6 Places Where You Should Never Hang an Oil Painting

Paintings can give a room life and character while making you smile every time you walk by, but you should never hang them where the risk of damage is high. The “perfect” spot to hang your oil painting should be both aesthetically pleasing to you and ideal for the painting itself. The materials used for oil paintings are fragile and will deteriorate quickly in hazardous conditions.

Never hang an oil painting in high-traffic areas like hallways or entryways. Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and garages are also off-limits due to fluctuating temperatures and humidity. And poor ventilation, excessive dust, or smoke rooms will cause buildup, resulting in mold and mildew growth.

I touched briefly on the effects of hanging your painting in direct sunlight, heat, humidity, and outdoor space in my last article, 4 Places Where You Should Never Hang An Oil Painting, but there’s more I want to share with you. So, as a continuation, this article will explore 6 Places Where You Should Never Hang an Oil Painting with more ideas on what to avoid!

One – High Traffic Hallways and Entryways

Just imagine hanging your gorgeous piece of art in the hallway only to hear it come crashing down from being bumped as you, your family, or a pet dash passed it—heartbreaking, I know.

Hallways tend to have a lot of traffic, especially an entryway, and accidents happen, so it’s best to avoid high-risk locations to prevent damage. 

Suppose you have a hallway with exceptionally high ceilings. In that case, you can hang it at a higher level (above traffic and objects) to reduce the risk of something happening to your lovely painting. Just remember to maintain it by removing dust buildup.

In addition, entryways are a terrible location because your painting is exposed to fluctuating temperatures and humidity since it’s next to the main entrance. These conditions will cause the artwork to deteriorate more rapidly than usual. 

Oil paintings should be kept in an area with low to moderate traffic around your art and away from entryways to preserve the lifespan of your beautiful artwork. 

Two – Kitchens and Bathrooms

Kitchens and bathrooms are well-known places to fluctuate in temperature and humidity, which can substantially deteriorate oil paintings. 

Cooking, doing the dishes, and using the oven in the kitchen contribute to the increase in heat and humidity levels. And, of course, showering and bathing will have the same effect on bathrooms.  

Museums, for example, always keep their temperature and humidity levels controlled within strict ranges at all times for optimal preservation of art pieces displayed, including oil paintings that are centuries old.

Many don’t realize how vulnerable oil paintings can be, especially regarding these two factors. However, keeping an oil painting in this environment causes premature deterioration because the heat and moisture significantly affect the materials of the painting. 

How Temperature and Humidity Affect Oil Paintings

Temperature and humidity changes create stress on the materials. You should keep the temperature controlled where the painting is hung to stay between 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius), and the humidity range at 45 to 55 percent. 

Above 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius), the paint and canvas will begin to expand as many materials do when exposed to higher heat. 

When canvas expansion happens, it stretches the paint, and the materials (paint and canvas) begin to separate. The canvas will shrink when exposed to colder temperatures, which leads to brittleness, cracking, and peeling. 

Also, as the canvas expands, the materials will be susceptible to moisture, inviting contamination.

Three – Drafty Areas

During seasonal changes, temperatures and humidity can have drastic changes. And each time you expose the painting to outside conditions, it will eventually weaken and destroy the integrity of the artwork.

But drafty areas also carry a lot of pollen, dirt, and debris from the outside, which is also damaging.

So, don’t place your painting next to or near exterior doors (like entryways and mudrooms), windows (open or closed), and vents. These areas tend to be more drafty with a change in temperature and sometimes humidity.

Four – Areas With Excessive Dust and Smoke

Typically oil paintings have a sticky feel, so varnishing is done to protect it and prevent dust, dirt, and other buildups on the painting surface. Without varnish, dust, smoke, and other particles in the air will stick right to the painting surface and build up quickly. 

Hanging an oil painting in a smoke or dusty room will ultimately ruin your oil painting, especially if it’s not varnished. 

It’s much easier to clean dust buildup on a countertop, shelf, or floor than on an oil painting. And areas of your home that tend to accumulate more dust will increase the likelihood of mold and mildew growth on your oil paintings once buildup occurs. 

And nicotine or vape smoke is even worse than dust buildup. 

Nicotine and vape buildup is thick, unforgiving, and extremely hard to remove from walls, other surfaces, and clothing. More than likely, you would have to pay a professional that has experience in the matter to restore your painting, if it’s possible. 

Five – Basements and Garages

As mentioned above, any environment with temperature and humidity fluctuation is terrible for the longevity of your painting. 

And these places are likely to be very cold during the winter and warm during the summer, with frequent humidity changes.

If you live in a humid climate, then it is likely that there will be high levels of moisture in your basement or garage. This moisture can seep into your oil painting or collect on the back of the painting and cause mold and mildew growth. 

So, unless your basement or garage is effectively sealed and proven to keep ideal temperatures and humidity, it should be deemed off-limits for hanging your oil painting.

If you’re unsure how stable your temperature and humidity are, try using the Govee Temperature Humidity Monitor (found on Amazon.com). 

Last update on 2024-04-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

This device monitors both temperature and humidity, and it’s Bluetooth enabled to view the current reading on your phone. The Bluetooth feature is highly convenient because it allows you to act fast if there’s a drastic change. Also, two monitors come with your purchase, allowing you to monitor multiple rooms with paintings.

Six – Poorly Ventilated Places

And finally, ventilation plays a vital role in how susceptible your home is to mold and mildew growth.

A house or room that’s humid and has poor ventilation is a highly hazardous combo for your painting and for you, your family, and the house structure. This condition provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria that causes mold and mildew to form. 

But as for your painting, these conditions cause the oil to condense, inviting mold and mildew to form on the painting surface. Also, moisture on an oil painting can attract unwanted insects that will damage your artwork.

So, ensure good ventilation in your home to prevent moisture buildup and bacteria growth.