Hanging Acrylic On Canvas in Bathroom

Shayla

WOW Framer
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How bad is it to hang an original acrylic on canvas in a potentially steamy room? They love the idea of having it there, but will the canvas ripple? Or something else bad happen to the paint? I've e-mailed the artist to ask if she varnished it, but I know that steam can also get to the paint through the back. It's gallery wrapped around a wood strainer, and is two feet square.
 
I always tell people the risks of hanging almost any kind of framed art in a bathroom (kitchen, etc.).
Unfortunately most of the time they don't care and do it anyway.
As long you've given them your professional advice about the risks, it's out of your control once it leaves your shop.
If they come back with a warped canvas, charge them double to fix it.

I finished reframing a piece last week that had very obviously been in a "moist" environment.
Literally, streaks running down the photo surface from condensation, and ruined mats.
I have another to work on with similar issues. Poorly chosen display locations. :shrug:

Having said that, I have a local native artist's print in a frame above my stove in my kitchen. I should know better.
I haven't inspected it to see how damaged it is. Probably not good.
 
All that Yiva said, plus..
You know how some people will steam or moisten the back of a canvas to tighten it up.
So yes, there will definitely be consequences with moisture, not to mention the drastic temperature fluctuations given a bathroom environment.

Now, if no value, it could be mounted on Di-Bond, and the paint, depending on the type, would be its protection.

We did a lot of artwork for bathrooms, most were painted on aluminum panel, with sides similar to a gallery wrap, the paints were an automotive type. They were all abstracts, designed for outdoor, as well as indoor use, very durable. The Artist was well known and got a premium for his work.
 
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Amen to all of the above. The only kind of bathroom where you may get away with it is one of those palatial ballroom sized rooms in the kind of homes picture framers cannot afford or those where the shower is fully enclosed and separately ventilated.
 
I warned them of potential canvas-warping. Interestingly, the artist has hung these in her own bathroom for years, with good results. (And no, she's not just saying that to sell art.)
 
I think that unless it is going to hang in a steam room, nothing to worry here.
 
Acrylic is durable, since it dries as a solid plastic surface. Varnish probably would not help its longevity, so it's probably not varnished. The canvas and stretcher frame are hygroscopic and susceptible to moisture damage over time. As noted by others, the wood could warp and the canvas could grow mildew/mold. Covering the back tightly with something like Coroplast would help.
 
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