Mounting and display
Rug mounting and display.
Some rugs are too fine, too fragile or too good to walk on, and are better seen on a wall. Hanging a textile safely is not a matter of nails and a curtain rod: the weight must be spread evenly, the weave supported, and the room kept kind to fiber and dye. We prepare, line and mount pieces so they can be displayed for decades without harm.
Velcro and strainer mounting.
Methods
For most rugs and tapestries we use a Velcro hanging system. A strip of the soft side is hand-stitched to a cotton webbing band, which is sewn across the back of the top edge through the foundation, so the weight is carried by many small stitches rather than a few points. The hook side is fixed to a sealed wooden batten on the wall. The piece can be taken down and rehung without damage, and leveled easily.
Smaller pieces, fragments and anything too weak to hang from one edge are mounted on a strainer: a wooden frame covered in a padded, washed fabric. The textile is stitched to the fabric across its whole surface with fine conservation thread, so no part of it carries its own weight. Strainer mounts can be framed, with or without glazing.
Velcro hanging systems
Weight spread along the full top edge.
Strainer mounts
Full support for fragments and weak pieces.
Linings
Protect the back and keep dust out.
Framing
With or without glazing, for small pieces.
Hanging tapestries and fragments.
Tapestries and fragments
Tapestries are woven without knots and often have slits and weak silks, so they are usually stabilized before they go on a wall; see our Aubusson and tapestry conservation page. We line them to protect the back and fit a hanging system matched to their weight. Very large pieces may need a system along both the top and a supporting band lower down.
Every mount begins with a lining. A washed cotton or linen lining is stitched loosely to the back of the piece, keeping dust and insects away from the weave and giving the hanging system something sound to hold. On lighter pieces the lining alone can carry the weight; on heavier ones it works with the webbing band. Nothing we add is glued, and everything can be removed later without leaving a mark.
Fragments, whether a surviving border, a panel from a larger carpet or an archaeological piece, are the most vulnerable textiles we handle. They are cleaned only as far as is safe, stabilized onto a support fabric and mounted flat on a strainer. The aim is to show them as they are, honestly, without filling in what is lost.
Light and humidity.
Display guidance
Light is the enemy of dye. Hang textiles away from direct sun, use UV-filtering film or glazing on nearby windows where possible, and keep lighting low and cool; LEDs are kinder than halogen. Consider rotating a piece off the wall for part of the year.
Keep humidity steady and moderate, avoiding outside walls that get cold and damp, and spots above radiators, fireplaces or air vents. Vacuum hanging textiles gently through a screen once or twice a year, and check the back for moths each season.
What to send us.
What to send us
Send photographs of the piece front and back, its approximate size, and a photograph of the wall where it will hang, including nearby windows and heating. Tell us whether the wall is plaster, drywall or paneling, and whether the piece has been hung before.
Timelines and pricing.
Timelines and pricing
Mounting is quoted after we have seen the piece and the wall, including any stabilization it needs first; our pricing page explains how figures are reached. Installation can be carried out in your home. Pickup and delivery are free.
Frequently asked.
Questions
- Can any rug be hung on a wall?
- Most can, with the right support. Weak or fragmentary pieces are mounted on a padded strainer instead of hung from one edge.
- Is Velcro safe for an antique textile?
- Yes, when the soft side is stitched to a webbing band sewn to the rug. The rug never touches adhesive, and the weight is spread along the whole top edge.
- Where should I avoid hanging a rug?
- Away from direct sunlight, and not above radiators, fireplaces or air vents, or on cold, damp outside walls.
Related reading
Antique rug restoration steps, from intake to return
What actually happens between the day a rug leaves your floor and the day it comes back: seven stages, in the order a conservator works them.
Searching for rug repair near me? What to ask before you hand it over
Not every shop that says rug repair does the work in house. Six questions that separate a conservator's studio from a drop-off counter.
Inquiry
Plan a display.
Send photographs of the piece and the wall. We reply with a recommendation and a written estimate.