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How to glue wallpaper on the wall yourself

If the task is to glue the wallpaper yourself, you need to follow a few rules when they are executed. In addition to a huge amount of patience, you should stock up on special tools, buy wallpaper for walls in the right amount (it is important to buy high-quality wallpapers), glue specifically for these wallpapers, and also familiarize yourself with the rules and techniques for performing such work. This is very true for those who are first faced with this type of activity.

What tools will be needed for wallpapering

Firstly, it is advisable to have a stepladder. You will also need a bucket or any similar container in which glue will be mixed. You will also need to take a roller, a flat brush, a ruler, a tape measure, a pencil, a wallpaper knife, a wallpaper brush (if the wallpaper is delicate), rubber rollers (wide and narrow), a plastic spatula, film or thick cardboard as a substrate when cutting panels, a rag or sponge to remove excess wallpaper glue. Do not forget about the construction level. It can be either ordinary, aluminum or plastic, or water or laser, which is much more convenient, but more expensive than the rest.

Counting surface area for gluing

After the tools are assembled, it is necessary to calculate the area of ​​the surface to be glued, as well as the area of ​​the wallpaper roll (if it is not written on the package). It is quite simple to calculate the surface area if it is a regular rectangle, for example, it is a ceiling or wall without window or doorways. A surface of complex shape is usually divided into small rectangles, and their area is summed.

The following affects the calculation of the number of wallpapers:

  • dimensions (length, width) of wallpaper
  • design, pattern, texture, type of wallpaper
  • surface area to be glued
  • flatness of the surface
  • the presence of doors, windows, ledges, arches, etc. in the room
  • design solution in the design of the room (sometimes different colors and types of wallpaper are used).

Surface preparation and wallpaper cutting

The surface area is calculated, the number of required rolls is determined. Then you should prepare the walls correctly. The first thing to check is whether the surface is even. For this, the construction level can be useful. Then you need to properly ground the walls or ceiling for better adhesion of materials.

Then you can start cutting panels. This is done on the floor, on a pre-lined substrate. It is imperative to make a margin of 2-3 cm in length. If there is a picture, the pattern should be taken into account immediately before gluing to the surface. In addition, there are such types of wallpaper, for example, non-woven, which can be glued without preliminary cutting into panels. Before starting work, it is necessary to mark the wall according to the location of the first panel with a vertical line. The ceiling is marked with a horizontal line.

How to choose glue for wallpapering

The adhesive should match the type of wallpaper chosen. The preparation of glue is carried out according to the instructions that are on each package. There is information on how much the composition should be infused after preparation.

How wallpapers are glued

Now you can apply glue. This is done with a fleecy roller, in hard-to-reach places – with a brush. Some types of wallpaper require applying the composition both on the panel itself and on the surface to be glued. For other types, applying glue to the surface is sufficient. If in doubt, it is better to familiarize yourself with the packaging from the wallpaper, usually there is such information.

You need to glue the wallpaper, focusing on the previously marked line, using a rubber roller to align the panel. Also, a special spatula is perfect for this. It is important that after leveling no air bubbles remain under the panel. Excess glue is removed with a sponge or rags. After this, you need to maximize the top junction of the panel with the ceiling (baguette) in order to cut off the excess.

The next panel is glued similarly to the first as close as possible so that the joint is invisible. If there is a picture, you need to monitor the conformity of the pattern. The next wall is glued from an adjacent corner. The remaining surfaces are glued similarly, including walls with door or window openings.
Do not forget to turn off the sockets and switches immediately before wallpapering. The cloth is glued over electrical boxes, then a hole of the required size and shape is simply cut.

wallpapering technology

If there are heating radiators in the room, it is better to remove them first. So sticking wallpaper will be much easier. But if for some reason this is not done, you can either glue the places behind the radiators gently with a screen of foamed material, or glue the wall with wallpaper partially, only in noticeable places.
Thus, having the necessary tool, as well as knowing the technology and the main nuances of the work, you can glue the wallpaper with your own hands.

Experienced craftsmen recommend taking on board a piece of advice that will allow you to paste wallpapers even alone. To do this, resort to a little trick: during the application of glue on the wallpaper should not stretch the strip on the floor. It is much more convenient to put the bottom edge of the canvas across the table, grease with glue and fold the strip with an accordion. Having done this with the entire length of the strip, you should get a kind of folding book. When gluing wallpaper to the wall, you need to take the edge that was last smeared with glue (this will be the top of the canvas), attach it neatly to the wall, and then, gradually unfolding the “accordion”, you can gradually glue the strip from top to bottom.

Work with wallpaper in the corners

Work with wallpaper in corner areas should be done with great care, the following tips will be useful for this:

  • you should combine the wallpaper canvas, trying to prevent its “creep” in any direction by no more than 4-5 centimeters;
  • glue the next strip from the corner so that these 4-5 centimeters overlap;
  • at the final stage of work with the corner zone, you should carefully glue the joints and places where the wallpaper overlaps with glue, then press them properly until you see that the canvas is firmly attached to the wall surface (for this purpose, it is best to use a rubber or plastic spatula).

