How to Apply Vinyl Wallpaper
- 1). Wipe down the wall with a commercial cleaner and cleaning cloths, taking care to remove grease stains. Fill dips or depressions with spackle and a putty knife. Tape any exposed seams in the wall with wallboard tape. This will help the paper go on more smoothly.
- 2). Measure the height of the walls from floor to ceiling with a measuring tape. Measure the length of the walls. Add the wall lengths together, multiply by the height and that will give the number of square feet in your room. Look at the wallpaper roll. The package should tell how many square feet each roll will cover. Divide the room's square footage by how many square feet one roll will cover. Round up any fractions, and that total will tell you how many rolls of paper you need.
- 3). Place the straight edge (a long board will do just fine) in the middle of one wall. Use a level to guarantee it is perfectly vertical. Draw a line along the side of the straight edge from floor to ceiling, using a pencil. Have a friend help you, if necessary.
- 4). Cut off a length of paper long enough to reach from the bottom of the molding to slightly below the top of the mop board, using scissors. Leave the backing in place. Standing on the stepladder in front of the mark you made earlier, unpeel one end of the backing. Stick it just below the molding next to the mark (or, alternatively, make the length go from ceiling to floor and remove molding and mop board, replacing them after you paper), making sure it fits snugly and does not leave any of the old wall covering showing.
- 5). Peel the backing from the paper a little bit at a time, working your way down the wall. Smooth the paper as you go, making sure there are no wrinkles or bubbles and that the edge stays next to the line you made. At the bottom, use a thin-bladed tool, such as a scraper, to tuck a bit of the paper behind the mop board. Use a razor knife to trim off any excess.
- 6). Cut another section of paper, the same length as the first. Beginning again at the top, match the wallpaper pattern so that it will look as if it is all one piece. You might have to use a little extra paper to make sure the patterns will match. Repeat the same procedure as with the first piece. Continue throughout the room.
- 7). Cut an X or a slit where there are light switches and other interruptions in the wall as you make the application of the paper. Use a razor knife to trim the paper away from these irregularities before the "sticky" has a chance to set. Use denatured alcohol to clean up any residue on surfaces.
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