Today wallpapers are not the papers of your grandmother. Today they are sturdy. They can be washed and scrubbed, can withstand the tortures of sunlight without dramatic fading, and the colors and patterns cover the entire spectrum. The only real exceptions are costly hand printed papers.
As for those few that hate wallpaper, it is my belief that secretly they really do like it, but they have had a bad experience with it in the past. Those bad experiences can vary, but most come down to one of two things. The paper starts peeling at the seams and edges, or it won’t come off at all. Both of these problems usually come down to one simple issue, and that is improper installation. If you just don’t feel you are up to the task of installing paper yourself, by all means, contact a professional.
However, if you are looking for a DIY project that won’t take too much of your time, following a few simple tips will make a huge difference in how well your wallpaper performs.
The first step is preparing your walls correctly. Start by spackling and sanding just as you would if you were preparing to paint. Then prime the walls with a primer/sealer. Once the primer has had time to properly cure, use a level to make a light pencil mark, top to bottom, where each strip will be installed.
Start by cutting all of your strips to the size needed, allowing for pattern match and an additional four inches on each end.
For most papers, use a premixed “clear hang” wallpaper adhesive. Apply the adhesive with a roller, instead of a brush. This will help you spread it more evenly and quickly. Apply the adhesive to the back of one half of the strips and allow it to cure according to the adhesives instructions.
To make the strip more manageable, professional installers then “book” each strip by lifting the end with the past gently bringing it to the center of the strip, being careful not to crease the paper where it folds. Basically you are folding the paper so that the glue is enclosed inside the paper. Then glue and book the other half of the strip. By doing this you will give yourself 10-15 minutes to hand the strip before the glue begins to dry.
Take the first strip to the wall and unfold the upper half of the paper and carefully align it to the pencil mark you put on the wall earlier, over lapping the crown molding or ceiling with the four inches you added to allow for irregularities at the ceiling.
Smooth the paper into place with your hands starting at the top and working outward and down until you reach the halfway point, where you will need to unfold the lower half and continue smoothing the bottom half.
Using a wide scraper and a sharp utility knife, trip off the excess along the ceiling and floor. Flatten any wrinkles with a plastic smoother. Continue installing the remaining strips in the same manner being careful to match any pattern. When you reach a corner, don’t be tempted to crease the paper into the corner and continue with the same strip onto the next wall. Paper bent around a corner, rarely sticks well. Instead, continue the paper only about ¼ inch beyond the corner. Overlap this ¼ inch with the next strip of paper, again making sure to match pattern. This works with both inside and outside corners.
When you are finished, don’t panic if you see an air bubble or two that you didn’t quite get smoothed out. Wait for all the glue to dry in the area surrounding the offending bubbles. Then, using an adhesive syringe, available at paint and hardware stores, pierce the bubbles and inject a few drops of adhesive under the paper. Then simply smooth the bubbles down with your fingers.
When the installation of your new paper is complete, whether you did it yourself or hired a professional, you will be glad you gave wallpaper another chance.