How to put up wallpaper.
Matt Clibbon, 15th April 2008.
Hey dude.
Right first thing you do is put the kettle on - make a lurvly cuppa and have some chocolate hobnobs for dunking - THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of the process - get the wrong biscuit for dunking and the whole thing will fall apart :-)
Tools you'll need
Pasting table
Scissors - sharp - get parental supervision if necessary
Knife - preferably one with snap-off blades
Plumb bob & string
Bucket - to mix paste in
Stick - to mix the paste with
Bowl of warm water - to wash down table
Cloth - for same reason as above
Pasting Brush - to apply paste to back of wallpaper
Smoothing Brush - to get bubbles out when on wall
Edge Roller Thingy - to smooth down the edges
Small screwdriver - to loosen off light switches and plug sockets.
Wallpaper paste
oh and wallpaper - make sure you buy enough and that they all have the same shade/batch numbers. (you will normally get four ceiling to floor drops out of one roll - dependent on pattern - ps try to get vinyl paper its easier to work with)
Ok
1. Make sure all surfaces are completely clear of old paper. Fill any holes or indents then sand down - It's worth taking time to do this cos the wallpaper will only look as good as the wall behind it.
2. You may want to size the walls - I'm sure you know what that means but just so I can be patronising - it means pasting a thin layer of paste over the wall - this helps in two ways by smoothing out the wall a bit and it makes it easier to take the wallpaper off in the future. For mixture ratio of paste to water - see packet. If you do size the walls do them all in one go cos you'll need to clear out the bucket cos you'll need a stronger mix.
3. Right once you're happy that the walls are in a good condition it's time to start wallpapering.
4. The first drop that you do is the most important to get right as all the rest will feed off of it. Pick a corner to start from - one next to a door would be best. I find it easire to work from left to right all way around a room. Measure out a rolls width from the corner then go back about an inch. Make a mark at the top of the wall. (just take a moment and roughly take a roll of paper - still rolled up - and place against the wall where the mark is. Then place your finger at the other end of the roll. Use your finger as the next mark and do the same. Keep doing this around the room to give you a rough idea where the drops are going to go - if you end up coming down the middle of a socket or too close to a corner - you may want to rethink your start position) Also try to make sure your first drop is plain and doesn't have any sockets or switches.
Take the Plumb bob and position the string at the mark. Let the bob hang down and settle and make marks down the wall along the string. This will give you a true line to work off from.
5. Place a roll on the floor next to the line and pull roll up to the ceiling - let it overhang top and bottom by an inch or two. With the roll still on the floor make a mark on the paper to give you the length required.
6. Using the pasting table cut a line across the paper where you want the bottom to be - actually use a knife to cut it - not the pasting table - it's sharper.
7. Place the newly cut piece on the table front side down. Paste the back of the paper using pasting brush and paste that I forgot to mention needs to be mixed up in the bucket (see paste and papertype for ratio).
8. With your paper pasted, carefully fold the bottom and top to the middle - not overlapping. This will help to stop the paste drying out while you get ready to put it up and also will stop it sticking while you try to put it against the wall. Unfold the top half and place on wall along the line with a little ovelap at the top. Using the smoothin brush - brush from the middle of the paper to the edges until the top half is secure on the wall. Then unfold the bottom half and brush out in the same way - Make sure it keeps in line with your plumb line.
9. At this point you should have a piece of paper on wall with overlaps at top and bottom. Carefully use a knife or scissors to cut the top and bottom overlaps.
10. Ta Da - first piece is up. Continue arounf the room using the previous edge to line up against - and remember to match patterns if applicable. Wash table after each pasting so you don't get any paste on wrong side.
Potential tricky bits are corners, windows and sockets - but they mainly come down to how you find it easiest to do - but if you want some tips - give me a shout.
So in answer to your question - no don't cut them all first as you will most likely have some problems on some and have to redo.
Put it up a piece at a time - it feels pinickity and time-consuming but still the easiest way to do it.
I can come down next month if you want a hand or a supervisor :-)
If you do it before do us a favour and take pictures so I can see how you get on.
Good luck matey and may the Schwartz be with you.
