
Tips & Tricks
How to prepare your wall
Calculating how much wallpaper you will need is easy, just follow these simple steps and you are on your way!
- HELPFUL INFO BEFORE YOU START: 1 foot = 12 inches. Roll width = 26.5 inches.
- 1. Measure the length of your wall. When ordering the wallpaper, make sure the length you choose is at least the lenght of your wall.
- 2. Measure the width of your wall. Divide your wall width by 26.5 inches.
Preparations are the key to get the perfect result when wallpapering, it might sound boring and seem to require a lot of time, but there are no shortcuts if you want a good result. And that is what we all want, right? The rule is that the wall should be smooth, clean, dry and sound. There is a lot of ways of doing this, but here are our best tips.
- 1. Cover the floor with cardboard or plastic dust sheet.
- 2. Remove nails and screws.
- 3. Switch off the main power in the room and remove the socket/switch covers.
- 4. Spackle any holes or rough areas.
- 5. Sand and smooth the surface.
- 6. Wash painted surfaces with a damp sponge.
- 7. Paint the wall before wallpapering if there are too significant colour differences.
Are you about to wallpaper and thinking about removing your old wallpaper first? We have created this guide for you to show how easy it is to remove old wallpaper from your walls. We have focused on simple and proven techniques, with tools that many already have in their homes. We only use dish soap and water, avoiding methods that include chemicals or big clumsy machines.
If you have any questions, our customer service team will very happy to help you, and here you will find a guide, when it’s time on how to hang wallpaper.
- 1. Remove any loose wallpaper.
- 2. Use a blade knife to get sharp angles/corners.
- 3. Use a trowel to easily remove the wallpaper.
- 4. If the wallpaper is hard to remove, spray a mixture of hot water and dish soap on it, keep wet and let it rest for 10 minutes – then carefully pull off strip by strip.
Applying wallpaper around windows and doors
Many people are unsure of how to wallpaper around windows and doors, but it's not as hard as you think. To get the best result, always make sure you have the correct wallpapering tools at home before you start wallpapering and a sharp trimming blade will always help.
- Rollers and tray.
- Bucket.
- Paintbrush (For the areas that the roller misses, e.g., along the ceiling and skirting boards.
- Steel ruler (To make a straight, clean cut along the top and bottom).
- Wallpaper sponge (Soft cloth or sponge, preferably a cellulose sponge).
- Pencil.
- Craft cutting knife.
- Wallpapering tool.
- 1. Apply the glue as previously explained here. Use a brush around the window and door frame to get the glue as close as possible to the frame. Please make sure to wipe off any glue on the frame.
- 2. Match the pattern of your wall mural accordingly before cutting, fix into place at the top of the ceiling with your wallpapering tool.
- 3. Feel where the top corner of the window or door frame is and cut a 45-degree angle from the corner to the edge of the wallpaper.
- 4. Now you can press the wallpaper against the top edge of the frame with the wallpapering tool and cut the edge with a sharp trimming blade.
- 5. Don’t forget to clean your wallpaper knife from time to time as the glue will start to build up, making your knife blunt.
- 6. Repeat the process around every edge and use a damp sponge to get rid of any paste residue before it dries.
Wallpaper Around Wall Sockets and Switches
There are various ways to wallpaper around wall sockets and switches, you can either remove the socket, or you can wallpaper around the whole socket. There is no right or wrong; we recommend using the method that feels best for you. Also, please don’t forget to turn off the power no matter the method you choose.
- Screwdriver
- Rollers and tray
- Bucket
- Paintbrush (For the areas that the roller misses, e.g., along the ceiling and skirting boards)
- Wallpaper sponge (Soft cloth or sponge, preferably a cellulose sponge)
- Pencil
- Craft cutting knife
- Wallpapering tool or brush
- Wallpapering scissor
- 1. Switch off the power and remove the socket/switch covers. If you are uncertain of how to do this, you will find a more detailed description here.
- 2. Place the wallpaper strip over the socket/switch and with the scissors carefully mark an x where your socket/switch is and carefully cut away each of the four flaps, making sure the area you cut is smaller than your socket plate.
- 3. Smooth the mural into place using the smoothing tool and place your socket cover back into place.
- 1. Switch the power off and undo the screws just enough for the cover to be pulled away a bit from the wall.
- 2. Hang the wallpaper over the top of the socket/switch and identify its location.
- 3. With the scissors carefully make a small hole in the middle of where the switch is, with the scissors make an x and cut diagonally out towards each corner.
- 4. Now you can press the wallpaper against the edges and cut it around the socket.
- 5. Try to press the wallpaper edges behind the socket with your wallpaper tool and then re-tighten the screws.