It’s one thing to teach your kids not to play rough with their favorite painting hanging in your house, but it would probably be a lot harder to teach your pets the same. Even the most educated dog does not know the value of a painting and accidents can happen.

Just look at this painting below. While a man and woman were redoing the interior of their house, they removed their painting and put it on the floor for a second. In that second that the painting was lying on the ground, his dog walked by and not knowing what it was, he stepped on the painting, creating this huge tear!

The poor dog didn’t know any better, but this unfortunate accident could have been prevented. With any type of pet in the house (cats, dogs, birds), you should always be very careful! These are just a few tips to follow to prevent a similar type of disaster from happening in your home.

Think ahead! Placing in a location that exposes art, antiques, collectibles, or heirlooms to danger is a bad bet.

Pets, skateboards, balls… while you’re standing there, maybe I’m being watched, but when does the phone ring and you’re distracted?

Use a piece of cardboard or somehow create a temporary barrier of protection.

One of the big mistakes this couple made was placing their painting on the ground. When putting away a painting, you never want to leave it lying on the floor, vulnerable to footsteps, sliding furniture, or walking dogs. If you’re only going to set the piece aside for a short period of time, be sure to prop it up against something sturdy. It’s a good idea to prop it up on a piece of cardboard and put another piece of cardboard against the back as well. This will help prevent your feet from kicking and tearing the canvas. However, even with these precautions, you want to keep your painting in a low-traffic area, just to be safe.
Accidentally stepping or kicking is not the only cause of rips and tears in paintings. Another thing to be careful with is the way you hang your painting! If it is not hung properly and securely, your child, dog or even you could crash into the wall and cause a mess. If the cables are not routed correctly, they can also tear the paint. Here are some things to remember when hanging a painting on a wall:
-Quality and large eye hangers that hold the wire.
-Thick wire, preferably plastic-coated
-A nail in the wall hits a stud. Otherwise, use a multi-nail hanger made for drywall.
-Use the largest hanger possible
-Use Museum Wax in the bottom two corners to anchor the painting against the wall so it won’t “pop” off the hook when things start to shake.

Following these tips will not guarantee that your paint will not crack in any situation, but following them will greatly reduce the chances of a similar accident occurring. Accidents happen at any time in the most random way, that’s why they are called accidents! While you can’t always prevent them from happening, being cautious will help reduce the amount of damage and cost resulting from them.

For more ways to store your stuff, check out the YouTube channel.

How We Mend a Torn Fine Art Painting: Search for “Repair a Torn Painting, Los Angeles,

PS The birds can get rowdy too!