Note! The quality of wall-paper plays a big role in how much this wallpaper will serve you. The better you bought the wallpaper, the easier it will be to stick on and the more they will serve you.

Common mistakes with improper wallpapering

Wallpapering is one of the simplest types of repair and finishing work, which does not require any special education or exceptional skill. Nevertheless, people who undertake to glue wallpaper on their own often make mistakes that lead to very depressing results. Glued wallpaper peels off, swelling, greasy spots, distortions, and sometimes breaks appear on them. Store specialist https://rulon.net.ua which sells and sticks wallpaper, advises you to pay attention to the most common mistakes when sticking wallpaper:

Mismatch of the final pattern is perhaps the most common mistake when self-gluing wallpaper. It is very easy to avoid it, you just need to correctly match the pattern immediately before cutting. Naturally, you should not cut the entire roll ahead of time. Maximum two or three lanes.

Stains, folds and swelling – as a rule, the cause of these unpleasant phenomena is non-compliance with the temperature regime, as well as instructions for preparing the glue. Bubbles form when air gets under the wallpaper. To prevent their appearance, immediately after sticking the strip on the wall, it must be carefully smoothed out with a soft, clean rag, drawing it from the center to the edges.

Also, the cause of blisters, wrinkles and other deformations can be the low temperature of the room, the adhesive composition, as well as drafts. Proper wallpaper gluing should be carried out at room temperature, windows should be closed in the room, and the temperature of the glue should be approximately 30-35 degrees celsius. If work is carried out in the summer in extreme heat, the room must first be moistened by placing several containers of water on the floor. Upon completion of work, the room should remain unventilated for at least a day.

Strictly adhere to the instructions for preparing the glue. Glues of animal origin should not be heated too much, as this may cause them to lose their properties. Also remember that for each type of wallpaper you need to use a different type of glue. So, if you use strong vinyl glue when gluing thin paper wallpapers, they may appear swelling, stains and stains.

Wallpaper peeling – occurs when the temperature regime and glue preparation technologies are not observed, as well as gluing onto an unprepared surface. Before starting the main work, the wall must be thoroughly cleaned of the remnants of old wallpaper, cracks and bumps must be puttied, and then the surface must be covered with an acrylic primer, which can be purchased at any hardware store.

Breaks in the inner corners – this trouble happens when the inner corner is covered with a solid canvas. To avoid this, it is necessary to cut the wallpaper in such a way that the first strip overlaps the corner by only 3 centimeters. The next strip is glued close to the corner wall, overlapping a three-centimeter section.

Strongly visible joints – joints can be noticeable if the correct direction of the light is not taken into account. Wallpaper should be glued, starting from the window and moving deeper into the room. And only when gluing thin wallpaper with an overlap, you should follow the opposite direction, that is, from the corners to the window.

11 Comments

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  • As far as I know, the wallpaper on the wall needs to be selected carefully, the quality of the wallpaper itself plays a big role. Thank you for the recommended site where you can buy wallpaper on the wall – this store is too far from me, however.

    • I believe that if you need wallpaper to buy it, you don’t need to travel far. You can probably find a store in your city that sells wallpaper, as a last resort, you can always order online with delivery to your city.
      The main thing is that you know exactly what you want to see on the walls of your favorite rooms. I do this, first I go to the store and choose the wallpaper I need, remember the article and batch number, order on the Internet.

  • An interesting article about sticking wallpaper on the walls, but not complete! I believe that if you have never glued wallpaper, it is best to go to the store where you buy wallpaper and order a professional pasting service. You can watch 100 videos, read 100 articles, but if you never glued it, the quality is not so easy to do((( The quality of the wallpaper itself plays a very important role, the best wallpapers that I know are made in Germany, there are such factories as Rasch and Marburg – This is really good and inexpensive wallpaper for the wall. When I first pasted the wallpaper in the children’s room, I had a problem with sticking in the corners of the walls.

  • I would not recommend sticking wallpaper on my own, this is a very difficult task. I would advise you to buy wallpapers and find people who do this professionally. There are different subtleties in sticking wallpaper on the walls, it is very important to choose the right wallpaper and not make a mistake. And it is important to consider what type of wallpaper you require, different types of wallpapers are recommended for different rooms. For example – on a kitchen wall, in some cases, you should not take paper wallpaper options, as well as fabric ones – REMEMBER THIS, fabric and paper wallpapers for the kitchen are a disaster. If it will be interesting why you yourself do not understand, look on the Internet, there are a lot of articles that describe in detail what will happen to these types of wallpapers in these rooms. For the kitchen, it is better to use vinyl coverings or non-woven wallpaper. In the toilet, if wallpapering is planned there, it is recommended to take washing wallpapers, by the way, they also take them to the kitchen.

