DIY Proudly Presents…
“The Ultimate Guide To Installing Wallpaper”
Introduction
Wallpapering can be fun, enjoyable, and ad a unique flavor to any house! If you follow the tips and instructions outlined in this guide on “The Ultimate Guide to Installing Wallpaper”, you will end up with a neater job with less waste and effort. We will be discussing the materials you will need, how to prepare the wall before wallpapering, how to determine the amount of paper you will need, discussing other preparation steps, and finally cutting and hanging the wallpaper.
CHAPTER 1 : Materials You Will Need
Before we get started preparing the walls before wallpapering, let’s discuss the materials you will need to complete the job:
Razor Knife
Ladders
Spackling Compound
Seam Roller
Screwdriver
Straightedge
Sandpaper
Marking Pencil
Patching Plaster
Work Surface
Smoothing Brush
Wallpaper Paste
Wallpaper
Folding Rule
Plastic Pail
Sponge
Paper Shears
Paste Brush
Paint Edger or Broad Knife
CHAPTER 2 : How To Prepare the Wall before Wallpapering
There are two important steps you should take before you even begin to hang your wallpaper in your house. The first step is to read the manufacturer’s directions on the products that you will be using. The second is to prepare the walls properly before you start to paper them. The more time you spend on preparing the walls, the greater the results will be. Please remember to always turn off the electricity and remove any wall plates, wall fixtures, and outlet plates before starting to hand the wallpaper.
1. The walls must be in superior condition. Any holes or cracks must be repaired immediately.
2. All molds should be removed with a blend of two cups of household bleach per gallon of water. After the wall is dry, it should be primed with a good quality stain killer/primer.
3. Sand any peeling in order to get that smooth finish. Walls painted with gloss or semi-gloss paints should be sanded to dull the surface. All sanded surfaces should be primed prior to hanging wallpaper.
4. Any stains should be primed with a stain killer primer prior to hanging wallpaper
5. For new drywall, be sure the areas down the joints and over nail heads are carefully sanded smooth. New drywall should be primed with a white primer immediately.
***Remember if you are hanging paper on a wall where old wallpaper has been removed, clean off any left over wallpaper glue. The glue can be removed by sanding or by using an adhesive remover. Wash the wall and let it completely dry. You will need to prime this wall prior to hanging the wallpaper!***
6. Wall liners have allowed wallpaper to be placed over rough surfaces like paneling and masonry block. Use a primer that will provide excellent adhesiveness between the surface and the wallpaper. Wallpaper can be applied directly over paneling, but the grooves will need to be filled in and primed before.
***REMEMBER***-Turn off the electricity before removing all switches and fixtures!!!!!
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CHAPTER 3 : How to Determine the Amount of Wallpaper Required
There are many ways to determine the amount of paper you’ll need but the best way is to first determine the height of the wall from the top of the baseboard to the ceiling.
Next you will need to measure the length of each wall. Add the lengths of the walls together and find the total number of square feet by multiplying the wall height by the total number of square feet to be covered by wallpaper.
Here are some additional components of wallpaper you must understand:
1. Single rolls of wallpaper usually have on average 36 square feet of material. Double rolls have roughly 72 square feet. Triple rolls have on average108 square feet. Nowadays, these types of roll measurements are being eliminated and may be hard to find. Today you might find rolls that have on average of 29 square feet per roll and the double roll having 58 square feet per roll.
2. One of the best tools you can use is the metric single roll chart. If your pattern does not repeat or if it repeats itself every 0 to 6 inches, each roll will yield around 25 square feet. If your pattern repeats every 7 to 12 inches, each roll will yield roughly 22 square feet. The easiest way to calculate the total number of sq. ft. needed to be covered is to divide the total number of square feet to be covered by the number that is appropriate for the type of pattern you have. This is the total number of single rolls of paper you will need for your wallpaper job.
***Remember, wallpaper is typically packaged in single or double rolls. To find the number of double rolls you need, divide the number of single rolls by two. To find the number of triple rolls you need you will need to divide by 3***
Fairly simple, right?
Here is another great chart….
