Wallpaper tips and tricks

 

Easy peasy lemon squeezy! 

Follow these step-by-step instructions on how to hang non-woven wallpaper, and your job will be done before you know it!

The instructions for paper-based wallpaper are slightly different. Click here for more information about hanging paper-based wallpaper.

 

Non-woven wallpaper

Which tools do you need?

        * Wallpaper paste for non-woven wallpaper
        * Snap off knife
        * Wallpaper roller and smal brush
        * Wallpaper spatula
        * Spirit level & pencil or plumb line
        * Stepladder
        * Cleanup cloth or sponge

 

1. Preperation

Well begun is half done! Make sure that your walls are smooth, clean, dry and uniform in color. Remove any existing wallpaper.

Fill any holes or imperfections in your walls with a filler and a spackle and remove the covers from switches and sockets. Switch off electrical groups. Avoid temperature fluctuations and drafts, as this can shrink wallpaper and cause the seams between the wallpaper strips to widen.

Tip: Check if the batch numbers on the wallpaper labels are matching to avoid shade variations. 

 



2. Perpendicular line

Because door frames, walls or ceilings are not always level, it is best to draw a straight vertical line on the wall using a spirit level or plumb line. Do this about 50 centimeters (roll width - 3 cm) from the point where you start to paper. It’s best to start papering from the window (where the light is) so wallpaper seams will stand out less.

Tip: Did you know that you can easily make your own plumb line by attaching a weight or heavy nail to a piece of rope?

 3. Apply paste

Prepare the wallpaper paste. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions. The advantage of non-woven wallpaper is that you can simply paste the wall with wallpaper paste rather than the wallpaper. You don't need a wallpaper table because you can hang the wallpaper straight from the roll. If you rather cut the strips beforehand, you need to measure the height of your wall and add 10 centimeters for final trimming. Note: If the wallpaper has a pattern repeat your strips needs to be: the length of the wall + 1 time the pattern height + 10 cm for trimming.

Tip: Evenly spread the paste across the wall. Apply the paste per strip. Make sure you apply the paste slightly wider (±15 cm) than the width of the wallpaper roll itself (only if you apply another strip next to this strip).

 4. Hanging the strips

Apply the first strip to the top of the wall, leaving a small overlap (±5 cm) at the ceiling and roll down the wallpaper roll. Slide the wallpaper into position, lining up with the plumb line. Gently press the strip to the wall using the wallpaper spatula. Cut the excess paper along the ceiling and the baseboard with the snap off knife. Use the wallpaper spatula to cut off the wallpaper straight and to push any air or paste accumulations to the free side of the strip.

Tip: If any excess paste got on the front of the wallpaper, you should immediately wipe it off with a damp cloth or sponge.

 

 

5. Pattern match

Each wallpaper has a repeating pattern. On the wallpaper label you can verify after how many centimeters the pattern repeats itself. This is indicated with the number after this symbool patroonherhalingsymbol. With most plain or striped designs you do not have to take the pattern repeat into account in order to get a good pattern match. With other patterns it is important that you do pay attention to how offset the pattern is in relation to the strip beside it when applying. In the image below you can see the four different options with the corresponding symbols.

Tip: Wait before replacing sockets and covers until the wallpaper has dried properly. Wallpaper that is not dry properly is fragile and can be damaged quickly.