Although out of fashion, wallpaper is making a comeback. With a vintage print, minimalistic and modern patterns or a classic color, it will give a certain touch to the walls, totally changing the look of the room. Don't let the lack of knowledge of the application stop you from using this classic material if you want to modernize your home. Learn how to hang wallpaper yourself, saving money and avoiding frustration! Very soon, you will have a beautiful new room to show everyone.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Prepare the Room
Step 1. Measure the space
Wallpaper sellers can help you calculate how much you need, but here's a quick guide you can trust. Take a notebook and measure the height and width of the walls. For example, two walls of 3, 64x2, 44, and two of 3, 36x2, 44. The total will be:
- 3, 64x2, 44 = 8, 93, 3, 64x2, 44 = 8, 93, 3, 36x2, 44 = 8, 19, 3, 36x2, 44 = 8, 19. 8, 93 + 8, 93 + 8, 19 + 8, 19 = 34, 24 square meters.
- Now you will ask yourself: "What about doors and windows? They must be stolen, right?" No. You need to calculate a certain amount of extra paper for any errors, so that you don't worry about blanks.
Step 2. Set up the camera
Grab the tools and remove all switch plates, air vents, towel racks, toilet paper holders, etc. Remove the appliques (turn off the power first). To avoid losing the screws or having to search for them, screw them back into their housing once you have removed the part they held in place.
Step 3. Prepare the walls
Wallpaper hardly sticks to dirty and greasy walls, so you have to clean them with a damp cloth. Fill any holes with putty and let everything dry.
- If you are covering walls that have been painted, apply a coat of primer.
- If the walls have other wallpaper, you will need to remove it before hanging the new one. This way the application will last longer.
Step 4. Determine the starting point in the room
It is usually recommended to start from the most hidden corner. In a bedroom, for example, it is commonly the one behind the door. In general, never start from a central wall, unless you intentionally want to make it different. Choose a side area that you don't notice right away.
- If you put wallpaper in the bathroom, the area behind the toilet can be difficult and boring, so start with the first one (most toilets will require two strips of cover either way) while you still have most of them. part of the energy and patience.
- Make sure you have at least a couple of feet of wallpaper to hang out before taking care of nooks and crannies, if possible.
Step 5. Take your measurements
Measure the first part from the ceiling to the floor. Usually in a house with 2.40m ceilings, the measurement will be around 2.35 because almost everyone has baseboards. Unroll the paper on a table or on the floor, with the decorated side facing up. Double-check your measurements so you don't miss the cut. The aim is to make large sections of paper to avoid having too many splices.
Step 6. Create a plumb line
Take a tape measure, a 60cm level and a pencil and place yourself where you will start in the room. You need to establish a line of thread to make sure the first piece of paper hangs perfectly straight. Measure horizontally the width of the paper strips from your starting point. Subtract 1, 5 and draw a vertical line at that point.
- Proceed around the rest of the perimeter and create similar plumb lines in the corners and other walls. This way you can be sure that the card will always hang correctly.
- Do not use pens to draw the lines as the adhesive will spread the ink and stain the paper.
Method 2 of 5: Prepare the Wallpaper
Step 1. Look for the numbers
Check that the paper lots have the same number sequences. Sometimes the term is "Batch #" or "Roll #". The number is important for printing purposes. It is normal for different batches to have slightly different colors or backgrounds.
Step 2. Look for any flaws
Inspect the entire batch and look for print defects. They are usually streaks of color, ink blots, or gaps of color. A slight defect in a roll can be eliminated by cutting and covering it. If, on the other hand, the defect is such that you lose more than 2 meters of paper, then it is better to return it to the store and ask for a refund.
Step 3. Find the pattern repeat
Find a point near the edge, and measure the paper until you get to the exact same design. This distance is called “pattern repetition”. Remember the measurement you will need to align the strips.
Step 4. Identify where the design matches
It can be a straight or split combination. A straight combination implies that two pieces of paper side by side form the design horizontally. In the division one, however, the paper must be slightly adjusted in each strip.
- An example of a straight combination is if you see a butterfly on the left edge of the card when you line it up and in the next piece, the butterfly is in the same place.
- In a split combination, on the other hand, the object on the left (let's always say the butterfly) will be divided in half by the length and will complete when you attach the adjacent strip.
Step 5. Find the start of the drawing
Study the pattern of your wallpaper and choose which one will be the beginning. It is the one you will glue directly against the ceiling. Some patterns have a natural break which usually allows for good starting points.
- Try to avoid anything too particular in the drawing. The ceiling lines tend not to be regular, and if you stick in places where there are visually important elements, you will lose the whole pattern if the ceiling drops by accident.
