verify your wallpaper project is done correctly the first time with these technical tips .
Katie Charlotte
Do - it - yourself projection give you the exemption tocustomize your spaceon your agenda and budget , reducing the labor costs that come with outsourcing any job . But a poor DIY job can also double your accent and time — and separate out your billfold . While we ’re lovingthe revitalisation of wallpaperright now , it can be a challenging projectto fishing rig on your own .
Credit:Katie Charlotte
Of naturally , you’re able to hire a professional installer to do the problem for you . But if you ’re take on the project yourself , there are a few common wallpapering mistakes to be cognizant of . Tim Toot , technical manager for York Wallcoverings , drive us step - by - footstep through what aDIY wallpaper jobreallylooks like .
Next time you enter on awallpapering project , keep these tips in judgment to avoid bound into a big mess ( or , bad , hiring someone to fix your DIY bungle ) .
1. Papering Over Old Wallpaper
You might be tempted to thrash your homework metre in half by paper over your existing wallpaper , but this advance can lead to calamitous moment . You must take your onetime wallpaper before applying anything new . " The wet financial backing of the new wallpaper could reactivate the paste of the original and cause bubble that would smash both the new and old installations , " Toot says .
How to quash this mistake : Rent a chemical or world power steamer toremove the existing wallpaper . you may usually get these gadgets at your local hardware , rouge , and big box home improvement centers . If you ’re unsure which automobile is good , confer with an expert first and read the manufacturer ’s instruction on the wallpaper you ’re attempting to remove .
2. Not Researching Your Wallpaper Type
Not every wallpaper can be installed in any locating . For exemplar , natural wallpapers like grasscloth , " are not water supply - repellent , so their coloration may run in orbit with mellow humidness or disappearance in lineal sunlight , " Toot says . That means they ’re not a practical alternative for moisture hotspots like toilet . High - passion areas need peculiar attention , too . " Wallpaper is paper , so it must be protected and distanced from the heat source when using it behind a range such as a backsplash or near a fireplace , " Toot says . Before getting pop out , research which wallcovering will do substantially in your home environments .
How to keep off this error : Use natural wallpaper in gunpowder rooms and dry areas only . carouse urge always reading instruction , looking for external codes on your wallcovering labels , and call for for assistance with extract and expert interrogative sentence .
Annie Schlechter
Credit:Annie Schlechter
3. Assuming All Wallpaper Backing Works the Same
With so many magnetic variation on the market ( pare and stick , decals , unpasted , and standard ) , your wallpaper backing will order your installation procedure . For example , Robert Peel - and - joystick wallcoverings feature adhesive patronage for easy remotion . But , " Standard wallpaper can be unpasted or prepasted , while commercial - score wallcoverings may ask heavier spread to keep it on the wall because of its weight , and naturals , almost without exception , have unpasted backing , " Toot says .
How to head off this mistake : train yourself on the character of adhesive your wallcovering calls for . Always be sure to use your adhesive evenly ( a non - negotiable step that will ensure your wallpaper does n’t uncase off weeks later ) . And at all costs , avoid getting any adhesive agent on the front of the wallpaper , as this can damage the finish of the terminal mathematical product .
4. Doubting the Math
To avoid a farrago office , you ’ll also have to match each of your wallpaper landing strip at their seams — which means you ca n’t thin random scraps to fill in even the tiniest of gap above doors and windows . Because of this process , Toot warns that every wallpaper comic strip will have some usage loss due to its pattern lucifer .
How to avoid this error : practice an on-line wallpaper reckoner , like the one from York Wallcoverings , to calculate how many rolls you ’ll need . Whenever possible , round up and set up more than you need . you may sometimes return any unopened rolls for a refund , just double - check your store ’s tax return policy in advance .
When in uncertainty , always order more rolls than you ask ( a better solvent than run out of paper while you ’re on the job ) . Keep in mind that wallpaper has a dye caboodle or " running play number . " This is printed on each bun and serves as an identifier of the design and color printed in that deal . This means , if you order the same wallpaper at different times , you may receive a coloring material sack or variance of your original .
Credit:Nathan Schroder
5. Not Prepping Your Walls
Before you lead off , affirm if your wallpaper coating requires a specific prep . " Some wallpaper has a pre - glued championship that can be moisten and applied directly without a wallpaper flat coat . Other wallpaper necessitate primer , allow the paper ’s paste to both cohere and take out easily , " says Toot . This is critical because " the elementary subroutine of wallpaper primer seal is to create a uniform and absorbent surface for the wallpaper adhesive agent to bond to , " he explain . Added fillip : this handy root serve prevent wrinkles , air bubbles , and various imperfections from popping up during installationandcan even blockade stains , water system damage , and marks from seep through your wallpaper ( and pretend the implicit in paries ) , explain Toot .
retrieve that any freshly - paint walls must be dry and cured for three workweek before applying wallpaper over the top . Otherwise , it could rustle the dry wall surface when take away .
Nathan Schroder
6. Not Organizing the Right Tools for the Job
Set out your puppet before you lead off for a smooth , effective mental process . Each wallpapering tool is critical to ensuring an end result that lasts for years , from the smoothing puppet ( utilitarian for take away air bubble ) to the seam curler ( which foreclose pasted edges from curl ) . For this cause , it ’s best not to employ household point of view - ins and baffle to the recommended tool for a seamless result .
How to fend off this mistake : You’ll happen the most necessary tools available in your home advance stores . Have each one prepped and quick to use before you bulge installing wallpaper .
7. Matching Wallpaper Strips as You Install Them
One of the most difficult parts about installing wallpaper is making sure the form match up perfectly . You might be tempt to do this as you rate them on the paries , but this is n’t the smartest way of life to go . " Do not equate the wallpaper strip on the wall as you go . It ’s slow going , and you could pull the paper , making it hard to cope with , " Toot say .
How to avoid this mistake : Lay your pattern out several strips ahead of installation on a flat surface or table side - by - side . Then , match your wallpaper and cut airstrip for installment in advance . Toot advocate leave a few inches on both top and bottom that can be flawlessly trimmed once instal .
8. Forgetting to Wash Down Your Newly Installed Wallpaper
When you ’re done placing the wallpaper on the wall , Toot recommends you scrutinize and pick any domain that may have excesspaste residueon them . He says it ’s well-to-do to see if you ’ve miss a speckle , as long as you do this footstep as presently as you ’re done . " Wallpaper spread will pass on shiny smudge if not remove before it can dry , " he says .
How to invalidate this mistake:“Use a clean pail with fresh water and a newfangled sponge to wipe down the wallpaper as presently as you terminate the project . The sponge should be damp , not wet , " Toot says . " You will find instruction manual on smoothing and cleaning on the wallpaper label within each curlicue . There may be some elision for specialty last and natural . "
