Residential - Wall Coverings - Tips
What tools do I need for wallpapering?
Pre-Pasted and Unpasted Wallpaper
Vinyl and Vinyl-Coated Wallpaper
Other Wallcoverings
Washable and Scrubbable Wallpapers
Strippable and Peelable Wallpapers
Plain and Patterned Wallpaper
Estimating Wallpaper
Preparing Surfaces for Wallpaper
Checking Your Wallpaper
Wallpapering Tools
Your Room's Focal Point
Variations
Your Starting Point
Positioning the Mismatch
Measuring & Cutting Wallpaper Strips
Preparing Prepasted Wallpaper
Preparing Unpasted Wallpaper
Booking Wallpaper
Hanging Wallpaper
Making Seams
Trimming Top & Bottom
Shop your local decorating store, write down the (1) book name, (2) pattern number, (3) page number and (4) description of the wallpaper pattern; then call us at 1-800-267-1211 for the super discount price or contact us online through our Online Quote.
Wallcovering is normally packaged in double rolls. A double roll of wallcovering covers approximately 56 square feet. Borders are normally available in 5 yard spools which is approximately 15 linear feet or in some instances it is available in 1 yard or 3 linear feet increments. Read the inside of the front or back cover of the wallpaper sample book to find the number of square feet contained in a roll of the particular wallcovering you want to buy.
Measure the entire distance around the room in feet.
Multiply this by the height of the walls to be covered.
This gives you the total square footage of wall area to be covered.
Divide this number by 28. This gives you the number of single rolls to order. Allow extra for pattern match and trimming. However, all wallpaper is sold in double rolls only.
Note: By not deducting for windows, doors and other non-covered spaces, you will be sure to order enough wallcovering to complete your room and help compensate for any repeat in the pattern. This avoids the possibility of reordering later from a different production run where colors may not match exactly.
Most borders are sold in 15-linear foot packages. Width is stated with each pattern. Allow a foot or two extra for pattern matching.
Fabric is sold in one-yard increments only. It is meant to coordinate with wallcoverings and, therefore, may not match exactly. Fabric content and care information is listed with each pattern.
What tools do I need for wallpapering?
Tape Measure or Yard Stick: For measuring wallcoverings
Scissors: For cutting and trimming
Stepladder
Razor Knife: For trimming paper at ceiling, baseboard, window and door frames. Have plenty of extra blades and replace them often.
Paint Roller and Tray: For applying paste to unpasted wallcoverings
Seam Roller: A small roller to roll out wallpaper seams
Wide Wallscraper or Broadknife: (4-6 inches wide) For creasing paper and trimming excess wallcovering
2" Putty Knife: for patching walls
String, Colored Chalk and Knife: for making a plumb line
4-Foot Level: alternative to a plumb line and for use as a straight-edge in cutting paper to width
Smoothing Brush: For smoothing out paper during installation
Sponge, Bucket and Water: For rinsing wallpaper after application.
NOTE: Wallcovering will stain if all paste is not removed from the surface.
Water Tray: For wetting prepasted wallcoverings to activate paste
Table: for pasting, cutting strips, etc.
Pasting Brush: for pasting unpasted wallcoverings
There are some important things to know before starting a wallpapering project. This page covers general wallpaper information from what is available to estimating, ordering, and checking your wallpaper before installing it.
Pre-Pasted and Unpasted Wallpaper
You can get prepasted wallpaper with the paste already applied to the back. You just soak that in water to activate the paste when you're ready to apply it.
You can also get unpasted wallpaper, but you have to buy the adhesive yourself and apply it to the back of the paper. Check the label carefully on the wallpaper you choose before buying it to make sure you know which type you're getting.
Prepasted papers are usually easier for first-timers to hang, but the soaking needed to activate the paste can stretch the paper a little and result in gaps at the seams after the paper dries.
Vinyl and Vinyl-Coated Wallpaper
Vinyl and vinyl-coated wallpapers are now the most common since they provide the most durable and water-resistant surfaces.
And even though vinyl is thought of as a shiny material, vinyl and vinyl-coated papers now come in a variety of textures.