  • Great article on wallpapering on the wall. I want to add from myself, the most important element of successful sticking is: 1. It is absolutely necessary to correctly calculate the amount of wallpaper that is required for the walls. 2. I recommend buying only high-quality wallpapers, good wallpaper coverings are easier to glue on the wall and they will last longer. 3. Be sure to correctly determine the type of wallpaper, do not use textile or fabric wallpapers in the kitchen, and it is better to use paper ones for a child’s room – they are more environmentally friendly. 4. It is important to use good glue, cheap glue can cause the wallpaper to start peeling off the walls. 5. It is important to clean the walls of old wallpaper. 6. If you have never glued wallpaper, I recommend contacting a specialist.

    • I agree that it is best to use paper wallpaper for the walls of the nursery. I generally read that vinyl wallpapers in cheap versions contain lead, that it is better not to use such wallpapers at all, especially in a children’s room. As for the fact that it is important to clean the walls of the previous sticking – I also agree, when we glued the wallpaper in some places we poorly cleaned the walls, then there were problems, the wallpaper began to peel off. Thanks for your advice!

  • We bought Rasch factory wallpapers – these wallpapers are very easy to glue on the wall. On my own, I recommend that you pay attention to the number of wallpapers needed, especially those that have never been glued; re-read the number of wallpapers several times. I recommend buying German wallpapers or Italian. Pay attention to the wallpaper of factories such as Rasch, Marburg, Sirpi. These factories produce wallpapers that are easy to glue and will last a long time.

  • From my experience I want to advise when you choose and are going to buy good wallpapers for the walls of your house. There are a few rules to remember. These rules will help not only to buy those wallpaper options that you need at the moment, but also help to do it right.
    1)) When you are going to buy wall coverings, you need to immediately know what budget to count on, you need to calculate how much you are willing to pay for 1 roll of wallpaper.
    2)) You need to accurately calculate how many rolls of wallpaper you need, + 1 roll should always be taken in stock in case you have to re-glue the area on the walls. Especially if you are going to glue the wallpaper on the wall in the first. Be sure to buy an additional roll of wallpaper, you can not print it and then return it to the store.
    3) In my practice, I realized that you need to make the right choice of wallpaper, this question needs to be studied in detail. Never buy paper wallpaper in the kitchen or bathroom. Paper types of wallpaper are best suited for a nursery or bedroom. And in the kitchen it is best to take vinyl wallpapers. My friend once decided to stick textile wallpapers on the walls in the kitchen, she regretted it in the first months. Since textile wallpaper, in no case can not be glued in the kitchen. For the kitchen, choose vinyl or non-woven wallpaper. And for the bathroom, it is better to use wallpaper that can be soaked or even better tile.
    If you yourself make repairs in the house, be sure to study the issue of wallpaper. In order to avoid further marriages and repeated repairs.

  • Good wallpapers are not so hard to buy if you know what to buy correctly. I prefer good and high-quality factories, such as rasch (Germany), Marburg (Germany), recently I also like Coordonne (Spain) wallpapers. I really like wallpapers that are 1 meter wide, such wallpapers are very easy to glue yourself. By the way, gluing wallpaper – I never thought that there is such a big difference which wallpaper to glue on the wall, but in practice it turned out that the better the quality of the wallpaper, the easier it is to glue and the better the wallpaper will be glued.
    I believe in order to get a good wallpaper, you need to follow 3 rules:
    1) As I said, you need to understand what exactly to buy, it is best to turn your attention to wallpapers of good and trusted brands.
    2) It is necessary to calculate in advance the required number of wallpapers that will be needed for the walls of one room, the calculation must be correct, it must be rechecked and clarified. You need to buy the selected wallpaper with a margin.
    3) The purchase of wallpaper must be done in a trusted store. Good stores are always ready to return wallpaper, and provide quality certificates.
    Follow these 3 rules and you will choose a good and high quality wallpaper that will serve you for many years, look good on the walls and delight your eyes.

    • Great recommendations for choosing wall wallpaper, I would add what you need to buy with a margin. If 10 rolls are required on the wall, always take with a margin + 1 roll of wallpaper.

  • Before gluing, if old wallpapers were glued on the walls, they must be removed and in order for the gluing to be of high quality, this must be done correctly. To easily remove old wallpaper, you need to wet it properly. We take a rag or sponge in our hands and strongly wet the wallpaper in all corners and joints. You can use a special water spray, such as the one you spray on indoor plants or moisturize your laundry while ironing. If the wallpaper is made of a material that can be washed (washable wallpaper), then you need to cut a little so that moisture gets into the lower layer of the wallpaper.
    It is very important – before you start wetting the wallpaper on the walls of the room, you must make sure that all electrical appliances are turned off so that moisture does not get into the working sockets and switches. After the wallpaper is soaked, carefully remove the old panels. Paper wallpaper needs five minutes to peel off, vinyl and non-woven – a little more. If the wallpaper doesn’t give in, we scrape it off with a spatula, being careful not to damage the wall.
    If the wall was painted with water-based paint or whitewashed with lime mortar, wash it off with a mild soapy solution. Oil paint can be removed using special paint stripper solutions. They are sold in any building supermarket. You can use coarse sandpaper and just peel off the paint. If the paint does not come off, rip it off with a spatula.

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