Do you want to change the decor without getting out the brushes and paint? Are you more of a wallpaper person? You have the paper stripper or, if you’re lucky, the direct installation on a painted wall! But sticking wallpaper is not always easy. All coatings do not apply the same way and some are much easier to stick than others. How to wallpaper your walls yourself? While the installation price, without supplies, will cost you between €8 and €20 per m², how can you successfully personalize your interior using traditional, non-woven or vinyl wallpaper? We tell you everything!
First of all, know that there are traditional , vinyl and non-woven wallpapers . Their characteristics differentiate them as well as the upholstering technique: gluing on paper or gluing directly on the wall . Find out how to apply wallpaper depending on the type of wallcovering chosen, but also what materials are needed and what mistakes not to make! It would still be a shame if the renovation of your living room or bedroom turns into a nightmare!
Do you want something new? It may be a good time to breathe new life into your interior and redecorate your walls . Why not opt for a new wallpaper ? Not easy to put a wallpaper correctly , perfectly perpendicular to the ceiling and whose edges are side by side and not superimposed.
Indeed, have you ever tried to glue a whole strip, grasp it delicately, climb the steps of the stepladder to stick it perfectly to the wall, without the paper folding, accidentally sticking to the wall or to the new strips? After determining and purchasing the number of rolls of wallpaper needed to wallpaper your room, it’s time to put on the blue heater. To put the odds on your side, it is essential to keep calm and concentrate , be precise when applying and above all work as a team !
How to hang traditional wallpaper?
If traditional wallpaper is the cheapest , it is also because it is the thinnest, and therefore the most likely to wrinkle, tear and be damaged . Whether plain or patterned , it is therefore the most difficult wallpaper to install .
Upholstering a classic wallpaper for the dressing of your walls can only be successful with the appropriate material . Here’s everything you need:
Two people are needed to install wallpaper. If you are a beginner, never start alone!
Traditional wallpaper should be pasted on the back . To do this, you have to let it soak a little with the glue, while watching that it is not too soaked to prevent it from tearing even faster. If you don’t apply enough glue, the paper may peel off quickly! It’s all about timing !
with the help of a second person to hold the bottom of the strip, bring the top of the strip to the wall keeping the length as it is,
Half fold the upper part and the lower part of the strip on itself to transport it more easily, and unfold it after sticking it at the top of the wall. Be careful, if the paper is fragile or wrinkles, it may be difficult to peel off .
You then need to apply it flush with the ceiling and smooth the paper with the masking brush. Expel the air and any excess glue , working from the outside inwards. Go down all the way along the strip, following the mark drawn using a plumb line, if your walls are not straight.
All you have to do is cut the wallpaper that sticks out on either side , using a cutter and an edge-to-edge ruler.
For a socket or a switch, remove the base from the wall after turning off the power. Then make an incision in the center of the socket, so as to lift and cut off the excess paper. Replace the switch base once the glue is dry.
As the angle of a wall is not always perfectly straight, the application of the paper can sometimes be complex. To make your job easier, start from one of the corners and don’t stick the same strip on the two corner walls. Let it protrude about ten centimeters on the other wall and make the connection using a new length .
We advise you to cut the lengths (strips of wallpaper) in advance , keeping a margin of 5 to 10 cm for the bottom of the walls.
The cutting of the bottom of the walls must take place before the complete drying of the paper but without it being too wet yet. In which case, you risk tearing it very easily or leaving yellow marks on the baseboards.
Pass the roller over the bubbles as soon as they appear and glue the lengths edge to edge, following the seams if necessary. Also remember that this type of paper shrinks slightly. If you have a gap between two strips just applied, it will be visible after drying, the position of the paper is calculated to the nearest millimeter.
If one of the wallpaper strips is incorrectly positioned , it is recommended to peel it off and replace it, rather than dragging it.
The non-woven wallpaper is easy to apply and very resistant, due to its thickness . It also has the advantage of being waterproof and washable. No need for a wallpapering table to glue the strip of wallpaper , which is done directly on the wall. Be careful however, a wallpapering table is practical for applying the wallpaper, otherwise it will be done on the floor to cut the lengths, and in this case, make sure that it is clean.