Wallpaper Installation Questions
Wallpaper Installation Questions
What is the best way to determine how many rolls I will need?
That's easy. Just use our Wallpaper Calculator.
What is the best starting point in a room to begin my wallpaper installation?
Since your starting and stopping point is the only place in the room that is unlikely to match, it is important to start your job in the least visible corner of the room. A good place to start is usually in the corner that is closest to the entryway.
What do the instructions mean when they talk about booking the paper?
Depending on type, wallpaper can expand its width up to 1/4 inch. To avoid expansion on the wall, which can cause bubbling and wrinkles, it is necessary to "book" the paper before hanging. "Booking" means folding the paper onto itself for several minutes, paste-to-paste, to allow the paper to relax before applying to the wall. Book un-pasted paper immediately after applying paste; book pre-pasted paper immediately after dipping or spraying with water. This allows the paper to fully expand, relaxing its curl, and in the case of a pre-pasted paper, it allows the pre-paste to fully activate.
Why is the width of my border shorter than the piece I just hung?
Like most wallpapers, borders expand when they are activated by water, and as they dry, they contract. Most likely, you were comparing a wet border with a dry border.
What is the difference between primer and sizing? Why do I need to use it?
Primer is a protectant/sealer for your wall which prevents the paste from absorbing into porous surfaces. Sizing provides additional grip and more slip to slide into place and adhere to the wall surface. Many products on the market today are a combination sealer/sizer; these one-step universal wallcovering primers are easier to use and are formulated to work on a variety of surfaces under varying conditions. Sealing the surface is also an important procedure to allow for future removal.
Can I apply paste to pre-pasted wallpaper?
Pre-pasted wallpapers are imbued with dried paste that activates when moistened. The moisture from a paste will also activate the dried paste on a pre-pasted wallpaper. Quality engineers, through repeated testing, have already predetermined and applied the optimum amount of dried paste to any prepasted wallpaper. We do not recommend applying wet paste to prepasted wallpaper to activate the paste. It is unnecessary and will nullify any guarantee of easy removability in the future.
Can I hang wallpaper over existing wallpaper?
Although the ideal surface on which to hang wallpaper is a clean, primed and sized wall from which all previous wallpaper has been removed, we realize that is not always possible. While not ideal, it is sometimes possible to hang wallpaper over existing wallpaper, but if you go that route, be prepared to accept less than ideal results. To minimize potential pitfalls, take these precautions:
- Make sure the wallpaper over which you install your new wallpaper is securely installed. The better the previous installation; the better chance of success.
- Ensure that all of the seams over which you hang your new paper are completely flat to avoid obvious ridges that might show through.
- Plan your first strip so that your new seams do not align with the old seams.
- Before hanging over wallpaper, it is even more important to seal and/or size the existing wallpaper in order to create a surface that is easy to slide your paper into place and which will maintain adherence to the old wallpaper.
- Test hang a strip and let it rest for 36 hours to make sure the moisture from the new paper does not loosen the previous layer of wallpaper.
- Finally, if you are installing a light colored paper over a dark or high contrast paper, use a specialty pigmented wallpaper primer to block the old pattern from coming through the new design.
What does the match and pattern repeat affect? Do I need to measure differently?
Pattern match is primarily about visual impact and the look you want. A straight match will repeat a pattern in a straight line across the wallpaper, while a drop match pattern will align in a “V” shape to neutralize any horizontal lines visually. Pattern match quantity adjustments will already be factored into any wallpaper calculator online today. For a look at pattern match as show on a wallpaper strip, please see the Wallpaper Glossary under FAQ’s.