Helpful Wallpapering Tips
Wallpaper can be a very cost-effective, dramatic way to alter the appearance of a room. And with the variety of types, textures, and styles now available, the right choice in wallpaper can be used to create just the right mood in a particular room: inviting and warm, sophisticated and formal, soothing and relaxing.
Wallpaper can also be used to custom match walls to the room's furnishings for an elegant designer touch. Not everyone, however, has the skill or the patience to properly apply wallpaper to the walls so that the finished project is eye-appealing instead of an eyesore. You may feel more comfortable hiring a professional interior house designer or wallpaper hanging professional.
If you decide to do the job yourself, the following tips will help get you started and smooth out some of the rough spots associated with wallpapering.
Preparing the Walls
- If walls have an existing wall covering, you must decide whether or not you should remove it before hanging new wallpaper. If the old covering is un-textured, just one layer thick, and still adhered to the wall tightly, you generally can leave it in place. Vinyl, foil, and plastic film wallpapers, however, generally do not cover well.
- If old wallpaper remains on the wall, glue down any loose areas. Wash the surface with detergent and a very mild solution of household bleach and water. When completely dry, apply a primer made for use under wallpaper. If the wall covering has to be removed, use a steamer or chemical wallpaper remover. Applying the remover with a pressurized garden sprayer speeds up the process.
- Position the tip of the sprayer several feet away from the wall; spray liberally. Allow the remover to soak in before removing the old wall covering. Be sure and wear goggles and gloves during this process. To reduce mess, use old sheets and bedspreads as drop cloths to catch the strips of old wall covering as it is removed. Discard the strips before they dry to the drop cloth. After walls are completely stripped, wash them with clean hot water and household bleach; ¼ cup bleach to 2 gallons of water is fine.
- Allow walls to dry thoroughly before wallpapering; usually 2 or 3 hours, or several days if it is humid.
Patterned Wallpaper - Tricky Business
- Hanging patterned wallpaper can be tricky business. Follow the helpful tips below to help insure success.
- If the new wall covering has a large pattern, center the first strip on a main wall or at the focal point of the room, such as a fireplace or window, then work away from one side.
- Stop when you get to an inconspicuous place for the mismatch strip. Go back to the center strip and work your way around the other side until you come to the mismatch spot.
- Many patterned wallpapers are mirror images. The pattern at the top is the same as the pattern on the bottom. Some patterned wallpapers, however, are not. And even diamond and striped patterns although they may look the same can have shading that is different at each end. When that is the case, mark the pasted side of the top of each piece with an as you cut it from the roll to ensure you don't hang any pieces upside down.
Find a Pro
Even if you tackle some home improvement projects yourself, you may want to hire a remodeling contractor for some of the projects detailed in this article. It only takes a minute to post your home remodeling project online at TrustedPros, and it doesn't cost a cent.
Qualified contractors in your area will bid competitively on your project, offering you better service at a better price. Uncertain as to how to select the right contractor for the right job? TrustedPros.ca has informative articles that can help navigate you through the hiring process. New articles are posted regularly, so don't forget to check back soon for other helpful home renovation and home improvement tips.
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