Looking for an alternative to that bland, fading paint job that
is at least 20 years old? Instead of grabbing a bucket of paint,
consider wallpaper instead.
Looking for an alternative to that bland, fading paint job that is at least 20 years old? Instead of grabbing a bucket of paint, consider wallpaper instead.
Like paint, wallpaper comes in many different colors. But unlike its counterpart, wallpaper offers many different patterns to match your room.
Before applying wallpaper, you need to prepare and clean your walls. Strip away the paint and make sure there aren’t any holes in the wall.
Doityourself.com recommends removing mold with a solution of two cups of bleach in a gallon of water.
Measure the walls with a tape measure to figure out how much paper you need by adding the length of the walls together and then multiplying by the height.
Doityourself.com advises starting off by hanging the wallpaper to the right of a door or window in a less conspicuous area. The first piece is the most crucial because everything else will be built around it.
With a level, you can draw a straight line with a pencil on the wall to align the paper.
Cut the wallpaper and then apply the paste smoothly to the back of it. When cutting the following pieces, allow for a slight overlap to match the pattern.
Acehardware.com advises waiting five minutes before adding the paper to the wall. If there are air bubbles, you can gently pull it back then resmooth it.
The tutorial also advises starting at the top and letting the paper fall on its own before smoothing it out with a flat edge. Any extra paper can be trimmed away with a razor knife.
When applying paper around edges, use care to avoid making holes in the paper.
Do you have a home improvement question or suggestion for something that has worked for you? If so, we’d love to hear it. The home improvement tip runs on Wednesdays. Send your questions and comments to nm*****@**********rs.com or call (408) 842-6400 and ask for Nathan Mixter.
