Wallpaper
is a wonderful way to redecorate. The materials
available today vary from the finest hand print
imports to heavy heavy textures that resemble old tin
ceilings,embossed stone, brick more. Choose a
medium weight vinyl for the childrens room,cleanup
from crayons etc is a snap.
Dont
be afraid to tackle a wallpaper job,its not as
difficult as you may think.
I have step by step instructions for you and when you
are finished,
you will be glad you decided to give it a try.
Lets
see what tools and materials you need.
YOU WILL NEED
Tape Measure
Screwdriver
Drop Cloth
6" Wall Scraper
Sandpaper
Spackling Compound
Putty Knife
Plastic Bucket
Bleach
Primer-Sealer
Vinyl Wall Sizing
Level
Pencil
Yard Stick or
Straight Edge
|
Large Table or
Smooth Surface
Paste
Paint Roller
Water Tray (No Way!, more later)
Prepaste Activator
Step Ladder
Brush or Plastic
Smoother
Sponge
Seam Roller
Scissors
Vinyl-over-Vinyl or
Border Adhesive
Razor Knife and Extra Blades |
Preparing
your walls will save you a lot of grief if done
properly.
You need to stop the suction of the surface so that
the paste
forms a bond between the wall and the paper.
Flat latex paint does not do this.
Raw unpainted drywall and previously painted drywall
must always be sealed with an oil based primer, or a
latex preparation designed specifically for
"Sealing".
This protects the paper face of the drywall when the
paper is removed later on down the line and allows
your paste to stay on top of the surface,not get
sucked into the drywall.
Plaster walls can be sealed with Sizing, a powder made
from wheat or animal bone to be mixed with water.
Sizing is intended for plaster, not drywall.
Removing
existing wallpaper is a tedious time consuming job but
can be speeded up with the use of enzyme additives for
the water. These products help breakdown the
wallpaper paste. It also helps to score the surface of
the wallpaper with a razor knife by scoring lines on a
45 degree angle,
4-5" apart both left to right and right to left.
This produces a diamond pattern allowing the water to
get under the surface coating on the paper. Wheel like
tools are also available for scoring the face.
One tool that we use is called the "Paper
Tiger".
Patch
holes and dents etc with ready mixed spackle and sand
flush prior to priming or sealing.
Turn off electrical power and remove all switch plates
and outlet covers.
Gloss painted walls must be sanded to a dull surface.
The "liquid sandpaper" preparations are not
recommended as a subsitute for sanding as they leave
an oily film on the wall which causes poor adhesion.
A sanding pole with a 4' handle and 100 grit sandpaper
makes short work of deglossing walls.
If you are going to repaint the door and base trim,do
it prior to hanging your new paper. Saves a lot of
cutting in.
Hanging
the Wallpaper step by step:
Before
hanging, check the pattern and run or dye lot
numbers on each bolt to make sure they are all the
same. Completely read the manufacturer's
instructions. Check each bolt for printing and
shading defects. Save labels and packaging
information in case you need to buy more wallpaper.
Creating
a Plumb Line:
Start with the least noticeable wall. Measure out
from the corner and mark the wall the width of the
paper minus 1/2 inch. Place a level at the mark and
draw a straight, vertical line (plumb line). This
will be a guide for where your first two
strips will meet.
The
success of your job depends on having the first
strip straight. Follow this procedure every time you
reach a corner or start a new wall. Go
around the room and mark where each strip will
end to keep track of the number of strips needed.
This will also help avoid ending with a narrow strip
that would be difficult and wasteful to hang.
Catching this in advance will allow you to adjust
your starting point.
Measuring
&Cutting The First Strip:
Unroll part way and hold the first roll of wallpaper
against the wall to determine where you want the
pattern to fall at the ceiling line. Mark the spot
with a pencil on the back of the roll (try beginning
with a full design at the ceiling). Cut the first
strip with a straight edge. Leave about 4 extra
inches at the top and bottom for trimming.
A
Word About Pattern Matching
There are basically four types of patterns. The
easiest way to match the pattern is to cut your
first strip, lay the roll next to it and line up the
pattern allowing your extra 4" for the overlap
at the top and bottom. After a couple of strips you
will know exactly where in the pattern you need to
cut for your next strip. You can figure it out
mathematically but we won't go there now.
| Random
Match - Patterns that do not have
specific match points, such as textures.
