So, you’ve decided to wallpaper your room? Wallpaper can add a lot of character and style to a room. But before you start hanging, you need to decide which method you want to use.
There are two main ways to hang wallpaper- the paste-the-wall method and the traditional paste-the-paper method. The paste-the-wall method is more efficient and easier, and this article will teach you how to hang paste-the-wall wallpaper.
What is paste the wall wallpaper and why should you use it?
Paste-the-wall wallpaper is a special paper that only requires you to paste the wall and hang it. It doesn’t swell as traditional wallpaper does.
Traditional wallpaper needs to be pasted on a table and then soak for about 5 minutes before you can hang it.
If you would hang a traditional wallpaper up by hanging it on the pasted wall it would start to swell on the wall creating bubbles all over.
I made this mistake once when I thought I was using a paste-the-wall wallpaper. Yep, had to rip several strips down and redo it.
What are the benefits of using paste-the-wall wallpaper?
By using a paste-the-wall wallpaper you don’t need to use a pasting table and you don’t need to wait for the wallpaper to soak. Just paste the wall and you can hang the wallpaper immediately.
When hanging paste the wall wallpaper you hang them butt to butt, which gives a seamless finish, compared to traditional wallpaper that would be hung with a small overlap since it would shrink when drying. And when it’s time to hang new wallpaper you don’t need to care about the seams, just paste the wall and hang the new wallpaper.
Tools and materials needed
Before you start hanging wallpaper, you will need some tools and materials. Here is a list of what you will need:
For prep work:
Wide putty knife
Sandpaper
Sanding tool
Face dust mask
For hanging wallpaper:
Wallpaper
Wallpaper tray
Wallpaper paste
Roller
Extension pole (optional)
Paintbrush
Sponge
Pasting table (optional, for cutting the strips)
Smoothing tool
Utility knife
Folding ruler
Level or a plumb bob
Pencil
Bucket of water
Straight edge tool
How to measure your walls for wallpaper
You can either use this wallpaper calculator or if you want to calculate it yourself then follow these steps:
- Measure the width and the height of your walls
- Multiply the width and height of each wall to get its square footage
- Add the total square footage of each wall to get the square footage of the room
- Subtract any doors and windows from your calculations
- Divide your total square footage with the wallpaper rolls coverage
Add about 10% since there will be some waste when cutting around trim.
How to prepare your walls before hanging wallpaper
Preparing your walls before hanging wallpaper is important, as it will help ensure that your wallpaper gets a nice, smooth finish and doesn’t bubble or peel. There are a few things you need to do to prepare your walls:
Remove switch covers
Remove the covers for any electrical outlets and light switches. You want the wallpaper behind these areas as well.
Repair any holes or cracks in the wall with joint compound
Spackle over any irregularities or seams. Use your putty knife with joint compound for this. Once it has dried, sand it until it is smooth with a 100-120 grit sandpaper.
Apply a coat of primer to the walls
Either use a primer or mix the wallpaper paste with about 10-20% water and roll the walls. This way you’ll see problem areas that might appear, such as large bubbles. Remove the air bubbles with a putty knife or similar, spackle them when the primer is dry and then sand.
Check the wallpaper instructions if the walls need to be in a uniform color before hanging.
Once, when I wallpapered for a client, they had done the prep work themselves. When I had wallpapered the walls I could see the places where they had spackled through the wallpaper. They had dark wallpaper underneath and they spackled the seams with a white joint compound, which showed through the new wallpaper.
Some wallpaper brands are thinner than others so make sure to check that.
How to hang wallpaper
Now that your walls are prepped, it’s time to hang the wallpaper.
Decide if you want to start at a corner or window. If it has a pattern I usually start at a window.
If the wallpaper has a pattern, then look for a corner that isn’t that visible where the last wallpaper strip will go since the last wallpaper strip probably won’t fit perfectly to the pattern.
Use a level or plumb bob to ensure your wallpaper will be straight
Use the folding ruler and measure the wallpaper width at your starting point, make a mark with the pencil. Make sure that you have a small overlap over the corner, about 1/3 of an inch, or the window trim if you decided to start there.
Use a level or plumb bob on the marking you did and either draw a line or make markings with the pencil so you get a straight vertical line.
Paste the wall
Now when you know exactly where the wallpaper strip will go, paste the wall with the roller and the trim and corner with the brush. Paste about a little more than the width of one wallpaper strip.
Hang the first strip
Put the wallpaper roll in the wallpaper tray, set it on the floor, draw up the wallpaper and fix it to the line you drew earlier.
Use the smoothing tool, if you see air bubbles smooth them out to the seams. Make sure you have proper lighting so you can see them.
Then, trim the excess by using the straight edge tool or a wide putty knife and cut with the utility knife.
Hang the wallpaper “butt to butt” for a seamless finish
Paste the wall for another strip of wallpaper, hang it butt to butt, and follow the pattern if it has one. Use the damp sponge over the seams and remove excess paste from the trim.
When you get to a corner, measure the width for the next strip. Add 1/3 inch for the corner overlap. Keep the overlap as small as possible if the wallpaper has a pattern.
Cut the wallpaper on the pasting table or on a surface with protection on it to avoid cutting marks. Use the level or the straight edge tool and cut with the utility knife. Hang it over the overlap and press against the corner with the damp sponge.
Don’t forget to make a new mark with a pencil and level so you get the next wallpaper strip straight, as you did with the first strip.
Use the utility knife to cut around the electrical outlets and light switches.
When you are finished wallpapering the room put back the covers for the outlets and switches.
Done!
Conclusion
Wallpapering can be a daunting task, but following these simple steps can make it go a lot more smoothly.
Paste-the-wall wallpaper is the kind I most often use and the easiest! I can’t even remember the last time I hung the traditional kind!
Enjoy your fresh new wallpaper!