As well as presenting paintings accurately, frames are also an important part of protecting the canvas, panel or paper. This means that if a frame becomes unstable, damaged or contaminated with decades of dust, the artwork itself will also be at risk. 

Our team at Fine Art Restoration Company is on hand to offer solutions to damaged and dirty frames, including professional conservation cleaning and expert restoration of missing or damaged areas. Antique frame damage our team can restore includes:

• Missing or broken areas of decoration 
• Discolouration and build-up of dust 
• Gilding and areas of gold leaf application 
• Contamination from soot, floodwaters or nicotine
• Stability of the structure and joins 
• Loose or broken hanging devices

Our team is experienced in the museum-level care of all periods from the early renaissance era through to the turn of the century and art deco designs. This includes the accurate recreation of missing parts, as well as the careful reapplication of broken areas with conservation-appropriate solutions. 

Natural damage to antique frames may be due to their old age. Age-related deterioration may see the frame become gradually more unstable over time or weaken if previously gilded wooden or plaster areas are left exposed to the atmosphere. Grand 18th century frames from the baroque and rococo periods are most commonly in need of restoration due to perishing gold leaf and ornate areas of decoration which are prone to snapping and breakage. All eras of frames can benefit from stabilisation and cleaning to ensure they are strong enough to hold and display artwork or mirrors. 

Often our team comes across frames that are damaged in transit due to insufficient packaging. Another common issue is a frame falling from height when a hanging mechanism fails, fortunately, our conservators are always on hand to restore the structure, gilding and ornamental features following these common accidents. 

Floods, fires, or leaks may also see significant damage occurring to the structure and surface of an antique frame, due to high levels of contamination following such circumstances, professional help will always be required.

A frame can be restored alongside an artwork to give it the best surrounding following conservation treatment or be restored alone to bring back the original condition as a valuable or sentimentally important part of your home. Our team can also provide new and strengthened hanging systems to ensure the safety of a frame and the wall it is displayed on.

As well as frame restoration we can also provide new and bespoke framing options which are conservation appropriate and accurate to the era of the artwork.

If you have any queries related to antique frame restoration or would like to receive recommendations and a quote related to frame repairs, please contact our helpful team for further advice and guidance.