Wallpaper Tips

Victorianwallpaper.com

The Brillion Collection
Authentic Victorian Restoration Wallpapers

Victorian Collectibles Ltd.

WALLPAPER: THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BEGIN

· HANDPRINTS — Color variation is inherent with handprints from strip to strip and even within the strip and not be construed as defects

· SEAMS OPEN — Usually caused by lack of adhesive.
(1) Installer pushing seams together and stretching material.
(2) Excessive rolling of seams forcing adhesive from behind covering.
(3) Failure to apply adhesive to edge or covering when pasting.
(4) Allowing paste to dry on edges while booking.

· MILDEW — Caused by dampness and bacteria and inability of adhesive to dry. Special consideration must be given when hanging vinyl's to preparation of sealed wall. Mildew is a fungus growth and flourishes in moist environments.

· PIECE ROLLS — A roll of wallpaper may be in more than one piece. Use this roll first to get best use of your material.

· MIXED RUNS — All wall covering has run numbers such as R3 or R5, Shading from sheet to sheet will occur when two runs are used on same wall. Make sure to use only one run to each wall.

· STREAKS — Adhesive on front of paper. All washable papers should be washed down as hung to remove excess paste from surface.

· TEARS WHEN TRIMMING — Usually caused by a dull blade. Change razor blades often.

HINTS FOR HANGING WALLPAPER

There is no great mystery in hanging wall covering today if a few basic procedures are followed. Inside each bolt of wall covering is hanging instructions for that particular paper. Always read the instructions even if you have had previous installation experience. If you are a first time do-it-yourselfer, you may want to begin with pre-pasted wallcoverings.

The following is a list of simple tools needed to hang wall coverings properly. Not all items are needed for all jobs and many are tools you already have around the house.

PREPARING THE SURFACE

Most surfaces require some preparation before wall coverings will adhere to them properly. Surface should be clean and smooth, therefore, wash down the walls and sand out any rough spots.

Newly plastered walls should be thoroughly dry before hanging wall coverings. If plaster is caustic, it must be neutralized by coating the wall with two pounds of zinc-sulfide dissolved in a gallon of water. Plaster walls that have not been aged or treated can cause the wall covering applied over it to appear discolored or splotchy.

Latex painted, drywall or wood should be sealed with an oil-based paint or enamel undercoat. Some latex paints will flake off and cause the wall covering applied over it to pull loose. If wall covering is hung over untreated drywall, it will almost impossible to remove at a later date.

It is always best to remove old wall coverings before hanging new. No matter how tight they look, the moisture from the adhesive for the second layer may loosen the first. If the older paper has any metallic inks on it, these will possibly bleed through the new wallcovering.

Mildew should be removed before hanging wall coverings by washing the wall surface with a mixture of 3/4 gallon warm water, 2/3 cup tri-sodium phosphate, 1/2 cup detergent and 1/2 gallon of bleach. Be sure to add a tablespoon of Lysol or Borax to the new adhesive.

Gloss enamel surfaces should be sanded with coarse sandpaper or washed with an extra strong solution of tri-sodium phosphate soap, then thoroughly rinsed.

Be sure to wash off paste from woodwork before it dries and leaves a residue.

[ Home ]

Copyright © 2004 Victorian Collectibles