arrang i ngartwork
Getting the job done
As well as ensuring you have all the right equipment,
there are two important things to consider when
hanging a picture - how heavy is it and what are your
walls made of? To check the weight of your picture,
weigh yourself both with and without the painting -
the difference is the picture's weight. This will help
you choose which hanger is appropriate. If in doubt,
it's better to use hardware that’s too strong for the
job rather than not strong enough.
Basic tools
General tools you will likely need for hanging a picture
are a tape measure, pencil, hammer, screwdriver, spirit
level and drill (this should be a hammer drill with
a masonry bit for solid walls). You’ll also need the
appropriate hardware for your frame and walls.
If your walls are hollow, such as Gyprock or timber
panelling, choose from:
■ Self-adhesive hooks (for a picture up to 2.2kg) -
these come in a range of removable styles.
■ Picture hooks (up to 8kg) - a metal hook attached
to the wall with one or multiple nails at an angle.
■ Hollow wall anchors (plastic: up to 5kg; metal: up to
10kg; toggle-style: up to 20kg) or self-drilling anchors.
■ Stud anchors (for very heavy pictures or mirrors) -
these include hooks that are drilled directly into the
frame of your wall, or split battens - a pair of mitred
battens that are fixed along both the wall and artwork
which slot into each other.
If your walls are solid (brick or concrete), use:
■ Self-adhesive hooks (up to 2.2kg).
■ Plastic nail-in hooks (only for very lightweight pictures)
- position and hammer in the three holding pins.
■ Plastic expansion anchors (for heavier pictures)
- a threaded plastic wall plug that expands when
a screw or bolt is threaded into it.
■ Dynabolts (for very heavy frames or mirrors)
- a metal expanding wall anchor.
H a n gin g a print
GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES
■ Suitable print
■ Tape measure
■ Appropriate hook
■ Hammer and nails
■ Spirit level
■ Blu-Tack
HERE’S HOW
STEP 1
Measure width of
your wall space and halve
it to find the centre, then draw
a light vertical line at this point.
Or, simply mark your chosen
position with a line.
STEP
2
To find correct
height for your picture, hold
it in position at desired height
(get a friend to help), then
measure and note distance
from ceiling to top of frame.
STEP 3
Look at the back
of your frame and measure
distance between hanger and
the top of the frame. This is
simple if you have a hook or
sawtooth hanger, but if you
have a cord or wire, pull it
towards the top of the frame at
full tension before measuring
as this will be the position
it will sit at when hung.
STEP4Addthe measurements
from Step 2 and Step 3 to
give the distance from ceiling
to hanger. Mark the vertical
line (from Step 1) at this point
to give the correct position
for your hook. Check your
measurements twice!
£
STEP 3
STEP 5
Using appropriate
hanger and method, attach picture to wall at marked position.
Remember that the position you marked is where the actual
hook should go, not the top of hanger.
STEP 6
Use a spirit level to adjust the picture to ensure
it is hanging absolutely horizontally.
STEP 7
Place a small piece of Blu-Tack behind each lower
corner to prevent picture from shifting.
For project supplies, see Stockists page
go to bhg.com.au for all
your picture hanging solutions
Words Georgina Bitcon: photography Phil Aynsley.
Jahreszeiten Verlag
/Picture Media, iStockphoto;
styling Chantal Davison (magazine), Melissa Norton (TV); concept Kylie Sams (TV): diagrams Stephen Pollitt
