Installing wallpaper requires proper preparation of walls by filling holes, sanding, and priming. It also requires the right tools like a razor blade, plumb bob, and seam roller. The process involves establishing a straight vertical line, cutting strips to length and matching patterns, applying paste or prepasted adhesive, hanging strips smoothly from the top down while removing air bubbles, and trimming edges neatly at ceilings and baseboards. Special techniques are needed for corners, doors, windows, outlets and applying borders.

1. Furniture Finishing Installing Wallpaper
INSTALLING WALLPAPER
TOOLS FOR WALL COVERING
• A large surface (table or flat door)
• Stepladder/step stool
• Razor blade holder or snap blade and scissors
• Plumb bob (or make your own with a string, tack and weight such as a
scissors and chalk)
• Smoothing brush to smooth paper
• Wide metal puffy knife
• Wall covering seam roller
• Wall covering water tray (prepasted only)
• Screwdriver for removing switch plates and outlet covers
• Sponge, bucket and cleanup cloths
• Drop cloth
• Sandpaper and wallpaper sizing
1. PREPARING WALLS
Fill any holes or cracks with spackling compound. Let dry, sand, smooth and
prime. Remove any previous wallpaper or vinyl wall covering. Clean walls so they
are free of foreign substances. Thoroughly cure new plaster walls and seam-tape
and prime new drywall. Sand glossy walls until dull. All walls should be sized.
2. A STRAIGHT START
Establish a true vertical line from ceiling to floor before hanging the first strip.
Start the project in an inconspicuous spot such as behind a door, in a corner or
next to a window. At this spot, measure out the width of the wall covering minus
1/2" and tack a plumb bob at the ceiling line (Figure A). When the plumb bob
stops swaying, lightly mark the wall with a pencil about 2" above the baseboard.
Hold string taut against the baseboard mark and give it a quick snap to mark a
true vertical on the wall. Use the chalk line as a guide for positioning the first wall
covering strip, wrapping the strip into the corner and 1/2" onto the adjoining wall.
Strike a new plumb line before you start each new wall.
3. CUT AND MATCH
Measure wall height in several spots. Take the highest number and add 4' for
trimming at ceiling and baseboard. Cut each wall covering strip this length after
matching the pattern. If the wallcovering has a pronounced pattern, plan to have
an entire motif below the final trimmed top edge for the most pleasing effect. Roll
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2. Furniture Finishing Installing Wallpaper
out the next strip alongside the first strip. Match patterns before cutting. Repeat
with each strip before cutting.
4. PREPARING PREPASTED WALL COVERING
Most wall covering comes prepasted and is easily
installed. Loosely re-roll strips pattern side in, adhesive
side out. Start at the bottom of the strip so the top (which
goes at the ceiling) is the outer flap (Figure B). Fill a wall
covering water tray with the rolls for timing. Lay a weighted
object such as a screw driver inside the roll to keep it
immersed. Change water often to prevent adhesive build-
up on the wall covering face.
5. FOLDING THE WALL COVERING
Remove strip from water tray, unwinding it slowly, loosely
fold the strip pasted sides together without creasing
(Figure C). Follow the directions included in the rolls for
adhesive setup time (Usually 3 minutes).
PREPARING UNPASTED WALL COVERING
Roll out wall covering strip, pattern side down. Apply
adhesive to top half of strip with a wide brush or roller,
working from end to center. Repeat this procedure with the
bottom half. Follow adhesive instructions for setup time.
6. HANGING THE STRIPS
Unfold top half of strip and apply to the wall leaving a 2"
overlap at the ceiling. Stroke the wall covering with
smoothing brush from the center toward the edges until all
wrinkles and air bubbles are removed (Figure D). Unfold
lower half and repeat smoothing procedure. If wrinkles
occur, pull strip away from wall and rehang.
7. TRIMMING TOP AND BOTTOM
Trim strip at ceiling and baseboard with a razor or snap
blade knife and putty knife. Hold the putty knife against the
ceiling or trim and cut with the razor knife along the top of
the putty knife (Figure E). Change knife blades often for
best results. Reposition (do not drag) putty knife and slide
blade along without lifting for a clean, even cut.
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3. Furniture Finishing Installing Wallpaper
8. BUTTING STRIPS
Fit strip edges together without any overlap or gap. Hang new strip of
wallcovering the same way as the previous one, carefully matching patterns at
seam. Use edge of previous strip as a vertical guide (Figure F).Allow
wallcovering adhesive to set a minute, then if necessary roll the seam edges
with a roller to ensure adhesion and a tight seam. Wipe excess glue from the
wallcovering surface with a damp cloth or sponge as you go (Figure G).
9. ROUNDING CORNERS
For inside corners, measure from edge of last strip to corner (at ceiling, middle
and baseboard). Add 1/2" to the widest measurement and cut the next strip to
this width. Save the remainder. Hang the strip turning the corner 1/2" onto the
adjoining wall. Establish a plumb line on the new wall for hanging the remaining
part of the strip. Hang the remainder, overlapping the 1/2" from the previous
strip into the corner. For outside corners, follow the same technique of
measuring, cutting and wrapping inside corners. Slit excess at the ceiling and
baseboard to smoothly make the turn around the corner. Strike a new plumb on
the adjoining wall to hang remainder of the strip.
10. DOORS & WINDOWS
Hang a strip over the door or window from ceiling to the floor. Measure and cut
excess with scissors. Cut diagonally at corner, fit, and smooth. Smooth the rest
of the strip up to the edge of the molding. Finish by carefully cutting along the
molding edge with snap blade or razor using a putty knife as the guide.
11. OUTLETS & SWITCH PLATES
Make sure all electricity is turned off, then remove outlet cover, hang
wallcovering and diagonally cut at the opening, then replace outlet cover.
12.HANGING A BORDER
For prepasted borders going over a painted surface, cut
border the wall length plus 1/2". wet border. Accordion-fold
loosely, paste to paste, avoiding creasing (Figure H).
Apply to wall. Overlap at corners as indicated for full strips.
To frame a window or doorway, butt or miter corners. To
miter, overlap border at a 90 degree angle and cut from
outside edge to inside edge at 45 degrees. Remove
excess wall covering and butt the 45 degree edges
together to form a right angle of the border. When applying
a border over wall covering, use a vinyl-to-vinyl adhesive.
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4. Furniture Finishing Installing Wallpaper
13. COVERING A CEILING
Preparation and application are the same as for walls, with
these differences: Cover ceilings first, then walls. Work
crosswise rather than lengthwise, since shorter strips are
easier to handle. Enlist the aid of a friend to help smooth
strips onto the ceiling. Use a broom or mop to get the wall
covering up (Figure I). Once there, you can slide it into
proper position and smooth with a wall covering brush
(Figure J).
HELPFUL HINTS
• Buy an extra roll of wall covering to keep in case an area is ever
damaged.
• Unwanted bubbles are easily removed by cutting an "X" into the bubble
and carefully lifting the edge. Apply paste and press back into place.
• Note dye lot number, pattern number and collection name for future
reference.
• Do not use newspaper to cover your work table. Ink from paper may stain
wall covering.
Take along scraps of wall covering to coordinate colors and patterns when
shopping for other furnishings.
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