Hanging Paper and Specialty Wallpaper

Here are some hanging tips we have come across for specialty wallpapers. Hopefully,

 they help you hang your Given Campbell wallpaper like a pro.

Foil

Both expensive and delicate, foil wall coverings are often used to add dramatic sparkle to entire rooms, entries, or alcoves. Foil coverings must be carefully applied in order to avoid imparting the wrong kind of drama to a space. Most foil coverings are backed with either paper or fabric and should be used with a vinyl adhesive, since water in wheat paste can't evaporate through the foil.

Install foil wall coverings over a lining paper; because of the reflective surface, foil wall coverings tend to emphasize the tiniest bumps or pockmarks in a wall. Be very careful when you put it up, as it is easy to wrinkle or crease the foil. And instead of a smoothing brush, which may scratch the foil, smooth it on the wall with a sponge or a folded towel. Bond the seams the same way, because it's possible that a wooden seam roller may dent the foil.

Wallpaper can be a great addition to your home, and wall coverings have come a long way from the floral patterns of the 70s. Besides being easier to handle and more rip-resistant, they're also more durable.

Vinyl

Washable, durable, and heavier than regular printed papers, vinyl wall coverings are usually more strippable than ordinary papers. Derided by most due to their less than eco-friendly nature, sometimes using vinyl is unavoidable. There are vinyl wallcoverings being developed that use Bamboo and other sustainable materials. These are becoming more widely used, so be sure to ask about availability. Perhaps their greatest value, though, is that vinyl wall coverings can cover up defects that paint or thinner wall coverings can't hide and they are ideal for use in wet areas. They can be scrubbed heartily and resist mold and mildew.

Because vinyl is not as fragile as printed paper, you don't have to worry about punctures or ripped edges.

Vinyl wall coverings work best if the seams are butted and rolled. Vinyl will not stick to itself, so if you overlap your seams, you'll need to have some vinyl-to-vinyl adhesive on hand.

Most vinyl-to-wall adhesives come premixed, another advantage over paper and mix-it-yourself wheat pastes.You can spread the adhesive on the vinyl with a paint roller equipped with a mohair or wool roller cover. Afterward, apply the vinyl strips to the wall as you would any other wall covering, but use a smoothing brush with 3/4-inch bristles, which are shorter and sturdier than the longer-bristled brushes used on paper. With really heavy-weight vinyl, even a short-bristle brush may not do an adequate job of smoothing. If that's the case, use a straightedge, such as a strip of hard board or a yardstick.

Once you have smoothed three or four vinyl strips on the wall, go back to make the trims and look for blisters. Puncture blisters with a needle or the tip of a single-edge razor blade and then squeeze out the trapped air or excess adhesive.

Fabric

Ordinarily, fabric wall coverings are seen more in offices and business settings than in homes, even though they are good at giving texture and imparting a cozy look to walls. Fabric wall covering, which is expensive compared to more common papers, is usually sold by the yard instead of by the roll. But one of its chief advantages is that it's available in 45-, 54-, and 60-inch widths.

Most of the fabric coverings designed to be used on walls are backed with paper. With these you can use either wheat paste or a stainless cellulose paste. Unbacked fabric is far more difficult to deal with and is not recommended, especially for do-it-yourself paperhangers. If you do purchase an unbacked fabric, however, use a powdered vinyl adhesive and brush it on the wall, not on the back of the fabric. No matter which kind of fabric covering you decide to use, be sure to put lining paper on the walls first so you are able to get a good bond between wall and fabric.

Paper-backed fabric can be smoothed either with your hands or with a smoothing brush. Unbacked fabric requires that you trim off the selvages with scissors before pasting the fabric to the wall. Another disadvantage to unbacked fabric is that fabric will often absorb moisture from the adhesive on the wall. The extra weight makes it heavy and gives it a tendency to droop. Moisture also may allow the fabric to stretch, which can be hazardous because as the adhesive dries and the moisture evaporates, the fabric may shrink and seams may open. If possible, pat and smooth the fabric on the wall with your hands, pulling it taut but not out of shape.

Paper

Paper is fairly fragile and can be damaged during installation if you aren't careful. Continued rubbing in one area can weaken the ink used for printing and it becomes susceptible to wear. Be sure to use plenty of glue and smooth in long sweeping motions, from the center outward. Everyone has their particular way of doing things but when smoothing, be sure to use a brush that has bristles that are not too hard, they may scratch the paper. Even using a damp rag or sponge to smooth is a good idea. This can help to wipe off the excess glue and keep the paper clean. Having two buckets of water on hand is a good idea, one to clean off the glue on the rag, the second to rinse so you don't transfer glue back onto the paper.

Since seams are particularly vulnerable to peeling, be sure you use plenty of paste. The paper will tighten as it dries, like a drum, so don't be too worried if you can't get every tiny bubble out. If there is a particularly large bubble, pierce with a pin and squeeze out air and excess glue.

Good luck!

^©Publications International, Ltd.