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Hanging a Picture On the Level
We all like pictures on our walls, and putting them up should be simple, right? You just wire the picture and hang it. From time to time, though, we all get tripped up on simple things: positioning the picture, keeping it level and picking the right hanger hardware. If you follow the steps below, the frustration factor should drop to near zero.
Wire, Hooks, Hangers and Anchors
Picture wire it's really light cable comes in several gauges, sized by the weight each can hold. Picture hooks and hangers are also sized by the weight they can safely support. You can shop for each of these separately or choose a picture hanging kit that contains wire, hooks and hangers.
If your picture weighs more than 10 pounds or so, hang it from a stud or other framing member to get the best support. Use a 1 1/2-inch #4 or #6 sheet metal screw with a dome-shaped head (known as a pan-head screw). Otherwise, use a hollow-wall anchor rated to hold at least a few pounds more than your picture's weight. If you have a brick or block wall, use an expanding masonry anchor. |
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When in doubt, use heavier hardware rather than lighter. And don't use stick-on hooks, except to hang very lightweight pictures. (The best adhesive-backed hooks are 3M™ picture hangers with Command Adhesive™, which are rated to hold pictures up to 5 pounds. This new type of hook is easy to remove, and there's little risk of peeling away the paint or drywall surface).
Step by Step
1. Attach the picture wire. Metal frames have eyes for wire attachment that slide and lock in grooves on the back of the frame. Wooden frames need to have screw eyes installed. Position both kinds of eyes about a third of the way down from the top. |
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If your frame is wooden, predrill the screw eye holes. Then measure the wire so that it's about 1 1/2 times the distance between the eyes, and cut it with long-nose pliers. Feed the wire through the eyes so that an even amount protrudes on each side. Loop the wire through one of the eyes twice, wrap the extra wire back around itself, and you're finished with that eye. Working at the opposite eye, adjust the wire tension so that when you pull the wire toward the top of the frame, the "point" where it will hang on the hook is no more than halfway up. Fasten the wire to the eye as you did the first one. To protect the wall and help keep the picture level, stick self-adhesive felt or rubber dots on each bottom corner of the frame.
2. Find the spot and install the hanger. Use the simple hanging tool shown a screw driven through a 1-by-2 or other piece of light wood a foot or so long. To begin, grab the top end of the tool and hang your picture from the screw, as level as possible, so that the point of the screw faces the wall. Decide where you want to place the picture on the wall, and then press the tool so that the screw marks the hanger location. (It helps to have a friend hold the picture while you stand back and fine-tune its position.) Set the picture aside and install your chosen hanger, making sure you position it so that the wire will pass directly over the screw mark on the wall.
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Large pictures, heavy pictures and long horizontal frames are best hung from two hangers instead of one. Two hangers not only share the weight of a larger frame; they also prevent the frame from tilting once you've leveled it. You can still use your hanging tool to position the hangers.
Use the mark made by the screw as a reference point. Make two more marks, one on either side of the first one. For best results, the space between the hooks should be roughly one-third of the picture's width. Keep in mind that two hangers will cause the picture to sit higher on the wall than one hanger. To get the right picture height, you'll have to either move your hangers down slightly from the screw mark, or tie more slack into the picture cord.
3. Make fine adjustments. To raise or lower the picture, unwrap the hanging wire at one end, shorten or lengthen the wire as needed, and rewrap. To move the picture further to one side, install a second hanger, level with the first. The center of the picture will be the midpoint between the two hangers. (If you're already using two hangers, you'll have to move at least one of them.)
Tips from the pros: We hear that standard practice in some art galleries is to install pictures with their centers about 5 feet, 2 inches up from the floor. This allows most people to gaze without tilting their heads. We also know a decorator who routinely goes for a lower height, often to terrific effect, especially around seating areas. Experiment! Now that you've made that nifty hanging tool, it's easy.
TOOLS AND MATERIALS
Long-nose pliers
Picture wire and hooks or Picture hanging set
Pan-head screws, masonry anchors or hollow-wall anchors
Adhesive dots
One 1-by-2, approximately 1 foot long
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