|
Preparing for Wallpaper
Things to consider when choosing wallpaper:
A plain wallpaper with little or no pattern to match at the seams and the ceiling will always be the easiest to apply, and it will always result in the least amount of wasted wallpaper.
Among the patterned wallpapers, a small repeating pattern will result in less waste than a large repeating pattern, which also poses difficulties in a room with lots of windows or doors interrupting the layout.
A pattern with a horizontal match (matching on every column of paper) will waste less paper than one with a drop or alternate match (matching on every other column).
Estimating Wallpaper
You'll need to determine the amount of wall space you're covering.
First, measure the length of all the walls, add those together and multiply that by the height of the walls.
If there's more than one door or window in the room, you should also determine the amount of space they cover, add them together and subtract that from the figure you got for the area of the entire room.
There's bound to be waste in any wallpaper project, so take that figure and multiply it by 1.15 (figuring the waste rate to be about 15%). Take that figure with you when you shop.
There's bound to be waste in any wallpaper project, so take that figure and multiply it by 1.15 (figuring the waste rate to be about 15%). Take that figure with you when you shop.
Wallpaper is sold in single, double and triple rolls, and coverage can vary so always refer to the product's label for the proper square footage. Once you've chosen a paper, divide that coverage figure from the label into the total square footage you got for the room you're papering.
Round the answer up to the nearest whole number which represents the number of rolls you need to buy.
Preparing Surfaces for Wallpaper
 As with a painting project, the walls should be clean and in good repair before you start hanging wallpaper since any flaws will probably show through.
In addition, new drywall should be covered with a good primer-sealer (tinted to match the color of the paper) to keep the wallpaper adhesives from soaking right into the drywall and making the paper almost impossible to remove.
Some professionals also recommend applying a coat of sizing to the walls before papering to give the paper a tackier surface to bond with.
Checking Your Wallpaper
 Before you start hanging paper, the pros also suggest that you open each roll and check each one for mismatched patterns and colors. That way you can get replacements for any problem rolls before you're fully involved in the project.
And then hang on to the labels afterwards, or at least write down the manufacturer and the pertinent run or lot numbers. That way you can find a matching roll or two later on if you have to make repairs or otherwise redo a section.
|