They're also fairly easy to apply and to remove, so they've become the most popular choices for do-it-yourselfers.
Other Wallcoverings
Here are some other types of wallcoverings, which are generally more expensive than the vinyls and more difficult to hang:
Foils and Mylars are wallcoverings with a highly reflective, thin metal coating, which show any surface flaws.
Paintable wallcoverings are neutral in color and manufactured to be painted after application.
Grasscloths are highly textured wallcoverings woven from natural fibers.
Flocked wallcoverings have raised fiber patterns that look like velvet.
Embossed wallcoverings are papers stamped to create a 3-D, relief pattern.
Washable and Scrubbable Wallpapers
Wallcoverings vary in how much cleaning they can withstand. Some can be scrubbed down every day, but others can't stand even a light sponging.
If a wallpaper is described as washable on the label, that means it can be sponged occasionally with soap and warm water.
Scrubbable wallpapers, on the other hand, are strong enough for washing with a soft brush if need be.
Strippable and Peelable Wallpapers
Wallpapers are also categorized by their "removeability" after they've been on the wall for a while.
Strippable wallpapers will easily pull off the wall in one piece, so those would be a good choice for people who tend redecorate every few years.
Peelable papers usually come off in a couple of layers, with the top layer pulling off as easily as a strippable paper. But that usually leaves a second, thin layer stuck to the wall, and you'll probably have to moisten that to loosen the adhesive before you can pull that layer off.
Plain and Patterned Wallpaper
Things to consider when choosing wallpaper:
A plain wallpaper with little or no pattern to match at the seams and the ceiling will always be the easiest to apply, and it will always result in the least amount of wasted wallpaper.
Among the patterned wallpapers, a small repeating pattern will result in less waste than a large repeating pattern, which also pose difficulties in a room with lots of windows or doors interrupting the layout.
And a pattern with a horizontal match (matching on every column of paper) will waste less paper than one with a drop or alternate match (matching on every other column).
Estimating Wallpaper
You'll need to determine the amount of wall space you're covering.
First, measure the length of all the walls, add those together and multiply that by the height of the walls.
If there's more than one door or window in the room, should also determine the amount of space they cover, add them together and subtract that from the figure you got for the area of the entire room.
There's bound to be waste in any wallpaper project, so take that figure and multiply it by 1.15 (figuring the waste rate to be about 15%). Take that figure with you when you shop.
Wallpaper is sold in single, double and triple rolls, and coverage can vary so always refer to the product's label for the proper square footage. Once you've chosen a paper, divide that coverage figure from the label into the total square footage you got for the room you're papering.
Round the answer up to the nearest whole number which represents the number of rolls you need to buy.
Preparing Surfaces for Wallpaper
As with a painting project, the walls should be clean and in good repair before you start hanging wallpaper since any flaws will probably show through. In addition, new drywall should be covered with a good primer-sealer (tinted to match the color of the paper) to keep the wallpaper adhesives from soaking right into the drywall and making the paper almost impossible to remove.
Some professionals also recommend applying a coat of sizing to the walls before papering to give the paper a tackier surface to bond with.
Checking Your Wallpaper
Before you start hanging paper, the pros also suggest that you open each roll and check each one for mis-matched patterns and colors. That way you can get replacements for any problem rolls before you're fully involved in the project.
And then hang on to the labels afterwards, or at least write down the manufacturer and the pertinent run or lot numbers. That way you can find a matching roll or two later on if you have to make repairs or otherwise redo a section.
Wallpapering Tools
Here are the basic tools you'll need for papering:
Tape Measure: For laying out walls and measuring wallcoverings
4-Foot Level: To determine plumb lines and for use as straight-edge in cutting paper to width
Scissors: For cutting and trimming (long-bladed versions available for papering)
Paint Roller and Tray: For applying paste to unpasted wallcoverings
Water Tray: For soaking prepasted wallcoverings in water to activate paste
Seam Roller: Small roller designed to roll out wallpaper seams
Smoothing Brush: For smoothing out paper during installation
Broadknife: For creasing paper at top and bottom of walls (4-6 inches wide)
Razor Knife: For trimming paper (dulls quickly, have extra blades)
Sponge, Bucket and Water: For rinsing wallpaper after application
Paperhanging Table: Long table specifically designed for wallpapering (a convenience item only--not a necessity, but which may be available for rental wherever you get your wallpaper)
Your Room's Focal Point
Knowing where to start your papering project usually involves determining the lay out for the entire room before you start.
