Applying wallpaper

 You can now download this as a PDF document: How to hang wallpaper

You will need:

• Wallpaper
• Wallpaper Paste (Crave Interiors recommends Metylan Wallpaper Paste)
• Sugar Soap
• Bucket
• Pasting Brush
• Scissors or Re-tractable knife
• Seam Roller
• Smoothing Brush
• Sponge
• Tape Measure

STEP 1 – Preparation

It is important that you start out with a smooth clean surface with all dirt or rough parts removed. This includes any old wallpaper or oil based paints. Fill in any holes and sand smoothly. If you have a newly plastered surface, you may need to paint with a primer-sealer to prevent the paste soaking into the wall which will make removal very difficult. Determine how the pattern is to be composed on the wall.

STEP 2 – Cutting

Cut the wallpaper in a length which is about 10cm longer than the required length from floor to celing, when mounting onto the wall allow for these extra centimetres at each end. For patterned paper you may have to allow for pattern matching on the following strips it may be helpful to cut strips from alternate rolls.

STEP 3 – Pasting & Hanging

Mix Wallpaper paste in a bucket following the manufacturers instructions. Check your wallpaper guide to see if the wallpaper you have chosen is ‘Paste the Wall’ or ‘Paste the Paper’.

For ‘Paste the wall’ Wallpapers:
Apply paste with the pasting brush to the wall, large enough to hang two strips. Ensure you have covered the area thorougly, otherwise air bubbles may appear. Roll the wallpaper onto the wall from ceiling to floor, ensuring you have left a few centimetres over lap at both ends. Smooth the wallpaper with a smoothing brush from the centre of the strip to the oustide edge to remove any airbubbles, trim off the excess wallpaper at the floor and celing with a retractable knife or scissors. Wipe off any excess paste from celing, skirting or the surface ofthe paper with the sponge. Then hang the next strip in the same way ensuring that each strip is flush with the next and the pattern matches. Finally, gently use the seam roller to smooth the seams between each strip.
*Do not roll seams on flock, foil or embossed paper.

For ‘Paste the paper’ Wallpapers:
Lay the strip down on a table with the back side facing up and apply paste from the centre to the outside edge, make sure it is covered evenly and the edges are well covered. Hang the wallpaper from the top of the wall, smoothing the paper into position by smoothing outwards diagonally to remove air bubbles, Trim off the excess wallpaper at the floor and celing with a re-tractable knife or scissors. Wipe off any excess paste from celing, skirting or the surface of the paper with a sponge. Then hang the next strip in the same way ensuring that each strip is flush with the next and that the pattern matches. Finally, gently use the seam roller to smooth the seams between each strip.
*Do not roll seams on flock, foil or embossed paper.

TIPS

• Mark the back of the paper with a pencil before pasting to ensure you hang the wallpaper in the correct order ( more so for patterned paper).
• Check the design before hanging to ensure you will be hanging the pattern the right way up, the way the wallpaper comes of the roll may not be in the right direction that it needs to be hung.
• Make sure your scissors or re-tractable knife are sharp and free of paste to ensure a neat, straight and clean line.
• To wallpaper around Light or power switchs, cover with wallpaper then cut diagonally over the switch and cut around it with re-tractable knife.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Peeling Paper – If the wallpaper starts to lift a little it means the paste was not evenly covered on the edge. So ensure you have pasted the paper or wall evenly. Air Bubbles – If there are air bubbles on the wallpaper after it has dried make a very small neat incision in the bubble, apply a small amount of paste underneath and use the seam roller to smooth back in place. Paste Bumps – If too much paste has been used there may be small paste bumps on the surface, again make a very small neat incision into the bump and squeeze the paste out and wipe away. Paper Shrinkage – Heavy and embossed papers may shink slightly once hung if the paste is not left on to soak before hanging the wallpaper. Ensure you have followed the pasting manufacturers instructions carefully.

*This information is a guide only and Crave Interiors accept no responsibility for any wall paper hanging problems which may occur.*