Wonder Wall

Here’s how to reinvent a room with wallpaper, minus the all-too-common horror stories

By Bob Christ
CTW Features

Image courtesy iStockphoto

Almost everyone who has tried hanging wallpaper has a horror story to share – even the pros. The mere thought of such a project is enough to scare off even the most ambitious weekend handyman. But if you know a few simple tricks and have the proper tools and guidance, you have a good chance to do an efficient, eye-pleasing job.

No matter how skilled you are, a wallpapering job is going to leave somewhat of a mess. Therefore, spread out a heavy-duty dropcloth to protect your rug or floor.

But before you start, you should examine the surface you intend to wallpaper. Is wallpaper already in place? Is the wall painted? With semi-gloss? Is there only Sheetrock, or plaster with unsightly holes?

If the walls are painted with semi-gloss, you will need to prime them with a water-based primer before hanging. If the walls already have wallpaper, here’s where the fun starts.

The easy way out would be to paper over the existing wall covering. But that is not recommended, because there’s no telling if the underlying paper will begin curling one day, ruining your new covering. Using a utility knife, make a cut at the top of the wall and slowly begin peeling. Don’t worry about portions that don’t come off easily.

After peeling, you probably will be left with a thin sheet of backing and adhesive. At this point, take water that is as hot as you can handle and use a sponge to soak these sections. After a few minutes, take the sponge and gently attempt to remove residue. Keep doing this until the wall is relatively clean. There is no need to buy any product that speeds this process – unless you’re fond of throwing away money.

If the Sheetrock or plaster is damaged during the peeling – this is often the case if the wall wasn’t properly prepped the last time paper was hung – you’ll need to spackle the indentations and prime.

Now you are ready for hanging.

By now, you’ve visited a home-improvement outlet and explored the wallpaper styles and materials. Prices generally range from $5 to $90 a roll, but there’s no real need to buy anything at the high-end price.

There’s also the matter of deciding whether to buy self-adhesive paper or paper that needs to be pasted to the wall. Paste is better and neater – for the professional. For the average Joe (or the average Jo) self-adhesive wallpaper, which can be applied with a dose of water or with an “activator,” may be the better option. The water helps prevent the adhesive from drying too quickly, thereby giving you more time to position the paper. It also adds strength to the glue.

When papering, imagine yourself varnishing a hardwood floor – you don’t want to paint yourself into a corner. If there is to be an ugly area where the pattern doesn’t match precisely, it’s best to make sure that area is behind a door, or where someone’s eye is least likely to be attracted. That’s also the spot where you should start and, eventually, finish.

Obviously, you’ll need to have the proper tools before you start. That means getting a wall-covering tool kit, which includes a utility knife, paste brush, roller and smoothing brush. It’s also wise to have a plumb-line kit to make sure the paper is straight. All of this will cost about $10.

First, measure the length of your surface and make the appropriate cut from the wallpaper roll. Then, after you’ve applied the proper amount of water, paste and activator, press the paper to the top of the wall and slowly work your way down, using the smoothing brush to eliminate bubbles. After that, take the roller and press the edges.

Before you tackle archways, electrical outlets, plumbing fixtures and other abnormal areas, consult one of the many available brochures detailing what you should do with these problem spaces.

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