The first step is to determine the focal point of the room, which is usually the wall you see first when you enter the room. That's where you want the patterns in the wallpaper to be centered, and often it's just the center of the wall opposite the door.
If so, use a tape measure to find the centerpoint of the wall, and use a 4-foot level or a plumb bob to mark a plumb line through that point lightly with a pencil, from the ceiling down to the floor.
Then mark off the width of the paper from that centerline to both corners and draw plumb lines through each mark lightly with a pencil.
Variations
However, if you have a large repeating pattern, you may want to center a strip on centerpoint of the wall.
If that's the case, then you should measure half the width of the paper in both directions from the centerpoint, mark plumb lines through those points for the edges of the center strip and then mark off the subsequent strips to both corners.
You may also want to try this technique if your initial layout leaves you with strips less than 6 inches wide at the corners. Strips that narrow are hard to work with, but offsetting the centerline by half the width of the wallpaper will leave larger strips in the corner.
Your Starting Point
You can then start hanging strips at any of the plumb lines you've drawn, assuming your measurements are accurate.
To be safe, you might want to start in the center of that wall to get the most prominent strips positioned properly and work off those toward the corners.
But if you're working with a small or neutral pattern, you could just as easily start in a corner and work your way around the room from there. (However, you need to leave a half-inch overlap at the corner as we explain on the next page in our section on wallpapering corners).
Positioning the Mismatch
Unless there's a natural break in the room (like a floor-to-ceiling window, door, built-in bookshelf or fireplace), there's bound to be a point where you won't be able to match the pattern between two strips.
By planning ahead and hiding that seam, you can minimize the impact of that mismatch.
The most common places to hide mismatches would be over the door entering the room or in the least visible corner of the room.
Measuring & Cutting Wallpaper Strips
For the basic wallpaper strips running from the floor to the ceiling, measure from the top of any base trim along the floor up to the ceiling or up to the bottom of any ceiling molding. Add 4 to 6 inches to that figure (beginners should tend toward the higher figure) for trimming purposes.
Measure off a strip that length from your roll of wallpaper and cut it off with a scissors. You'll be trimming the paper to its exact length after you install it so don't spend much time trying to get a perfectly straight cut at this stage.
Cut as many full pieces as you need and save the leftovers from the rolls for filling in around doors and windows.
And if your paper has a drop match (which requires that the pattern at the ceiling matches on every other strip), you can cut the strips from alternating rolls of paper which'll result in less paper waste.
NOTE: If you're dealing with a large repeating pattern, you should line up the strips so there's a full pattern along the ceiling since cutting the pattern off at the ceiling doesn't look too good. So make sure each is long enough to accommodate that.
Preparing Prepasted Wallpaper
With any prepasted wallpaper, you'll need to activate the paste prior to hanging the paper. There are different activation methods, however, and you'll need to read the instructions for the paper you're using for the exact method and you'll need to follow those instructions to the letter or your wallpaper might not adhere properly.
The most common activation method is to roll up your cut strips from the bottom with the paste side out and the pattern side in and to submerge the rolls one at a time in a tray full of water for the length of time indicated in the instructions.
With most papers, you then pull the strip up out of the water gripping the top and unrolling it as you pull and lay the strip out for booking, which is described below.
Some papers, though, must be applied directly to the wall after activation in water so you skip the booking step and go directly to the hanging step described below.
Some prepasted wallcoverings can now be activated with a water-based mixture applied to the back of the paper with a roller. This eliminates the need for soaking the paper in water and makes it a bit easier to handle. As with any paper, follow the instructions as to the specific activators and installation techniques.
NOTE:Whether you're using prepasted or unpasted products, don't do all your strips at once--especially on your first wallcovering job. Putting up the first strip may take a while, so it's a good idea to start with just 1 or 2 strips, book them, hang them, see how long it takes you and then determine how many you should be pasting at a time.
