The following steps will depend on the wallpaper chosen for hanging. But most aspects would be the same for different types of covering.
First, make sure you have all necessary tools. They can be borrowed, of course, but it is better to have one’s own. A generic list of tools and accessories required for wallpapering is given below:
With all the materials and tools ready it is time to proceed with wall preparation.
Apply primer designated for gypsum or paste 24 hours prior to wallpapering (this will help protect the wall and in the future strip the wallpaper without damaging the wall surface). The primer is a must!
The paint should be removed. If there are cracks, they need puttying. Plaster is applied to level out the surface.
Remove the old wallpaper. To do this, you can use a special compound for wallpaper stripping which is diluted in warm water. Apply the solution onto the wallpaper and leave for 10 minutes to take effect, and then strip the wallpaper with the putty knife starting from the top.
Another option is to use a special steam cleaner, excluding situations when the wallpaper can be removed dry. Or simply moisten the old wallpaper with water.
Treat the walls with a special primer for damp walls. Keep to the drying term indicated on the package.
Any irregularities or cracks should be puttied up. If need be, use sandpaper to smoothen out the wall. When plaster has been used, the surface should be left to dry.
With the preparations complete, you need to prime the surface. This process is very often neglected but it is not advisable to do so. The primer is needed, first and foremost, to reduce paste absorption by the walls. This enables adjustment of wallpaper strips, i.e. to match the pattern or joints. Wallpaper paste can also be used as primer. But in this case its consistency should be thinner. By the way, the primer will protect your walls against potential growth of various fungi or bacteria.
All working areas (walls) should be accessible in the premises where wallpapering is to be done.
It is necessary to move to another room any large furniture, sofas, pictures, shelves, curtains – i.e. things which will interfere with the works.
For the sake of safety, turn off the electricity, remove socket and on-off switch frames, unscrew plastic skirting and door trims. These can be put back in place upon completion of the works. Wallpapering should be done in a clean room without dust or dirt. Before starting, an overall cleaning should be performed. To protect the floor from paste, spread a polyethylene film or carton.
Doors and windows need to be tightly shut – do not air the room where you have just finished papering for at least 24 hours. Wallpaper does not tolerate draughts and temperature fluctuations.
The strips can easily fall off the walls not having had enough time to dry. And the work would have to be repeated.
It is not so easy since each paste type is designated for different wallpapers. Some wall coverings are heavier, some are lighter. For example, most pastes are suitable for paper-backed wallpaper. But non-woven backing is another thing – the structure is different. And vinyl wallpapers are too heavy for universal pastes.
The paste is mixed with water according to the instructions on the package. To avoid lumps, it is advisable to introduce the paste into water slowly and stirring all the time. The mix is usually left for several minutes to half an hour (please see the manufacturer’s recommendation). After that you need to mix it again.
Before you proceed, make sure the rolls are of the same batch as the shade or tint may differ even if the color is the same. To determine the right length of the strip, add 5-10 cm to the room height and start cutting. Make sure to unroll the wallpaper in one and the same direction when cutting.
Offcuts may be used to paper partition walls, over-door and under-window areas etc. Remaining wallcoverings can and should be stored, just in case. But, alas, they will not help you buy precisely the same roll should you need to repaper a large section of the wall.
This is a sheet of paper containing the name and technical information. You will find it under the packaging film of each wallpaper roll. The batch number on the label will enable to “hit the color shade” should you need to buy additional rolls.
The following recommendations will help you achieve the best quality of papered surface.
Hung wallpaper should dry at room temperature for two or three days, depending on wallpaper type. Draughts and heat emitted by heating devices can deform the joints.
The principle of cutting wallpaper for the ceiling is the same as for wall, but the papering process is somewhat more complicated. Therefore, it is recommended that this job is performed by two persons: one person hangs the beginning of the strip while the other supports the remaining part, until the whole strip is hung. Start papering the ceiling from the window, moving into the room.
To ensure high-quality papering, leave a strip portion that is as wide as the window bay depth, with allowance. Make cuts from above and from below by window height, fold the protruding part and paste it to the side surface of the bay.
It is recommended to paper doorways in one direction. Otherwise it would impossible to match wallpaper pattern above the door.
To paper interior and exterior corners of the room, hang the strip to overlap the previous one by 4-6cm, cutting the upper layer in the middle of the joining strip with a sharp knife. Then remove the cut strip and smooth out he wallpaper so that the joint is not visible. Apply a small amount of paste to the joint when necessary.
Use a narrow roller with a long handle to make the process of papering behind the radiator easier. A simpler method of decorating the wall behind a radiator is painting the wall with a color corresponding to wallpaper color.
Form a circular hole in the wallpaper strip at the intended socket location. The easiest way to do this is to make a cross-shaped cut in the sheet. Then proceed to transform it into a circle using each sector of the cross cut.
Floor molding is glued on the lower part of the wall. Afterwards you can paste wallpaper onto it end-to-end. If a border is used, the floor molding and wallpaper in the upper part should be glued end-to-end to the border.
And remember that you should not hold back on finishing the work. Do your best to complete each room in one day.