Seasonal Free Tips

Wallpapering Tips Assess what kind of setting you want for your room. Do you want to add character, make it warm and inviting, or brighten a dark room? The options are endless. Once you've selected your wallpaper, prepare by turning off electricity and removing wall plates. Repair all cracks and holes. A solution of two cups household bleach to one gallon of water can be used to remove stains and mildew. The walls should then be treated with a quality stain killer/primer. Sand walls if paint comes off easily with tape or a wet cloth. Buy a quality wallpapering kit from your local PRO Hardware Store. Measure the height and length of each wall, multiply the two for each wall, add the totals to determine how much area needs to be covered. Use a chart to determine how many feet of wall space each roll of paper will cover-varies with patterns. Application: Start hanging wallpaper to the right of a door or window-makes any break in the color or pattern less conspicuous. Mark 1/2 inch from the paper edge to allow for overlapping. Use premixed paste or mix powder paste using cold water. Only cut two or three strips at a time, allowing four extra inches in length. The wallpaper will overlap at the ceiling and the baseboard by approximately 2 inches. Be sure to allow for pattern match, either random, straight across or drop match. Selvage (excess trimmed edge) should be removed from the wall and seams closed within one hour. Brush paste evenly on the back of the paper. Smooth the paper with a wallpapering brush and use a roller on the seams. Seams should be vertical, have a tight fit and be free from air and paste bubbles.