An original painting on canvas from the VanArtHub gallery at 1242 Davie Street in Vancouver.

Care & repair · Vancouver

Reframing Service

Bring in a painting whose frame no longer suits it, or whose backing is damaging it. We assess what should be kept and reframe it in Vancouver at 1242 Davie Street.

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Sometimes the painting is fine and the frame is the problem. Sometimes the frame looks fine and what is behind it has been quietly damaging the work for thirty years. Reframing covers both, and the first step is the same either way: open it up and look.

What we usually find

Acidic backing board is the most common, and it leaves a brown line that follows the edge of the board inward. Old masking tape and gummed tape are next, both of which stain and both of which get harder to remove the longer they stay. Then corrugated cardboard used as a filler, which prints its own ridges through to the front over decades.

None of that is visible until the frame comes apart, which is why a piece that has not been opened in twenty years is worth opening even if it looks fine.

What is worth keeping

Often the frame itself. An older moulding is frequently better made than a new one and suits the work in a way a modern profile will not. If the frame is sound, we keep it and replace everything inside it, which is usually the cheaper answer as well as the better one.

Inherited work

If the piece came from a family member, tell us anything you know about it before we start. Some things that look like damage are original to the work, and something that looks like a cheap old frame is occasionally the frame the artist chose. We would rather ask.

What we need

The piece as it is, still in its frame. Do not take it apart first: how it was assembled is information, and it is easy to lose.

Glazing: glass or acrylic, UV filtering Spacer: holds the air gap open Window mat, bevel cut at 45° The artwork, hinged not glued Acid-free backing board Dust seal and flexible points Frame moulding and rebate FRONT OF FRAME
A framed work on paper cut through the side. Front of the frame is at the left. The spacer is what keeps the glazing off the surface of the art, which matters most for anything that can bloom, cockle, or stick.

How it works

  1. 1

    Bring it in, or send photographs

    Walk in to 1242 Davie Street during opening hours. If you are not in Vancouver, send the dimensions and a photograph and we will work from that.

  2. 2

    We look at the actual piece

    What it is made of, what condition it is in, and where it is going to hang all change the answer. You get a straight recommendation and a price for your piece, not a rate card.

  3. 3

    It is made by hand and fitted

    Cut to the piece, using conservation materials, and finished with hanging hardware rated for the actual weight.

Common questions

Why reframe something that looks fine?

Because what is doing the damage is usually behind the picture and invisible from the front. Acidic backing board, old tape and cardboard fillers are all common and all leave permanent marks. A piece that has not been opened in twenty years is worth opening.

What do you usually find inside an old frame?

Acidic backing board most often, leaving a brown line that follows the edge of the board inward. Then old masking or gummed tape, which stains and gets harder to remove over time. Then corrugated cardboard, which prints its own ridges through to the front over decades.

Can I keep the original frame?

Often, and it is frequently the better answer. An older moulding is usually better made than a new one and suits the work in a way a modern profile will not. If the frame is sound we keep it and replace everything inside it.

Is reframing cheaper than a new frame?

It can be, when the existing frame is sound and only the interior is replaced. It is not automatically cheaper, because opening a piece up sometimes reveals work that has to be done. You get a real number once we have looked.

Should I take the frame apart before bringing it in?

No. How a piece was assembled is information, and it is easy to lose. Bring it exactly as it is, including any backing paper and any labels on the back.

It was inherited. Does that change anything?

Tell us anything you know about it before we start. Some things that look like damage are original to the work, and something that looks like a cheap old frame is occasionally the one the artist chose. We would rather ask.

Other things we frame

Where to find us

VanArtHub Gallery 1242 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 1N3
Canada
Monday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tuesday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Thursday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sunday11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Get directions Call (604) 401-9499

Not sure what yours needs?

Send the measurements, what it is made of, and a photograph. We will tell you what it actually needs, including when the answer is that it needs less than you expected.

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