CHAPTER 4 : Additional Preparation Steps and Tips
In this chapter we will be going over additional preparation steps that you need to know to get the wallpaper job done right. These steps are critical to your success and will save you a lot of time and money if you follow them correctly!
Tip #1: It’s always best to start hanging the first strip of wallpaper to the right of a door or window. Any break in the pattern of the wallpaper will be less noticeable using this technique.
Tip #2: Measure the width of the wallpaper and subtract it by half an inch. This half an inch cutback will allow the wallpaper to extend beyond to the bordering wall.
Tip #3: Put a marking of the width of the wallpaper less than half an inch on the wall to the right of the door or window where you will start.
Tip #4: Line up a level on this mark and draw a pencil line lightly from the ceiling to the floor. You want to do it in pencil because you will be changing this mark a few more times.
Tip #5: You are now ready to mix the wallpaper paste. If you are using premixed paste or pre-pasted paper, you will not need to worry about this tip.
***If you are using paste, read the manufacturer’s directions cautiously and follow them exactly as they say***
Tip #6: You will always be using cold water to mix the wallpaper paste. It needs to be mixed thoroughly eliminating all potential lumps.
Tip #7: Tie a string over the top of your paste bucket while you’re working. This will keep the brush clean and allow you to brush surplus paste out of the brush.
Tip #8: Mark the width of the wallpaper less 1/2 inch to the right of the door or window where you will begin. This was discussed earlier in the chapter but it is important and worth stating again!
***And remember, use a level to lightly draw a pencil line from the ceiling to the floor and a string across the paste bucket helps keep the brush clean***
How to Hang Wallpaper
CHAPTER 5 : How to Cut and Hang Wallpaper
How to cut and hang wallpaper is one of the most important pieces to learning how to successfully wallpaper. If you can learn how to cut and hang wallpaper with ease, you can just about do any wallpaper job. Here are the steps you will need to take to successfully cut and hang wallpaper like a professional.
1. Cut the first strip of paper 4 inches longer than the wall height. Be sure and permit for matching the pattern on the wallpaper.
2. Unroll the next strip and match the pattern before cutting the second strip. Study the pattern carefully and match it prior to cutting it at all.
3. DO NOT cut more than 2 or 3 strips of paper before applying.
4. Unroll the strip of wallpaper on your work surface with the pattern side face down. Apply the paste on the covering with a brush approx. 2/3 the length of the strip. Brush the paste out evenly and not too bulky.
***Add 2 drops of food coloring to the paste to tint it a little. You will easily be able to see the thickness of the paste and notice any missed spots***
5. Fold the pasted end of the paper back roughly 2/3 of the length of the piece and put the pasted side to the pasted side. You must avoid any CREASES!
6. Glide the paper frontward on the work surface and apply paste to the remaining 1/3 of the piece. Fold it back over in the same way. Allow about five minutes before using the piece.
7. You can run pre-pasted paper through clear water. Plastic and metal dip troughs for pre-pasted paper are available at your local hardware store. Cut a piece of pipe or dowel rod one inch shorter than the trough. Lay it in the bottom of the trough over the paper. It will hold the paper under water as you pull it out.
8. Almost every manufacturer recommends using a butt joint. It leaves no ridges at all, but will require slightly extra care to make. The edge of one strip is butted up against the edge of an neighboring strip. If you force the two edges together too tightly, it will form a ridge. If they are not placed together tightly enough, you will leave a gap between the two edges. Use the palms of your hands when positioning the paper. ***DO NOT pull on the edges***
9. Use tremendous caution when placing the first strip of paper on the wall, since all other strips of paper will be aligned to this first one. This step is VERY important.
10. You may have to trim the edge of the paper to allow for an appropriate fit. You can easily trim the wallpaper with a razor knife and a straightedge knife.
***Be extremely careful when moving around long strips of pasted wallpaper. NEVER open the paper until it is ready for it to be hung***
11. When the paper is in position for hanging, unfold the top half of the pasted sheet. Overlap the top edge of the pasted paper at the top by approximately 2 inches. You are going to want to cut away any overlapping in the trimming process of this step.
