How's It Hanging? Your Wallpaper That Is

For many people, hanging wallpaper is a complicated and frustrating experience. Though there are rooms that pose more challenges than others (a bathroom, for example), it doesn't have to be a stressful experience for you.

The first step is to choose wallpaper. Today there are all sorts of wallpapers out there for you to choose. If you are new to wallpaper hanging, you may want to choose a pattern with little or no matching. This will make things easier for you and may save you some money on the amount of paper you need since an intricate match often leads to more paper wastage (and thus more money wastage).

When thinking about choosing wallpaper, you want to think about what sort of room it is being used in and what it might come into contact with. For example, vinyl-coated wallpaper is suitable for a kitchen and bathroom because it has a higher tolerance for grease and moisture. On the other hand a coated fabric covering makes more sense for living rooms and bedrooms because it is more breathable and has a lower moisture tolerance.

You will need to make sure you measure your room carefully so you order the right amount of wallpaper. You don't want to get halfway through your room and then realize you don't have enough. There are online tools that will help you calculate how many rolls you might need or you can consult with someone at your local home or decorating store.

Now that you've selected your paper, you want to make sure that you have the right tools. You should have a knife and scissors for trimming the paper. You should also have a measuring tape or a ruler. Sponges and a seam roller are really important because they help you remove bubbles from the paper before it dries. A ladder, buckets, seam sealer (or vinyl adhesive) are also useful to have on hand.

Before you hang the wallpaper, you should make sure that your surface is properly prepared. Start by removing outlet and light switch plates. Clean the surface to remove any grease or stains. You should also try to fill any holes and repair imperfections in the wall's surface. All of this preparation will help you in the long run.

You will need to pick a spot to begin hanging the wallpaper. Two things should be taken into consideration when picking this spot: the layout of the room and the pattern of the wallpaper. You want to select a shorter space if possible so any mismatch will be inconspicuous. Usually a door or a window is a good place to start - especially a corner behind a door.

Once you've picked a spot, you'll want to draw something known as a plumb line. This is a straight vertical line that you will line up your first strip of wallpaper with. Making this plumb line will ensure that your paper is straight right from the start.

Now it's time to hang. If you have purchased pre-pasted paper, then you need to activate the paste by dunking it is water. There are special wallpaper trays that will help you with this process and will prevent your paper from becoming creased. If your paper is not pre-pasted then you will need to apply paste and book the strips (fold paste to paste without creasing the paper). It is really important that you not crease the paper at this stage because those creases can be seen when the paper is hung. If you do happen to crease the paper, there is very little you can do to remove those creases.

Next, you hang your first strip. Use the plumb line to ensure that your paper is hanging straight. Use your sponge to remove any air bubbles and ensure that the paper is pressed firmly against the wall. Once it is up, you want to trim the top and bottom of the paper using a razor knife.

After you have this first strip up, you can move on to the next strips. With each piece, you want to make sure that you are sliding it into place so there is no overlap or gap between the two pieces. You also want to watch carefully for matching points. When you have three strips up, you can run over all of the seams with a seam roller, but don't press too hard. This will cause excess glue to seep out and your paper will not stick as well to the wall. You should also have adhesive on hand to put on any spots that are sticking. You can also use this in the future if sections or seams start to lift.