Simple Tips for Improving Techniques for Hanging Wallpaper

It doesn't matter how much preparation that you do, the proper hanging technique is critical to give a quality finish to your wallpapered walls. It is greatly important to master the basic technique and method of application so that when you come across certain obstacles, you will have a firm technique on which you can build from.

Proper Vertical Line

To start hanging wallpaper accurately, you will need to find the proper vertical lines to begin. You will use a level as a straightedge to draw a line with a pencil for a guideline. This guideline will be your chosen starting point on the wall you are to hang wallpaper. You need to extend this line by carefully moving the level down the wall to make sure you get an accurate and continuous guide.

Prevent Wallpaper Tears

When working with wallpaper, if the wallpaper has been folded while it was soaking, it is more likely to tear. To prevent this from happening you will want to support its weight with one hand as you unroll the wallpaper. Make sure that the first contact is about six inches below the ceiling, and then follow the guidelines down the rest of the wall.

Allow For Expansion When Hanging the Wallpaper

When you are measuring out where the lengths of the wallpaper will hang, you need to keep in mind that the wallpaper will expand from its dry measurements once it is pasted to the wall. To allow for this expansion, make an allowance of up to one fourth of an inch.

Smoothing the Wallpaper

The best technique for smoothing the wallpaper is to brush from the center of the length of wallpaper out towards and over the edges, and to also smooth from the top to the bottom of the lengths of wallpaper. This will ensure that you remove all of the air bubbles that may become trapped between the wall and wallpaper.

Embossed Wallpaper

When working with embossed wallpaper, it's important that you do not apply too much pressure, otherwise, the raised pattern on the wallpaper will be flattened and it won't come out properly.

Applying Vinyl Wallpaper

When working with vinyl wallpaper, take extra care not to stretch it while you are smoothing it against the wall. This may cause the wallpaper to become distorted on the edges and make it difficult to join with the next hanging of wallpaper next to it, and it won't align properly.

Tips for Trimming Wallpaper

To help hide the uneven lines of the wallpaper, where the wall-ceiling junction is not a straight edge, you can overlap the wallpaper slightly onto the ceiling, and make a crease line with a pair of scissors, and then you can trim. This will create a straighter line.

To fix any over trimming, you can hide the joins of the wallpaper. If you have made a mistake and trimmed too much wallpaper, to fix this you can insert a small sliver of wallpaper at the top behind the main length of wallpaper. Then you can overlap the main length of wallpaper onto the sliver. This way the overlap will not be seen from the floor giving it a flawless look.

Bonus: Money-saving Tip

When using craft-knife blades, this is a way to make sure you have the sharpest cut. Mark a dot on one end of a new craft-knife blade. This way you are sure to use the marked end first, so that when you need to change the blade around you will be sure that the other end of the blade has not been used, resulting in a clean cut.

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