Wallpapers are a great way to introduce texture, pattern, and some colors into your home. Also, they allow you to be creative and bring out the artist in you.
Fortunately, installing a wallpaper is an easy undertaking. However, it is not something you can do intuitively. Without the know-how and tools, you are bound to do a poor job.
In this article, we will provide you with practical tips that will guide you on your wallpaper installation journey.
Let’s start!
What do you need?
To hang wallpaper, you will need some supplies. We have listed them below.
- Wallpaper – it’s obvious, we know. But we need to include it all the same and fulfill all righteousness.
- Wallpaper paste – you can mix your own. However, it’ll be much better and easier if you buy a ready mixed paste in a resealable tub.
- Pencil
- A pair of scissors
- Measuring tape
- Trimming blade
- Plumb line measuring tool
- Pasting table
- Clean, soft cloths
- Bucket of water
- Seam roller
- Dust sheets
- Stepladder
- Sponge
- Wallpaper application brush
- Putty knife
1. Prepare the wall
The first step toward hanging a wallpaper is to prepare the wall. Ensure they are clean, dry, and bare, with a temperature between 10 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius.
If there are nails, hooks, or screws, remove them. If there are any large holes in the walls, get rid of them with fillers. If there are bumps or lumps on the wall, smooth them with sandpaper. Move the furniture and furnishings away. And for those things you can’t move, cover them with dust sheets.
2. Measure the wall
The next step toward hanging a wallpaper is to measure the wall’s height and width. Then, add anywhere between 10cm and 20cm to the height measurement. This is important for when you trim the wallpaper after pasting.
Then, with the plumb line tool, draw a straight line on the wall from top to bottom. Ensure the line is close to where your first wallpaper strip’s edge will be but not close enough to be covered by it. This line will serve as your guide when you hang the wallpaper; it will help ensure the wallpaper is straight.
3. Prepare the wallpaper
Once you are done with the above, the next thing to do is to prepare the wallpaper. Cut the wallpaper according to the measurements you’ve taken.
If your wallpaper is pre-pasted, roll it up so that the pattern is on the inside. Then, soak it in a bucket of cold or lukewarm water for some 3 to 5 minutes, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Doing this will activate the paste.
If your wallpaper is not pre-pasted, we recommend you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If it is paste-the-paper, apply wallpaper paste after cutting into strips. Then, fold the wallpaper onto itself such that its edges align in the middle of the wallpaper and leave it for about 3 minutes. Doing this will activate the paste in a process called booking. However, be careful and ensure the wallpaper doesn’t crease. For paste-the-wall wallpapers, you can hang them directly from the roll.
4. Hang the wallpaper
Take the wallpaper to the wall and unfold the top part. Then, paste it onto the wall. Ensure the edge aligns with the plumb line you drew earlier. Also, ensure some of the top parts of the paper overlaps for trimming later. Then, smooth the paper’s edges with the sponge. Next, smooth from the middle to the edges with the clean cloth. Do it lightly and smoothly, though, taking care to remove every wrinkle along the way.
Finally, unfold the other half of the wallpaper. Paste it to the wall and follow the same steps for anchoring it to the wall as we’ve laid out above. If things don’t go according to plan at first, peel the paper off and reapply.
5. Trim the overlaps
Once you have pasted the wallpaper and you are satisfied with how it’s anchored, trim the excess paper. Use a sharp trimming blade (or a pair of scissors) and hold it as parallel to the wall as possible. Also, guide your trimming with a putty knife. This way, you can ensure your trimming is smooth and straight.
Clean off whatever adhesive is stuck to the paper’s surface. Also, wipe down the ceiling.
6. Hang the other strips
Applying the first strip is the easiest part of hanging wallpapers as you do not have to match any pattern. However, from the second strip onwards, you have to ensure they match the established pattern. So, put the roll against the first strip and find where the patterns merge while making leeway for the extra paper you’ll trim away. Once you are satisfied that they merge, cut the strip.
Next, hang the strip like you did the first one while making sure the patterns align and don’t look out of place. Also, be careful the strips don’t overlap. Finally, smooth it using the sponge and clean cloth.
Repeat this process until you have covered the entire wall.
By the way, start your wallpaper hanging on a wall that will be covered, maybe with furniture or clothes or something similar. This way, any mistake you make while getting into your wallpaper hanging groove won’t be in full glare.
How to hang wallpaper around wall sockets and light switches
One of the trickiest things about hanging wallpapers is doing so around light switches and wall sockets. Here is how to go about it.
- Switch off the electricity
- Hang the wallpaper as you would if there were no switches or sockets
- When the paper is over the switch or socket, use a pencil to draw a line from its corners to the middle
- Pierce a hole in the middle, then use a blade to cut the paper along the lines you drew
- Unscrew the faceplate of the switch or socket
- Remove it through the hole you’ve made
- Tuck the wallpaper you’ve cut inside the switch or socket while ensuring they do not come in contact with any wiring
- Screw the faceplate back