These papers often look better if the strips
are reversed, alternating the top and bottom
of successive strips because sometimes one
side is a little lighter than the other. |
| |
| Drop
Match - The pattern runs diagonally
across the wall so that every other strip is
the same along the ceiling line. The design
may form a diamond grid effect. Most papers
will tell you what the pattern repeat is,
i.e. 6" repeat. Also known as offset
match. |
| |
| Straight
Across Match - Forms an overall design
motif. The same elements of the design in
each strip are an equal distance from the
ceiling line. |
| |
| Free
Match - Matches between the design
elements which should align in a diamond
configuration, not side by side. The design
elements may be separated by the trim going
between strips. Design motifs must, however,
be aligned to maintain consistence of form. |
For
unpasted wallpaper products, place the strip pattern
side down on a large table or on the floor if thats
where you choose to work.
With a paint roller or wide brush, lightly and
gently, coat the back of the strip with the paste
recommended by the manufacturer.
Prepasted Products: Watertrays, No doubt the WORST
tool that has ever hit the market. Most wallcoverings
are designed to have some soak time. Because of the
design of these trays it is Impossible to get a even
amount of soak time over the entire sheet of
wallcovering, its rolled up into a tube!
This can lead to part of the sheet expanding more then
another part. Making it extremely difficult to hang.
Not only that but with each piece of wallpaper soaking
in the tray,more and more paste is left in the water
and by the second or third sheet your are soaking the
face of the paper with paste meaning you have to wash
the entire sheet.
Why go thru the grief, use the trays as a flower box.
Buy yourself a pad painter or use a roller with a
short nap 3/8" roller cover. Lay the wallcovering
out on a table or counter and wet it with the pad
painter or roller that you have dipped in water. This
also allows the use of prepasted activators.
Fold and book the wallcovering by folding the top half
towards the middle,about 1/3rd of the length of the
sheet, paste to paste, and the bottom up to the edge
of the first fold. Fold pasted side to pasted side,
keeping the edges aligned.
Allow the wallcovering time to expand on the table and
it won't try to expand on the wall.
Unbook
the top half of the strip placing the marked spot at
the top of the wall, letting the excess paper overlap
the ceiling and adjoining wall.
Slide the paper into position so it aligns with the
plumb line.
Using a brush or smoothing tool, gently press the
strip against the wall.
Be careful not to stretch the wallpaper while
positioning.
Unbook the bottom half and smooth into place. Keep
your hands wet.
Tap the strip into the corners, against the ceiling
and along the baseboard.
Snip a diagonal cut into the corners at the ceiling
and baseboard, and smooth the extra 1/2 inch onto the
adjoining wall.
Smooth the entire strip, working diagonally from the
top down and from the center outward, forcing out air
bubbles.
If air bubbles still exist, or if the paper doesn't
appear straight, gently pull back the sheet and
re-smooth.
Wash off the excess paste with a wet sponge
immediately. If a bubble appears that won't smooth,
poke it with a pin before it dries and gently work the
air out through the pin hole.
Trimming:
Using the wall scraper as a guide, trim the excess
paper along the ceiling and baseboard with a sharp
razor knife. If the paper begins to tear, wait 5
minutes and retry. Go slowly and change blades after
each strip.
Wash paste off ceiling and baseboards with a wet
sponge, changing water frequently.
Using the same procedure, cut and apply the second
strip,matching the pattern to the first strip.
Butt the edges tightly together, but don't overlap the
strips.After hanging 2-3 strips, check for pattern and
color inconsistencies.
Wait 15 minutes and go over the seams with a seam
roller.Make sure you don't stretch or overwork the
seams, forcing out the adhesive.
To hang around doors and wood framed windows, hang the
entire strip of paper and smooth into place to the
edge of the window or door frame.
Make diagonal cuts (miter cuts) in the wallpaper at
the door or window frame corners and allow the paper
to separate and lay smoothly against the wall.
Smooth the paper around the frame as you go along.
Trim the excess paper around the frame with the knife
and scraper edge.
Cutting around light switches and outlets:
Remember, electrical power should be off!
With a razor knife, cut and trim an area slightly
smaller than the switch or outlet cover.
Replace outlet covers and switch plates when finished.
And youre
done! its that easy.
