How to : Install Traditional Wallpaper
Out of all the home decor DIYs I could think of wallpaper was definitely up there with most difficult to do and easiest to mess up in my book. I’ve loved so many wallpaper patterns throughout the years and now that I have my own wallpaper collection out and another on the way I figured it was time to face my fears and try to wallpaper. If you want a downloadable guide you can get mine here. The wallpaper I will be talking about is Spoonflowers Non-Pasted Traditional Pebble Wallpaper. It is one of three types of paper you can choose from when ordering from me. It is eco-friendly, Type II wallcovering, Class A/M1/B1 Fire Rated, and PVC-free. I am no expert and it is highly recommended to hire a professional to put up this kind of wallpaper but if you’re like me and either don’t have the budget or you’re a DIYer down to your core I’m going to tell you how I did it and what materials you will need.
Before you start wallpapering you will need to prep your walls. Fill in any holes and sand down rough edges. Next you’ll want to remove outlet and switch covers. Priming your wall may be needed. If you decided to prime, Romans RX35 clear primer is recommended. Make sure to leave enough time for the primer to dry. It will say it on the can but generally it is recommend to wait 4 weeks to let the primer or paint fully cure. Once your wall(s) is dry wipe it down with a damp cloth and let dry.
Installation Materials
Now it is time to gather all the supplies you will need. You don’t want to be caught in the middle of install and realize you need x y or z.
Level with a straightedge or laser level
Pre-mixed wallpaper paste
Paste brush or napped roller Wallpaper smoothing brush
Ladder
Putty Knife (6” metal works best)
Snap-blade knife or utility knife with extra blades
Pencil or tape
Drop cloth or tarp
Bucket of clean water
Clean table/workspace
Getting Started
Just like painting a wall you’re going to need to prep your area. Grab you drop cloth or tarp and lay it down making sure to cover all of the floor up to the baseboards to protect your floors from glue and water. For me it was easiest to have my work table in the middle of the room to give me enough room to work and not accidentally fall and knock over anything. It is recommend that you begin installation in the least conspicuous portion of the room, usually over the entry doorway. Using a plumb bob (weight on a string), a level, or a laser level tape or draw a light vertical level line where you plan to begin install. You may want to check for level consistently throughout install. Some older homes are notorious for having wonky walls that can be anywhere from a few centimeters to a few inches different in size.
Unroll and cut down the first panel of paper. Cut the panel approximately 4” longer than the height of your wall to allow room for trimming and adjustment. Lay the first panel face-down on your work area. Apply an even coat of pre-mixed wallpaper paste to the entire surface. Take care to roll or brush away from the center towards the edges to avoid build-up on the front edges of the paper. This next part I insisted my partners help for but it is completely up to you. Lightly fold the top and bottom of the panel over itself to meet in the center so all pasted areas are covered, take care not to crease the paper. This is called ‘booking’. Book the paper by letting it sit folded for approximately 20-30 minutes. Refer to the instructions of your chosen wallpaper paste for more details. Once the paper is booked, its install time! Unfold the top half of the booked panel and place it against the top of the wall with a small overlap onto the ceiling. Make sure the edge of the paper aligns with your level line before smoothing the top portion of the panel onto the wall, working from the top down and the center out.
Gently push the paper into the top corner where the ceiling meets the wall. Continue working from the top down, smoothing from the center out to the edges using your wallpaper smoother or smoothing brush to work out air bubbles. Unbook the bottom half of the paper and continue smoothing down the full panel. Once you make it all the way down and have smoothed out everything place the putty knife against the corner and use it as a guide to cut the top and bottom of the wallpaper panel off, flush with the ceiling and floor. Move the putty knife to continue using it as a guide, but take care not to lift your cutting knife. Wipe excess paste away from the panel with clean water and a natural sponge. Dry with a clean cloth. Before cutting the second panel, hold it up to the wall to ensure you have enough paper to match the installed panel. Then, following the steps again, overlap the second panel over first panel by approximately 1”, taking care to ensure the panel is level and that the pattern repeat aligns. If you want, you can double cut your wallpaper after applying each panel. To do that you locate the center of the overlap and, using a long ruler and a sharp cutting blade, cut in the center of the overlap lengthwise on the wall. Take care not to score the wall behind the paper. Pull away the ½” excess from both panel edges. Keep repeating until all of your panels are up. Please note that if you’re covering an entire room the final panel may not perfectly align with first panel. Use the double cutting method to make this last panel as seamless as possible.
After reading this if your thinking traditional wallpaper isn’t for you then you’re in luck! My wallpaper is also available in peal and stick removable woven and prepasted removable smooth wallpaper. Those two a great for rentals and DIY projects. If you want more information I have a blog post where I deep dive about all three types of wallpaper. I hope this post helped you at least feel more comfortable with the thought of putting up wallpaper. If you liked the wallpaper in these photo you can buy those or over 30 other patterns and a new collection coming up inspired by comfort and natural beauty around us.