DIY: Wallpapering Your Home

The look of the walls of your home plays an important roll in the overall appearance of your homes interior. Many walls are done with paneling. Other walls are painted. The rest ore generally wall papered. The older your home is the more likely it is to find previous layers of wallpaper under the layer you want to replace. Also, the older your home is the more likely it is that the walls will need repair before you apply your new wall paper.

Where to start? Well, pick a room, any room. Only attempt to wallpaper one room at a time. The art of wallpapering is not as easy as it seems. There are many steps to take to ensure a good, professional looking wallpaper job. The end result makes all the work worthwhile. Here are some suggestions that will help you to perfectly hang your wallpaper, making it a weekend project that will be admired for years to come.

Once you've chosen the room you want to re-wallpaper you'll need to select the wallpaper you'll want to use. There are many styles, patterns, colors and textures available. Take your time when choosing your paper because it'll be hanging on your walls for a long time to come. You don't want to hang it and then be dissatisfied with the look. Also, determine if you'll want to use a wall border at the top or bottom of the walls. If so, you'll want to purchase the border at the same time so that you'll ensure a perfect match. It's a good idea to choose a variety of wallpaper that is washable, especially if you have children. That way you can easily wipe it down and keep it clean. Some varieties will be ruined if you try to wash them.

Once you've chosen your paper it's time to make sure you have the supplies for the job. If there are already layers of paper on the walls they'll need to be removed. You'll need a spray bottle full of HOT water to do this, and also a scraper. You'll need sheetrock mud, or spackle to repair the walls, and a mudding knife. You'll likely need a garbage bag or can, and should consider having a sheet of plastic or a painters tarp to protect the floor. Lastly, you'll need paste if your wall paper in not pre-pasted, and a wall paper brush. To smooth the paper once it's hung you'll want to have squeegee.

Start by removing any old wall paper. To do this use your spray bottle full of hot water. Spray down one wall at a time with very hot water. Wait about five minutes and then begin to peel, scrape and remove all of the old paper on the wall. Do each wall in this manner until all of the walls are paper free, bare, and ready to be repaired. Your garbage bag or can will come in very handy while removing the old paper, as will the sheet of plastic or painters tarp, as it can be quite messy. Save some of the original wall paper on the walls to scrap book. Insert it on a page and write a caption listing the room it was hung in. Your home has likely had many looks, all of which are part of the history of it's style.

Once you've removed the old wallpaper from the walls you're ready to do some wall repairs. Very old houses do not have sheetrock walls. It's like sheetrock but different. Spackle may be the only way to repair dents, holes, cracks, and such. Sheetrock mud works well on sheetrock or plain wood walls, but in the oldest of homes where mortar was used it may not adhere properly.

Once the walls are repaired it's time to begin hanging. A worktable works great for cutting and measuring wallpaper. Also, it'll come in handy for pasting. Pre-pasted wall paper requires water. Apply warm water with a sponge, brush, or your spray bottle. It'll need to be wet for two minutes to properly adhere. Before you paste or wet the paper it's very important to measure. You'll want to make sure you draw a line down the wall the is straight. This will be your starting line. This will ensure all of your wall paper is hung straight and that it will meet and match up perfectly.

Once you've measured and have pasted or wet then it's time to hang the first piece. So long as your line is straight then there should not be any problem with your paper being hung crooked. Only attempt to hang one piece at a time. Once your paper is hung on the wall take your squeegee and smooth out any air bubbles. Start from the middle and smooth out towards the edges.

Next, hang the next sheet of paper. Overlap the second piece one quarter inch, to a half an inch, over the first. Where the seem is take a utility knife and cut all the way from top to bottom. Peel up the top and pull out the strips. It helps to hold a ruler on the edge so that you get a good straight line. They two sheets will butt up to each other perfectly and a seem will not be detected. Repeat this for the rest of the walls and the end result will be a perfectly wallpapered room. Thanks for reading and take care!