La wallpaper fever reaches our homes and there are many people who want to decorate their walls with this element that has become fashionable again. Wallpaper is a special type of paper that offers multiple designs and can be pasted on smooth surfaces, from walls to furniture, for decoration.
Let's see how you can place the wallpaper on the walls, since it may seem easy at first glance, but the truth is that it requires a lot of precision to make it look good. If you are thinking of putting the wallpaper yourself, you must first think about everything you have to do to make the result good.
Calculate how much paper you need
El wallpaper is sold in rolls which are usually 10 meters long and 53 centimeters wide. Taking this into account, you have to measure the walls to know how many rolls are needed, always buying so that we have some paper left in case we have errors. When buying the paper we have to make sure they have the same code, since there are designs that are the same but vary in some color and we can get confused, but if they have the same code it will be the same paper.
Nowadays different types of wallpaper are sold. The most common is plain paper, which as it is paper is not resistant to moisture and cannot be cleaned or it would be damaged. If we want a more durable paper, we have vinyl, which has a protective vinyl layer thanks to which the paper can be cleaned if any stain appears without damaging it. On the other hand, there is the textile-based paper that has a vinyl layer and that also offers great resistance.
What material do we need
To place the wallpaper we will need a special glue for this type of paper, which is usually the universal glue powder. Mix and obtain a lump-free glue. You have to let it rest for ten minutes before applying it. There is also another type of glues for papers that are textile for example. In the market you can even buy ready-made glue and today there are wallpapers that already have adhesive on the back to prevent the glue from passing through.
Other items must also be purchased, such as the cutter to cut excess paper, a spatula, a brush, a smooth surface to prepare the paper, rags and a sponge, a pencil, ruler and square and a ladder to reach the highest places on the walls.
Prepare the walls
Many walls do not have a completely smooth surface. If it is old, it may still have that gotelé effect that is no longer worn, so it can be scraped or covered over. If the wall was papered, the paper is removed and the remains are removed with a product to remove these papers. If the wall is smooth, we just have to check that it is in good condition, in case there are any cracks that should be covered with repair putty. It must be cleaned and left to dry and we will have it ready.
Steps to follow
The first thing to do is glue the wall and wallpaper a bit so that it is easy to paste. You start at a corner and at the top, taking great care that it goes straight. For that you can mark in advance and with a pencil some lines to see where to go. A small margin should be left up and down, so that we are left over and thus the paper can be trimmed until it is perfect. The same is done on the edges of doors and windows. It is trimmed with a new utility knife and very careful to go straight.
As you apply the paper, you must paste halfway and go through the brush and the spatula to avoid bubbles or folds in the paper. It must be completely smooth. When we have it we will take another strip to do the same. A lot of glue must be applied to the joints to prevent them from coming off over time, and it is also important never to overlap one paper over another, but it has to be glued right next to it. If they have drawings, we must make them match perfectly. In essence, it is essential to place the paper with great patience and care, little by little, so that everything is perfect.
It can roll through the joints to get everything to be perfect. Do not forget to go through the brush so that there are no bubbles or reliefs on the paper. If they remained, they could no longer be removed and would spoil the effect of the paper, so it is somewhat difficult to place this element on the walls.