How to Hang Oil Paintings in Stairways

Measure the height and length of the painting with a ruler or a tape measure and record the measurements.

Weigh the painting by gently lowering it upright onto a bathroom or household scale so that the bottom edge rests on the scale platform. Record the weight reading.

Measure the general height and width of each stairway wall space to determine where you have the most available space on which to hang a painting. Measure from one of the middle steps to the ceiling to determine the maximum height. Measure from the top step, straight across to where it first hits the wall or ceiling -- depending on the layout of your stairs -- to get its maximum length.

Find the location of the wall studs by taking a hammer and lightly tapping on the wall and listening for a hollow sound. Move the hammer along the wall as you tap, listening until the sound stops echoing. When you no longer hear the echo, you've reached a stud.

Hold the painting up to the wall where you’d like it to hang and mark a faint line with a pencil on the wall against the top edge of the painting. Place a line at each of the top corners.

Put the painting back on the floor and on the back of it measure the distance from the pulled wire or hanging tab to the top of the painting.

Measure the space on the wall between the pencil mark you made for the top of the painting and where you will put a flush hook, using the measurement that you made in Step 6.

Nail the flush hook with a hammer onto the spot on the wall where you made the second pencil mark. This should be the mark below the line marking the top of the painting.

Hang your painting and adjust it to be straight.