- Try to choose a departure approximately 2.5 cm above any important design. That way, if the ceiling line rises or falls, you won't have a problem.
- If you can, choose a departure with small designs or symbols on the left or right edge that are easy to identify. This will make measuring and cutting easier.
- The designs for division combinations will have two starts. You will alternate between A and B as you go. Most of the time, with a division combination you choose start A and fit with B.
Step 6. Cut the paper
Lay it out on the table and cut with a margin of 1cm beyond the start, making sure you don't go wrong or make waves that go beyond the safety margin. This way you will end up with more paper than you can cut once attached. Take a blade and cut the roll 2-4 cm below the total length needed. This excess will also be removed once the paper is hung.
- As for the lower excess there is more flexibility. If in doubt, add more margin at the bottom than at the top.
- Use a ruler to help you cut straight and neat and to avoid cutting corners.
Method 3 of 5: Attaching the Wallpaper
Step 1. Apply glue at the start
Using a roller, apply the glue to the back of the wallpaper. The idea is to moisten it, not to soak it. It will take a few attempts to figure out how much glue to dose. Make sure you go over the edges to ensure that the entire surface is coated with glue as well. Apply the adhesive only on the top half, for now. This step can be skipped if the paper is sticky.
Step 2. Finish brushing
Take the top edge and fold it about 40 cm along the rest of the paper, so that the glue touches. Align the edges well so they don't get staggered. DO NOT score the paper in the fold. Gently rub or press the edges to seal them against each other. Now lift and move the part not yet glued on the table - the one already glued / folded can hang down - and pass the adhesive over the rest of the sheet.
Lift the strip of paper and hold it in your hands. If the adhesive drips off, then you have used too much or the dough is too loose. A few drops are OK, but not a rain
Step 3. Activate the sticker
Most wallpapers will expand due to the humidity of the glue: a 50cm piece will become 51.5. If you try to stick it now, bubbles will form vertically that you won't be able to get rid of. Then let the folded paper sit for about 10 minutes to give the adhesive time to fully expand the paper.
Step 4. Align the first strip
Place the ladder, the brush in the pocket, and take the foam paper. You can easily understand what your departure is because it will be the shorter side of the two folded. Open only that part and line up only the right side with the plumb line, making sure the start is on the ceiling line where you want it.
- Before flattening this section with the brush, check that you can move or "slide" the paper slightly on the wall. If you can, it means that you have put the right amount of glue on the back.
- If you don't have movement then you need to add glue. You need movement, even if it doesn't have to be excessive.
Step 5. Attach the paper to the wall
Once you have the correct alignment between the plumb line and the right edge, you are there. Grab the brush and start gently swiping it over the paper in a left-up motion. You have to apply the card by smoothing it, not before. Make sure you haven't moved the right edge away from the plumb line.
- Never use too much force to make bubbles disappear or force alignment with the brush.
- Keep the top edge as close to the wall as possible and don't worry about wiping off the excess. If you do this too early you could cause alignment problems.
Step 6. Attach the bottom
You should now have about three feet of paper on the wall and the rest still folded. Carefully find the end point where you folded it, lift the paper off the wall so that the remaining paper does not stick and unroll it completely. You can also do a few inches at a time but it's not ideal.
- Starting at the top right of this section, use the level as a guide to stay plumb with the right side and smooth out the rest of the paper going from right to left.
- Don't force the paper into the corners, let gravity hold it in place.
Step 7. Cut off the excess from the top
Grab a small knife and a new blade and approach the ceiling. Push the knife blade to the line of conjunction with the ceiling. This will create a small ripple all over the paper. Starting on the right side, place the knife in the fold while holding the handle down. Take the blade and press into the ripple above the blade - it cuts towards the ceiling, from right to left.
- Once you have no more blade available, move the knife to the left and cut for another 15 cm. A third cut should bring you close to the corner.
- If you can, cut to the corner. You may not be able to use the blade at that point. In that case, you can peel the paper off the corner using a cut off portion as a guide, cut off the excess, and put the piece of paper back on the wall.
Step 8. Trim the excess from the bottom
The procedure is the same as described above, except that the knife will be facing the wall. Remember to cut with the blade along the baseboard and not along the wall. In that case, in fact, you may not have a sufficiently steady hand and go wrong. If you can't make the corner, repeat the trick by peeling off the paper, cutting out the excess, and then gluing it back to the wall.
Step 9. Clean the glue
For sure you will have some glue on the surface of the newly attached paper. Using clean water and a sponge, wipe the paper from top to bottom. Take your time, the glue may be difficult to see. Don't forget to remove it from the edges of the ceiling and skirting board as well.
