Learn hang wallpaper with no mess.
Hanging wallpaper can seem like a daunting task, but today's pre-pasted paper makes it easy to update a room's decor without all the messy paste. If you are hanging wallpaper on a wall that has previously been painted or textured, take some time to prepare the surface of the wall first. Indentations or holes under the wallpaper may cause it to rip or appear lumpy.
Instructions
1. Cover the floor and any furniture in the room with a plastic tarp to protect it from drips.
2. Wipe the wall down with a mixture of soap and warm water and allow it to dry. Use a putty knife and spackle to fill in any cracks or holes in the wall. Sand down any bumps or chips in the paint. Scrape off the excess spackle and smooth out the spot with sandpaper so that it is flush with the rest of the wall.
3. Apply a coat of wallpaper primer and let it dry according to the instructions on the product label.
4. Find a spot in one corner of the room that is behind a door or curtain. This will be your starting point for hanging the wallpaper. Use a T-square and a level to draw a straight vertical line on the wall.
5. Measure the wall to be papered. Add three to four inches to the height measurement so you have some excess paper to work with. Cut a few strips of wallpaper according to this measurement.
6. Fill a shallow plastic tub with lukewarm water and place it on a table or workbench. Soak the strips of wallpaper in the tub to activate the adhesive on the back. It is better to work in batches so the paper does not get soggy. Return to this step as needed to soak additional strips of wallpaper.
7. Take a strip of wallpaper out of the tub and align it with the vertical line you drew in Step 4. Start at the ceiling and work down using your hands to press the paper against the wall. Use a damp sponge or seam roller to press out any wrinkles or bubbles in the wallpaper. Repeat this step to cover the rest of the wall, using the previous strip of wallpaper as a guide to line up each new one.
8. Stop when you cannot fit another full-width strip of paper on the wall without overlapping the corner. Measure the distance from the last full strip of paper on the wall to the corner. Add one or two inches to that measurement and cut a strip of wallpaper to fit.
9. Soak the corner strip of wallpaper in the plastic tub. Apply it to the wall so that it is lined up next to the last full strip of paper on the wall. Cut a slit in the excess at the top and bottom of the strip so it can bend at the corner. Press the paper down into the corner of the wall. This will cause the inch or two of excess paper to overlap the corner and stick onto the next wall. Use the sponge or seam roller to flatten out the strip on both sides of the corner.
10. Repeat the previous steps to cover the remaining walls of the room.
11. Allow the wallpaper to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use scissors to trim off any excess at the top or bottom of the wall.
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