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7 Tips on Applying Wallpaper
- Prepare walls for application. If the wall you want to paper is painted and in good repair, all you will need to do is clean it before application. If the paint is glossy, simply dull the gloss with an abrasive so the adhesive will stick properly. Wash down the area with a strong household detergent, let dry, and proceed with papering.
If the paint is peeling from the surface, remove it with a scraper, wash down the walls, then seal the surface with a sealer or wallpaper sizing. For walls with a textured finish, first scrape and lightly sand the surface, then cover it with lining paper.
Lining paper is a plain, lightweight wallpaper without a pattern. You apply it with presized wheat paste, butting the edges and rolling the seams. The edges do not need to be butted tightly. A liner helps in many situations, but is not a cure-all for all surface problems.
Nicked, cracked, and crumbling walls or ceilings call for corrective action. In this case, you have a couple of alternatives. You can repair the surface completely or do as much as you can to the surface and use a liner.
To paper over an existing wallcovering, be sure to repair any problems first: If the paper is loose in just a few spots and you plan to paper over it, square-off the damaged area and insert a patch. Lightly sand any seam overlaps. If you don't, the seams will show through the new wallpaper. Remove grease and dirt by washing entire surface. Glue down curled edges with wallpaper adhesive. Vinyl-to-vinyl adhesive is often the best choice; coat both the paper and the wall surface.
- The first strip is very important because it 'locks in position' all the strips that follow. Unless the first one is plumb, all other strips will be out of alignment, and the error will compound itself as you apply each successive strip to the walls. Use a plumb bob and pencil to mark a vertical line. Snap a chalk line and double-check the plumb with a level.
Uncurl the paper by unrolling it against the edge of a table. Cut the first strip several inches longer than needed.
- Apply paste to half of the strip, leaving an inch at the end to grasp. Fold over and paste the other half. 'Book' the pasted paper by folding it over twice. Let the pasted paper rest in this fashion for a few minutes or according to manufacturer's directions.
- Unfold the top half of the pasted paper. Align the paper with the plumb chalk line you snapped, overlapping the paper onto the ceiling. Smooth the paper onto the surface with the wall brush or clean sponge. Work from the center to the edges of the paper to remove all air bubbles. Reach behind the strip and unfold the bottom half. Slip it into place against the plumb mark. You can pull and reposition it.
- Smooth the lower section of paper. With a level, check for plumb. If not plumb, start again. Smooth with vertical strokes. Tap the paper into the corners with the brush. Trim with a utility knife. If the paper tears, use a new knife blade or buy disposable knives with snap-off blades.
- Cut several strips of paper at a time, allowing extra length for matching the pattern. Before pasting, check that the pattern matches up correctly. Butt seams by aligning each new strip about 1/4 inch from the adjoining one. Slide it over so the edges buckle slightly. Smooth new strip as in Step 5.
- About 15 minutes after you've hung each strip, roll the seams with a seam roller to ensure good adhesion. Do not roll flocked papers.
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