Wallpaper

Vinyl wallpaper

Vinyl wallpaper is the most durable wallpaper option. It can take a beating and keep on ticking in comparison to 100% paper and non-woven wallpaper.

Vinyl is a common recycled plastic used to make records, food wraps, carpet, linoleum flooring and many indoor and outdoor signs.

Prepasted wallpaper

This wallpaper has glue embedded into the back of it. You won’t even notice it on the back, either by look or feel, until it becomes activated by adding water.

Some people do this by spraying the back with a sprayer or water bottle and others unwind the rolls and dunk each sheet into a trough filled with water. As stated earlier, prepasted wallpaper can either be non-woven, vinyl coated, or sold vinyl.

Prepasted Wallpaper Just Wet Back To Activate Glue

You can dunk the wallpaper in a trough or spray the back with a water bottle.

Non-woven wallpaper

Non-woven wallpaper is a combination of natural fibers and a little vinyl mixed together to create a breathable, flexible and more durable material than regular paper backing wallpaper.

Some non-woven wallpapers have no vinyl at all in them and are just made from natural and synthetic plant fibers.

You could say that this is the next evolution from 100% paper backing, but stops short of a full vinyl. There are many people who don't like vinyl and usually for them, non-woven will be the best option.

When this material was first introduced, the ease of installation and removal was one of the top selling points. It's made to go up easily and come down, not in little chunks and scraps, but in long flowing sheets. 

Non-woven backing usually requires glue.

Peel and Stick Wallpaper

This wallpaper goes one step further than prepasted paper. The backing is sticky and ready to be applied without any additional glue or water. All yo

u need to do is peel the thin plastic from the back and hang your wallpaper.

It's made for people who are looking for more temporary wallpaper options, including renters. You can hang it and take it down when needed.

For one, you will need to hang it on a smooth and primed wall for it to look good. So, this part stays the same.

Secondly, the sticky adhesive on the back makes this type of wallpaper very hard to maneuver and slide into position.

The installers who will work with peel and stick, usually end up adding paste to the back anyway so they can easily slide each sheet into position on the wall.

Prep the walls

Before you put in the work installing wallpaper, you’ll want to be sure it’s going to adhere well. Depending on the condition of your surface, this may involve painting over a dark color that could show through the wallpaper, sanding down any lumps of old paint, and filling nail holes with spackle. 

If you paint, you should give the fresh coat three to four weeks to fully set. Before hanging wallpaper, some people also choose to add a coat of wallpaper primer (also called sizing), which is an acrylic-based liquid that helps make your paper stick more easily and also makes the removal process go more smoothly. (Depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, wallpaper primer should only take a day or two to dry.) 

You’ll also want to remove all light switch and outlet faceplates. Cover the sockets with painter's tape so glue doesn’t seep in. Hunt offers a key safety tip. “You should always turn off the power before you install wallpaper, since you’ll need to cut carefully around these spots with a metal blade,” she says. 

Add a plumb line

Use a pencil and a straight edge or spirit level to make a vertical straight line (also known as a plumb line) down your wall (to the baseboard) to delineate where the first panel will go. If your design does not have a clear focal point that you would want to center on the wall, start on the left side and move toward the right. It helps to make several plumb lines across the wall, so you can ensure your wallpaper stays consistently straight.

Measure and cut your wallpaper

Measure the wall and add three inches to both top and bottom to allow for trimming. You’ll paste the paper on at this size and then trim the excess. 

Apply paste and wallpaper

Use a roller or brush to apply an even coat of paste to the wall, being careful to add the adhesive just beyond where the paper’s edge will land. Hang the first strip of wallpaper and remove air bubbles with the smoothing tool, working from the center out to the edge of the paper. Move to the next panel: When you apply paste for the next panel, let it overlap slightly onto the edge of the panel that’s already on the wall (this will help soften the seams so the two strips blend together). Place the wallpaper over the light switch and electrical outlet sockets, being careful not to apply any paste near them; you’ll come back to them later.

Trim the edges

With the taping knife as a guide, use the breakaway knife to trim the excess paper from the top and bottom; wait until the paste dries since it will be stiffer and easier to cut. As you trim, change the knife blades frequently to avoid jagged edges.

Cut around electrical outlets and light switches

Always work slowly and carefully in these areas so you don’t rip the paper. Use the breakaway knife to gently make two vertical cuts on either side of the plug (or light switch). Then use scissors to make a single horizontal cut in the middle of the plug area (put your finger underneath to pull the paper away and make it easier to cut). You will be left with a top and bottom flap; use the scissors to cut off each flap. Snip around the bottom of the plug where the screw goes in, then reattach the outlet cover.