12. Grasp the edge of the paper with one hand and pull the pasted fold separately. The pasted side of the paper should be held tightly against the wall.
13. Line up the right edge of the paper with the pencil line you made before. Use a smoothing brush to smooth out the top and bottom. Allow the bottom of the paper to fall of its own weight. You are then going to want to brush it out evenly.
***If you trap some air behind the paper, smooth it out with the brush. If this does not work, pull the paper away from the wall***
14. Use the previous steps to apply each piece of paper.
15. Trim off the excess paper at the bottom and top of each strip. Use a metal paint edger or broad knife and a razor knife to get a clean edge. Change the blade on your knife every strip if you want far better results.
16. Use clean water to rinse all baseboards, casings, and anything else with a damp sponge before the paste completely dries.
17. Let the paper dry for approximately 20 minutes, and then roll all seams. Use a normal wallpaper roller and roll carefully for a efficient job. Do not apply too much pressure otherwise you can possibly form paste ridges under the paper or force the paste out through the seam.
18. Starting at the corners, you will be measuring from the last full strip of wallpaper to the corner and add half an inch. This half an inch will permit the strip to go into the corner and onto the adjacent wall by half an inch.
***Making a tiny cut at the top and bottom of the piece in the corner will make it easier to go around the corner***
Wallpapering around corners
Wallpapering a flat, unobstructed wall makes for an easy job. But every room has corners, and this can make life trickier. This guide will show you how to decorate around corners.
19. For the next piece, you will need to measure out the width of the wallpaper from the corner and make a pencil mark. Use your level and make another perfectly straight line from the floor to ceiling as before. This piece will partly cover the half inch strip on the wall from the previous piece installed. For vinyl wallpaper, use a vinyl-to-vinyl adhesive on these corner seams.
***Be EXTREMELY careful when trimming paper along the edges around fireplaces, windows, and mantelpieces. Sometimes the weight of the paper causes it to tear***
20. For outside corners, measure the distance from the last full strip to the corner. Add 1 inch to this measurement. Measure the width of the paper and add ½ inch. Measure out from the corner the width of the paper and add ½ inch. Make a pencil mark on the wall. Using your level, again draw a light pencil line from the floor to the ceiling. Line up your wallpaper with this line and match the pattern as closely as possible. This piece will overlap the last piece by ½ inch.
For any doors and windows, hang the paper over the edge. Using your razor knife cut away the excess wallpaper. Make little cuts from the corners of the doors and windows toward the center will help you place the wallpaper around these tough areas. After the paper is smoothed, use your edger and razor knife to trim around the doors and windows.
Remember, all the switch-plates and outlet plates were removed before papering; you can apply the wallpaper directly over these openings. The wallpaper can then be cut with the razor knife and straightedge. Restore the fixture plates for a complete job.
Here are some more safety tips and other various tips you need to follow:
1. Remember to brush paste on the cut piece and fold it back at each end.
2. Place a piece of pipe or dowel rod in the middle of the roll to help run pre-pasted paper through the water.
3. A butt joint leaves no ridges.
4. Use a razor knife and straightedge to trim edges when needed.
5. Carry the folded wallpaper carefully
6. Overlap wallpaper on top by 2 inches.
7. Smooth out the paper at the top and let the bottom fall into place by its own weight.
8. Trim off the surplus paper at the bottom and top.
9. Let the wallpaper dry for about 20 minutes, and then roll at the seams.
10. At the corners, measure the top and bottom. Cut the strip half an inch wider than the greatest of these widths.
11. A small slit at the top and bottom will help you bring the paper around the corner.
12. Cut out the wallpaper over plates, fixtures etc. and put them back into place.
Conclusion
Decorating your home with wallpaper is an exciting way to attain a wide range of looks: from the charm of country to the drama of modern-day to the kindness of conventional. When you start to wallpaper, remember to follow all the steps listed in this guide closely, as it will save you tons of time and money. Remember when wallpapering, one of the most important traits you can have is patience. Wallpapering material is delicate and should be treated as such. I hope this guide has truly helped you and I wish you the best of luck on your next wallpapering project!
