow corridors. So you can move freely around the house, even with large objects in your hands, and do not risk touching and breaking art.
5. Before hanging a picture, you need to determine the height of the wall and furniture. It's best to measure the height of the picture from top to bottom, and then subtract half its height. The center of the picture should be at the level of your eyes.
6. Next measure the distance between the hook of the picture and the first mark on the wall. If you have a high ceiling or furniture against the wall, you'll have to take into account the height of the ceiling as well as the distance between the picture and the furniture. You may also measure the height of the frame and the top of the canvas to make sure that the picture is placed correctly. 

You have to choose a proper wall before hanging a picture. If the picture weighs less than 4 kg, it can be hung with most hanging solutions. If the frame weighs more than 4 kg, you should use an artwork rail or wall studs. 

Different ways to hang a picture

Having the right tools, you can hang the picture on any wall from drywall to concrete. The main thing to do is take into account the weight and size of the art and the strength of the wall. The type of fasteners used will depend on this.

Adhesive for sticking pictures

There are a wide variety of ways to install painting when it does not exceed 3 kg. To hang a painting without nails you can use double-sided tape, liquid nails, or any type of adhesive. This will help you avoid holes in the wall, but it will still leave damage to your wall paint or wallpaper. In case you are not going to drill holes, this may be the easiest option after mounting a shelf for pictures.

Nails or screws

A typical way of hanging pictures involves the use of nails or screws. To hang a picture with nails, you must ensure that you place them at a slight angle. Alternatively, you can use a wall anchor, which will be more secure.

If the wall is made of plasterboard, you will need to use a drywall anchor. Plasterboard walls can be durable enough to withstand heavy artwork if you hand them on the wall studs. To hang a heavy picture on drywall you need to use an electronic or magnetic stud finder; it is a device that helps to find the studs inside the wall. This is the most secure way to hang a painting on drywall.

Brick and concrete walls will require a pilot hole filled with a special mortar, plastic anchor, and screw. In such a way hanging a picture to a concrete wall will work best. The mortar is important when hanging a picture on a brick wall to avoid cracks inside the brick after drilling. 

To hang a heavy picture you need to have mounting hardware:

• Anchors;
• Impact drill;
• Concrete drill bit;
• Hammer;
• Wrench.

If you are not sure of the result and do not want to punch holes in the walls in vain, you can hire someone to hang the picture. For a small fee a handyman will do the job quickly and without dirt and you do not have to look for tools and spend your time on it.

Types of picture hangers

1. Ring hangers are attached to the rear of the frame and a wire is pulled between them. This method allows you to hang pictures with a wire that weighs up to 5-7 kg. To hang a picture with wire the frame should be less than 30 wide. If it's too wide, you best use two screws to stabilize it. 
2. Sawtooth hangers are the most common way to install artwork on the wall. Due to the teeth, such a hanger allows you to adjust the horizontal position of the painting, which is very convenient when it comes to modular wall art.
3. French cleat works the same way as a TV mount. One part is attached to the wall and the other to the painting, so when connected, they create a secure system that does not imply accidental fall.
4. Picture rail is a great way when you need to hang a large number of paintings. The main advantage of hanging a picture from a picture rail is that you can move and add paintings without damaging the walls. It is enough to add one more hook to the rail.

Hanging pictures without frames

One common method how to hang pictures without frames involves using adhesive strips, which are easy to attach but aren't recommended if your picture is heavy. Plus, they're only good for a single-use as most of these options leave marks on the wall.

As a rule, pictures without frames are lightweight. These are most often photographs or paper posters. You may not want to use pins or glue to avoid ruining them. In this case, you can pull the thread in the place where you want to hang the pictures and attach them with a clothespin or stationery pegs.

Artwork lighting

We often wonder how high to hang pictures, but for some reason, few people think about backlight for painting. How the light hits the piece of art will affect your feeling when watching it. Usually, special accent lighting is used to illuminate paintings. These can be either ceiling-mounted accent lights or special picture lights.

The question of how to light artwork on a wall requires you to think ahead since to install track lighting for artwork, you need to wire electricity to the spot. With the help of lighting installation services, you can give a picture a special focus, even in a large room. Light installers will be able to cope with the task in such a way they do not disrupt the aesthetics of your room and at the same time illuminate your picture correctly.