How to Hang Pictures in a Room With a Vaulted Ceiling
Ordinarily, the correct way to determine placement for pictures is to measure down from the ceiling. In rooms with vaulted or slanted ceilings, this method is no longer feasible, but there are alternative methods. To hang all of your pictures correctly will require a laser level or the help of at least one other person, but is otherwise a simple project. Using a laser level is fast and only requires one person, but nothing can beat the affordability of a length of string and a bubble level, sometimes referred to as a string level.
Hang Pictures in Rooms With Non-Level Ceilings
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Use a laser level. These devices can be rented by the hour or day at tool rental shops and many major hardware stores. They work by projecting a beam of light in a straight line. Set the laser level in the center of a room. It will help in marking the location for all pictures on the walls by measuring up or down from the laser line to the location where the picture will hang. Laser level users can actually use the laser light in place of a string.
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Select a point somewhere near the middle of the wall, where the most or largest pictures will be mounted. Measure up from the floor 60 inches, and use a pencil to make a faint mark that can be erased later. The reason for starting the middle of the wall is that you want to use the perspective of the room, and there is often a noticeable difference in the level of the floor between the walls and their corners.
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Stretch the string taut across the wall. Hang the bubble level on the line and adjust the ends until the bubble is level and the string is touching your original line in the middle of the wall. Make a faint mark in each corner with the pencil. Repeat this process for all walls which will have pictures on them. Use your initial mark in the middle of the wall to establish the level for all walls.
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Hold the string tight and the bubble on level. Then, measure up or down from the 60-inch height for the actual locations of your picture hangers. For frames that use more than one hanger, make a single measurement, and then use a carpenter's level to determine the location of the other marks. Mark all picture hanger locations at once rather than hanging one picture at a time.
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Install the picture hangers on the marks you have made for them. Most hangers use small tacks, but other may require a screwdriver. A small amount of hangers use innovative fastener-less designs that push into drywall. Make certain that multiple hangers intended to hold a single picture are level with each other.
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Remove the faint marks you made in order to keep your level around the room. Hang the pictures on the hangers. Use the carpenter's level to straighten the pictures as you hang them. Stand in the center of the room and give the pictures a final visual inspection. Make any aesthetic adjustments that may be required.
References
Resources
Tips
- Using a string and bubble level is much easier if there are three people on the project. Each end is held by one person, and the marks could then be made by the third.
- If you are using a laser level, turn it on after the pictures have been hung, and you will have a very accurate guide for aligning the frames.
Writer Bio
Roger Golden began his career as a writer in 2008, when he began writing weekly insurance and personal finance articles. Golden's work has appeared on eHow, USAToday.com, TheSpoof.com and his privately managed blogs, .modern Dislogic and Outdoors—Dixie Style.
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