How should I hang my wall tapestry?
Most of our tapestry hangings come complete with a secondary backing. On the back of your tapestry, you will find a sleeve or rod pocket running the width of your tapestry. This is sewn in to accept a rod or dowel, which should be securely mounted to your wall with appropriate drapery brackets. Due to the large variety of rods and finials available, we do not stock or offer any (Free hanging rod provided where applicable). Rods, dowels, and finials that will compliment your home decor are usually available at most hardware stores and interior design shops. Follow the accompanying directions and install as you would any standard drapery rod.
How To Clean Your New Wall Tapestry?
Because your tapestry is mounted on a wall, it should not be subject to the same abuse as your carpet and upholstered seating; therefore it should need less frequent maintenance. (Although some have elected to place a tapestry on the floor as some of the designs lend them to this. Others have used them as bed or table covers.) Vacuuming the front and back of your tapestry once or twice per year, with your vacuum upholstery attachment, should be sufficient maintenance for many years to come. Consider cleaning your tapestries about as often you do your fine window treatments.
Your wall hanging needs to be dry cleaned by a professional.
In some cities an Antique Tapestry Dealer or Oriental rug wash/ repair room may be of assistance in cleaning your tapestry.
My tapestry has a curl to it. What can I do?
A curl in a tapestry is not unusual. Tapestries will bend and curl and may change with humidity differences. Some like to hang weights at the tapestry’s bottom corners. Although weights will help to keep the tapestry tight, over time they may cause stretching on the sides. Some have weights sewn in across the bottom of the backing. Evenly placed weights work nicely and cause less stress related stretching on one particular section of the wall art tapestry.
The best fix is to buy a tapestry rod or dowel that is about the same width as the wall tapestry. Cut the dowel so it is a little shorter than the width of the wall tapestry. Roughly and inch up from the bottom open the seam a little bit more than the tapestry rod’s diameter. You want the rod to fit in easily, but not be rolling around. Now put a whipstitch above and below your opening to avoid future unravelling. Slide the rod in. Work it into place. With a little time, the weight of the rod will help take the curl out of your tapestry and keep it flat as time goes on.
Will my tapestry fade?
Your tapestry is a textile and may fade as any textile might. In many environments, decades may pass before any noticeable fading occurs. Older wall tapestries tend to fade, and there are a lot of people who like them better when they look like antique tapestries. (Some pay extra to have them washed or tea stained. Unless you want a faded look to your tapestry in a few years hang it out of the path of direct sunlight. Hanging your wall tapestry in a low light area is also a good idea. Applying a window film or tint to reduce damaging ultraviolet light rays is also an alternative.