- Avoid honeycomb fabric or towels. They can be too abrasive, ruining the finish of the installation.
- Smooth out any bubbles that may have formed under the paper with the sponge. The card should be completely smooth when finished.
Step 10. Continue adding strips
Use the steps just described to add the paper strips to the walls. Take the time to line them up properly, overlapping them if necessary. A well-attached card will have virtually no seams or discrepancies in the design.
Method 4 of 5: Sticking the Paper Around Doors and Windows
Step 1. Hold the card over the window or door
Tap right until you get to the frame. Swipe your finger across the card and find the upper left corner of the door or window. Once you have identified it, take the blade and place it in the exact spot where the corner is formed, cutting 45 ° down, direct to the center of the door or window.
- Once you are 7.5 cm below and away from the starting corner, smooth out the cut and continue to the right until you have completely cut the paper.
- Remove any excess paper inside the frame, all along the edge of the window. You will return to it for the exact finishing touches.
Step 2. Walk around the window
Continue adding strips of paper around the window, making sure they always stay flush and are perfectly vertical. Where you touch the window, cut down at a 45 ° angle and around the inside of the frame. Eventually you should get to the point where the window or door has a rough paper cutout all around it.
Step 3. Cut off the extra paper
Use the ruler and a new blade to make a precision cut around the frame. Press the paper to flatten it and eliminate bubbles, then use the ruler to hold it steady. Use the blade to cut along the edge of the line and create the perfect shape around the perimeter of the window.
Method 5 of 5: Arrange the Corners
Step 1. Take your measurements
With the ruler or tape measure, measure the exact distance from the right edge of the last attached strip to the corner. Measure it three times: top, middle and bottom. Make a note of the longest measurement. If the three numbers are similar, the corner is relatively flush and you have done a good job with the paper.
- Take the longest of the three and add about 1cm. It will be the length of the card.
- Once you get the hang of it you can also use 5 mm instead of 1 cm.
Step 2. Make the first cut
Place a sheet of paper already glued and expanded on the work table, with the top and bottom edges facing each other. Place the ruler on the paper on either side and carefully measure from the left edge (if you corner from the left) over your "length" + inch of bleed. Take the blade and make a 1.5 cm cut parallel to the edge at that point.
Step 3. Finish the cut
Repeat the cut from 1.5 to the other side of the paper, using the same length plus 1 cm. You should now have a smaller cut on both sides. Keep the ruler fairly steady so that it doesn't slip as you cut. Take a new blade and make a cut lengthwise to make two sections of wallpaper. You will have an "angled" and an "out of angled" section.
Step 4. Attach the "corner" one
This piece should cover the corner by at least 1cm and if your walls are uneven, it may even exceed the top or bottom half of the corner. The key is to cover the corner from top to bottom, but not too much to make it noticeable.
If the overlap is greater than 1 cm, take a new blade and make a freehand cut vertically, being careful to remove anything that exceeds this measurement
Step 5. Measure the width of your "out of corner" section
Take the level and draw a 90cm plumb line on the wall. Using the line as a guide, attach this piece of paper trying to get the best possible design combination in the corner. Again: the most important and difficult thing is to arrange the piece of paper plumb, because it will mark the step to stick the adjacent paper correctly and perfectly.
- Avoid overlapping with the upstream paper. If it has to overlap, it's better not to even touch it.
- The centimeter of the first piece ensures that the paper fits in the corner. If by any chance there is a "hole" in the meeting between the first and second section, then remove the entire second section, apply a light coat of glue again and reattach.
Advice
- The glue may give you the impression that the paper will never be smooth. Don't try to wipe the excess off the back by smoothing it out. These imperfections, which sometimes look like air bubbles, will dry and disappear as the adhesive loses its moisture. If you rub the paper continuously to get rid of the ridges, you are removing the glue where it needs to be and the paper will peel off when dry.
- Air bubbles are not good, they indicate a brushing error. You have to remove the paper from the wall and smooth out to get rid of them. Avoid using a lot of force with the brush to reduce bubbles to the limit. If you can do it gently, the better.
- When you attach paper of a single color, you will see the seam. For example, the left edge might be a little lighter than the right one. It will be more noticeable when the two strips are hung, as you will find the lighter side next to the dark one. The solution is to reverse the strips by alternating them. This way you will line up all the light edges and vice versa.
- Sometimes, especially with cards that have small designs, you will find that the card tends to "stretch" vertically. If this happens, arrange it to be visually perfect. There will be very little discrepancy in the ceiling and floor part but you won't notice too much.
