When applying wallpaper, choose an inconspicuous spot for your starting point. The edge of a door frame is a good choice. This is where the first and last strips of wallcovering in the room will meet, and inevitably, those strips won’t match perfectly. That’s why it’s important to find an inconspicuous spot.
Stir wallpaper paste for longer than suggested by the manufacturer to ensure that there are no lumps. A wooden dowel makes and ideal stirrer. Also stir the paste from time to time during wallpapering.
Prepasted wallpaper needs soaking to activate the paste. Loosely roll up a cut length so that the water will come into contact with all the pasted surface easilly, thus activating the paste.
If you find bubbles or specks of some kind under new wallpaper, first cut an X pattern over the defect. If the problem is a speck, remove it with a tweezers or a utility knife. Then work seam adhesive into the cavity, squeeze out the excess, and seal the opening. For air bubbles you also can use a paste-injecting syringe found in paint and wallpaper departments.
When removing wall paper borders, use a hair dryer to loosen the glue.
Remove wallpaper quickly with equal parts vinegar and water. For tougher jobs, increase vinegar.
Most of today’s wallcoverings are especially easy to hang because they’re pre-pasted. If the box indicating whether a wallcovering is pre-pasted isn’t marked, be sure you get the right adhesive for hanging.
Here are few things to keep in mind when applying wallpaper: New Walls – Must be thoroughly cured, dry, primed and sized. Previously painted walls – Fill cracks or holes with patching paste, then sand smooth. Spot-prime the patches and size all walls to be papered. Walls with old wallcovering – Remove, patch, sand and clean. Be sure the old adhesive is gone and the walls are completely dry before sizing.