Preparing Unpasted Wallpaper
The simplest way to apply wallpaper paste to unpasted papers is to pour the paste into a clean paint roller tray and use a paint roller with a 3/8-inch or 1/2-inch nap to spread it over the paper.
It works best if you can rent a long wallpapering table so the paper doesn't drag on the floor. But you can manage with any clean, flat surface. One option would be to spread a piece of plastic on the floor, lay the paper face down on that and roll the adhesive out on the back.
As always, follow the manufacturer's instructions, using the recommended adhesive and applying it as they recommend. Once the strip is covered with adhesive (don't leave any dry gaps), book each strip as described in the step below.
Booking Wallpaper
Most wallpapers will require "booking" after activating the paste on prepasted strips or spreading adhesive on unpasted ones.
That means gently folding the ends of each strip back to the middle so that the pasted sides are touching, lining up the edges as carefully as possible. Don't crease the folds, though, or you'll leave a permanent mark.
Then you fold it in half again, lining up the ends. And you finish the booking process by loosely rolling the strip up from one end to the other.
This is a critical step for most wallpaper, because it lets the paste penetrate the wallpaper, keeps the paste from drying out before you hang it and allows the strip to "relax". Follow the instructions closely as to how long you should let paper book before hanging it.
Remember that some papers don't require any booking at all so, at the risk of being repetitive, check the instructions carefully for the details on the wallcovering you choose.
Hanging Wallpaper
After the first strip has booked a proper length of time, take it up on your scaffold or ladder, unroll it, undo the first fold and then peel back the top to free that end. The strips are long and difficult to manage at full length so leave the bottom end booked for the moment.
Position the top up to the ceiling as needed, leaving a couple inches above for trimming and making sure the pattern's in a pleasing position, line up the edges with the plumb lines on the wall and use a smoothing brush to apply the top of the paper to the wall. If you you see then that you missed the marks, don't try to push it back into position.
That can stretch the wet paper out and leave gaps at the seams later on when the paper dries. Instead, pull the paper back off wall and reposition it.
Once the top is straight, peel off the bottom half of the paper and brush that into position on the wall, making sure it lines up with the plumb lines. Then go over the paper again with the brush to remove any air bubbles or wrinkles.
Raise the paper off the surface and re-lay it if necessary. It won't affect the paste's adhesion.
You could trim the top and bottom at this stage but it's usually more efficient to get a few strips up and then trim them all at once.
Before moving on, though, use a wet sponge to wipe any excess paste off the surface of the strip. Remember, though, that not all papers are sponge-friendly so follow the instructions in this area as well.
Making Seams
Hanging the second strip (and the rest of the strips) will follow the same pattern as the first one. But now you need to worry about seams.
Actually they're not as much of a problem as people make them out to be. Just make sure the edge of the second strip butts up to the edge of the first one. Don't leave any gaps and don't overlap them at all. Finish the strip as before, brushing it smooth and then sponging off excess paste.
There are tools known as seam rollers which are designed to roll over seams and firmly apply them to the wall.
But people often overuse these tools, rolling the seams over and over and over again. What that does is press the adhesive to the surface, leaving very little below. That gets sponged away, and there's nothing left to bond the seams to the wall.
So if you use a seam roller, do not press down too hard and do not roll a seam more than once.
Trimming Top & Bottom
Whether you trim each strip as you hang it or wait to do 4 or 5 at once, the technique is the same.
Use a broadknife (the 4-6 inch wide kind used for spackling or drywall joint compound) first to crease the paper where the wall meets the ceiling or the floor base to set up a straight cut.
Then with one hand, set the blade of the broadknife in the crease at one end of the paper.
With the other hand, run the cutting blade along the broadknife, using it as a guide and making short cuts no longer than the width of the broadknife.
Make sure the broadknife is positioned between the wall and your cutting blade to protect the wallpaper if your cutting blade slips
. Reposition the broadknife for each cut till you get to the other end of the paper.
Then wipe the area with a clean sponge to clean off excess paste.
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