How To Hang Wallpaper: Best Practices For Applying Wallpaper
How to hang and apply wallpaper
If you’re looking to wallpaper a room in your home, there are some helpful tips and insights we can give you to minimize time spent on mistakes and maximize time spent on efficiency. This guide will teach you how to hang wallpaper effectively. First of all, you need to find out what kind of wallpaper you are using, whether it is pre-pasted or you need to apply the paste to it, how long it should stand in the water. These are questions you need to answer before starting your project. The first and most important aspect is to prepare your wall.
Preparing your Wall
While many people use new wallpaper to cover a hole or indentation in the wall, this is something you do NOT want to do as it leaves less room for the wallpaper to adhere. Be sure to plaster any holes in the wall before hanging the wallpaper. This will allow your wallpaper to adhere more easily as there is much more surface area for your wallpaper to hang. In addition to covering any and all nicks and holes in the wall, be sure to sand the wall to make sure there are no little bumps sticking out that will tear the paper. Lastly, make sure your wall is dry before you begin. Any wet spots could be problematic when trying to get the wallpaper to adhere efficiently. While prep seems like a lot of unnecessary work, it could save you from having to rewallpaper an entire wall in the future. See our full list of wallpapers by collection to help you choose which wallpaper you should use!
Measure the wall and paper
Measure the length of the wall and leave 2 to 3 inches at the top and bottom of the wallpaper to allow yourself some breathing room to trim the wallpaper. It’s much easier to overestimate how much you’ll need and then trim the paper, then try to get it exactly right only to find that you’re missing a quarter inch at the bottom.
Once you have measured the wall and paper and cut it to the correct size, do a quick test of the paper on the wall WITHOUT paste or water to make sure the measurements are accurate. Be sure to account for the 2-3 inch overhang at the top and bottom of the wall.
adhesive application
Now that you have your wall prepared, your paper measured and cut, it’s time to apply the adhesive. This is where you should read up on any wallpaper you have to determine if you are using an adhesive that you mixed up or if the wallpaper comes already glued on. Before applying any adhesive to wallpaper, it’s a good idea to fold the wallpaper back in the opposite direction that it was originally folded. This gives you a flatter wallpaper instead of one that is half rolled up.
If you are using prepasted wallpaper, be sure to use lukewarm water, just a few degrees warmer than room temperature. If it’s too cold, the adhesive won’t mix properly with the water, leaving you with nothing but damp paper. On the contrary, if it is too hot, all the pasta will melt and you will only have paper. Room temperature is where you want to keep the water so the paper sticks to the wall and creates a smooth stick. You want to make sure you spread it evenly around the edges, either with water or paste. if you are using self adhesive wallpaperYou don’t have to worry about the paste or the water, you just have to worry about how you apply it.
Hang up the wallpaper
When you apply the paper, you should start from the top, including the 2-3 inch overhang, and push out from the center to the sides to the bottom. Be sure to use a slider to push out as many air bubbles as possible. As long as it’s flat with the serve, any leftover bubbles will naturally expel over time. Use a damp sponge on the bottom, top, and side edges of a wall to make sure everything adheres properly.
Do this all over the wall and you’ll have a beautifully wallpapered room in just a few hours. With this guide you should have no problem learning how to hang wallpaper. Don’t forget to check out our collection of wallpaper borders to complement your beautiful wallpaper!
Good luck!