When the heating comes on in autumn, the walls of a house change. The air dries out. Warm currents rise from radiators and vents. A fire throws heat up the chimney breast. All of that affects whatever is hanging there. And the chimney breast, the wall above the radiator and the space beside a vent are often the best spots in the room for a picture.
You don't have to leave them empty. You do need to know what heat does and how to allow for it.
What heat does to art
- It dries things out. Wood shrinks as it loses moisture. The stretcher bars of a canvas and the mouldings of a frame can warp, and joints can open.
- It moves things. Materials expand when warm and shrink when cool. A canvas over a radiator goes through that cycle every day through the winter. Over years, the canvas can slacken.
- It carries dust. Warm air rises and takes dust with it. That dust lands on the wall and on the picture above a heat source. It is why you see a grey shadow on the wall above an old radiator.
- It makes paper curl. Paper takes up and gives off moisture quickly. An unframed poster above a radiator will ripple.
- It weakens adhesives. Adhesive strips and hooks can let go when they are warm.
- It speeds up ageing. Inks and paper change faster when warm.
None of this happens in a week. It is slow, and steady warmth is far less harmful than swings between hot and cold.
Radiators
A radiator sends a column of warm air straight up the wall.
- Leave at least 12 inches between the top of the radiator and the bottom of the art. More is better.
- Fit a shelf above the radiator. This is the best single measure. A shelf turns the rising air out into the room, away from the wall. The art then hangs above the shelf in much cooler air.
- Put your hand on the wall where the picture will go, with the heating on. If the wall feels clearly warm, move the picture higher or choose another wall.
- Use screws or nails, not adhesive strips.
- Dust the picture more often in winter.
Electric panel heaters and baseboard heaters behave the same way. Keep art, and tapestries above all, well clear of them.
Air vents
Forced-air heating and air conditioning blow through vents in the floor, wall or ceiling.
- Don't hang art in the path of the air. Hold a strip of tissue by the vent and see where it blows.
- Floor vents below a picture push warm, dusty air up over it. A plastic deflector, sold in hardware shops, turns the air out into the room.
- Ceiling and high wall vents blow across the top of nearby art. Leave a foot or two.
- Return vents draw air in, with dust. Art beside one gets dirty faster.
- Tapestries near a vent will move in the air and collect dust. Never let fabric cover a vent.
- Air conditioning matters too. Cold air on a warm, humid day can cause condensation on a glazed frame.
Fireplaces
The wall above the fire is the traditional place of honour for a picture. Whether it is safe depends on the kind of fire.
An open wood fire
The hardest case. It gives off heat, smoke and soot, and a film builds up on anything above it. If you use the fire often, hang something you can replace or clean, and expect to wipe it down. A deep mantel helps a great deal, because it turns heat and smoke out into the room.
A wood-burning stove
A stove throws out strong heat in all directions, and the flue pipe is very hot. Keep art well away from the stove and the pipe. Follow the clearances in the stove's manual.
A gas fire
Cleaner than wood, but many gas fires push a lot of heat up the wall. Check the manufacturer's instructions. They usually give a minimum distance to anything above the fire.
An electric fire
The easiest. Most blow warm air out of the front, and the wall above stays cool. Check where the heat comes out.
A fireplace that is never used
Treat it as an ordinary wall.
The test
Run the fire for an hour as you normally would. Then hold your hand flat on the wall where the art will hang. If it is comfortable to keep your hand there, the spot is probably fine. If it is hot, it is too hot for art. You can also tape a cheap thermometer to the wall for an evening.
Hanging above a mantel
- Leave 4 to 12 inches between the mantel and the bottom of the picture.
- The art should be about two-thirds the width of the mantel, and no wider than it.
- A canvas can simply lean on the mantel, which makes it easy to move when the fire is lit.
- Don't worry that it is higher than eye level. Above a fireplace, that is expected.
If there is a television above the fire, see art above a TV or behind a monitor.
Which format copes best?
- Canvas. A good choice near gentle warmth. It has no glass to trap heat or collect condensation, and it can be dusted. Its wooden frame can still warp in strong, direct heat.
- Framed posters. The cover keeps dust and soot off the print, and it can be wiped clean. That makes a framed print a sensible choice above a fire that produces some soot. Heat can build up behind the cover, so keep it out of real heat.
- Unframed posters. The least suitable. They curl and ripple.
- Tapestries. Keep fabric well away from any fire, stove or heater. Ours are polyester, which can melt or scorch. Never hang one above an open fire, near a stove, over a radiator or across a vent. Follow the clearances given by the maker of your heater.
See canvas vs poster vs framed poster.
Dry winter air
Heating dries the whole house, not only the wall above the radiator. Most art is happiest at a relative humidity of roughly 40 to 55 percent, which is also comfortable for people. If your home gets very dry in winter, a humidifier helps the art, the furniture and you. Avoid sudden changes.
Signs that a spot is too hot
- The canvas has gone slack or rippled.
- The frame has warped, or its corners have opened.
- Paper has waves in it.
- There is a dark film on the surface.
- The wall above the heat source is discoloured.
If you see any of these, move the piece. See canvas care: cleaning, sunlight and humidity.
Other warm places
- Above a television, games console or amplifier that gives off heat at the back.
- Close to halogen or other hot light bulbs. LED lights run cool and are the better choice for lighting art.
- A wall with hot water pipes in it.
- A window that gets strong afternoon sun.
The short version
- Leave a foot above a radiator, and fit a shelf.
- Keep art out of the airflow from vents.
- Test the wall above a fire with your hand.
- Use canvas or a framed print near gentle warmth, and screws to hang them.
- Keep tapestries away from all heat.
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