Matt Clibbon, 15th April 2008.
Hey dude.
Right first thing you do is put the kettle on - make a lurvly cuppa and have some chocolate hobnobs for dunking - THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of the process - get the wrong biscuit for dunking and the whole thing will fall apart :-)
Tools you'll need
Pasting table
Scissors - sharp - get parental supervision if necessary
Knife - preferably one with snap-off blades
Plumb bob & string
Bucket - to mix paste in
Stick - to mix the paste with
Bowl of warm water - to wash down table
Cloth - for same reason as above
Pasting Brush - to apply paste to back of wallpaper
Smoothing Brush - to get bubbles out when on wall
Edge Roller Thingy - to smooth down the edges
Small screwdriver - to loosen off light switches and plug sockets.
Wallpaper paste
oh and wallpaper - make sure you buy enough and that they all have the same shade/batch numbers. (you will normally get four ceiling to floor drops out of one roll - dependent on pattern - ps try to get vinyl paper its easier to work with)
Ok
1. Make sure all surfaces are completely clear of old paper. Fill any holes or indents then sand down - It's worth taking time to do this cos the wallpaper will only look as good as the wall behind it.
2. You may want to size the walls - I'm sure you know what that means but just so I can be patronising - it means pasting a thin layer of paste over the wall - this helps in two ways by smoothing out the wall a bit and it makes it easier to take the wallpaper off in the future. For mixture ratio of paste to water - see packet. If you do size the walls do them all in one go cos you'll need to clear out the bucket cos you'll need a stronger mix.
3. Right once you're happy that the walls are in a good condition it's time to start wallpapering.
4. The first drop that you do is the most important to get right as all the rest will feed off of it. Pick a corner to start from - one next to a door would be best. I find it easire to work from left to right all way around a room. Measure out a rolls width from the corner then go back about an inch. Make a mark at the top of the wall. (just take a moment and roughly take a roll of paper - still rolled up - and place against the wall where the mark is. Then place your finger at the other end of the roll. Use your finger as the next mark and do the same. Keep doing this around the room to give you a rough idea where the drops are going to go - if you end up coming down the middle of a socket or too close to a corner - you may want to rethink your start position) Also try to make sure your first drop is plain and doesn't have any sockets or switches.
Take the Plumb bob and position the string at the mark. Let the bob hang down and settle and make marks down the wall along the string. This will give you a true line to work off from.
5. Place a roll on the floor next to the line and pull roll up to the ceiling - let it overhang top and bottom by an inch or two. With the roll still on the floor make a mark on the paper to give you the length required.
6. Using the pasting table cut a line across the paper where you want the bottom to be - actually use a knife to cut it - not the pasting table - it's sharper.
7. Place the newly cut piece on the table front side down. Paste the back of the paper using pasting brush and paste that I forgot to mention needs to be mixed up in the bucket (see paste and papertype for ratio).
8. With your paper pasted, carefully fold the bottom and top to the middle - not overlapping. This will help to stop the paste drying out while you get ready to put it up and also will stop it sticking while you try to put it against the wall. Unfold the top half and place on wall along the line with a little ovelap at the top. Using the smoothin brush - brush from the middle of the paper to the edges until the top half is secure on the wall. Then unfold the bottom half and brush out in the same way - Make sure it keeps in line with your plumb line.
9. At this point you should have a piece of paper on wall with overlaps at top and bottom. Carefully use a knife or scissors to cut the top and bottom overlaps.
10. Ta Da - first piece is up. Continue arounf the room using the previous edge to line up against - and remember to match patterns if applicable. Wash table after each pasting so you don't get any paste on wrong side.
Potential tricky bits are corners, windows and sockets - but they mainly come down to how you find it easiest to do - but if you want some tips - give me a shout.
So in answer to your question - no don't cut them all first as you will most likely have some problems on some and have to redo.
Put it up a piece at a time - it feels pinickity and time-consuming but still the easiest way to do it.
I can come down next month if you want a hand or a supervisor :-)
If you do it before do us a favour and take pictures so I can see how you get on.
Good luck matey and may the Schwartz be with you.