Wallpaper Installation

Peel and Stick Removable Woven Wallpaper Installation


Materials
  • Peel and Stick Removable Woven Wallpaper
  • Utility knife
  • Squeegee included with your order
  • Tape measure

Hanging wallpaper is a two-person job—grab a friend to help!

An important note about Peel and Stick Removable Woven Wallpaper
Woven Wallpaper is not recommended for use on walls with texture, walls painted with “scrubbable” paints, or in children’s rooms. For children’s rooms, Prepasted Removable Smooth Wallpaper is preferred. For textured walls, wallpaper may not be a good option and rigorous testing is recommended.

Step 1. Determine How Much Wallpaper You’ll Need for Your Project

Total Number of Wallpaper Rolls
Peel and Stick wallpaper has a set width of 24 inches. To determine how many rolls you’ll need, take your wall width and divide by 24″. Remember to round-up to the nearest whole number.

Wall Width / 24″ = Total number of Rolls (round up to the nearest whole number)

Wallpaper Roll Height
Peel and Stick wallpaper comes in 1′, 3′, 9′ & 12′ lengths. To determine how tall your rolls need to be, take your wall length and divide by 12″. We recommend rounding up so you have wiggle room to match your pattern. Also, most walls (even in new construction) are not even. Having a little extra helps you adjust and end up with perfectly wallpapered walls.

*If your wall requires a roll that is larger than 12′, we suggest our Non-Pasted Traditional Pebble Wallpaper that is 27′ tall.*

Wall Height (in inches) / 12″ = Roll height

Pro tip: Before you place your complete order, we recommend ordering 2′ x 1′ swatches to see which design will work best for your project.

Step 2. Prepare Your Wall

Before applying any wallpaper, ensure your wall is smooth, clean and dust-free. Patch any damaged areas of the wall, especially where sharp edges might pierce or tear the wallpaper. For best results, apply wallpaper to a surface that is a solid, light color. Allow recently painted or primed walls to cure for four weeks prior to installing wallpaper (applying wallpaper over uncured paint can lead to bubbling). 

Please note our Peel and Stick Removable Woven Wallpaper is not recommended for use on walls with high texture or painted with scrubbable paints.

Step 3. Prepare Your Paper

Re-roll your wallpaper so that the top is on the outside of the roll. The top of the roll has no white space, whereas the bottom has a narrow line of white and is printed with a barcode. Do not trim any part of the paper before hanging.

Step 4. Hang Your Wallpaper

If you’re applying multiple rolls of wallpaper, hang them from left to right OR right to left to ensure a smooth repeat of the design. Start in a top corner of the room, wall or other surface you’re covering. If covering an entire room, choose an inconspicuous corner to begin since the repeat will not match up on the final seam.

Hanging the First Wallpaper Roll
Pick up the first roll and peel away a few inches of the paper backing from the top of the roll. Fold the backing paper away from the adhesive and crease it, giving you a few inches of tack to begin your application. Don’t unroll the full length of the roll yet—you’ll want to support the roll and unpeel it slowly as you go. Align the top of the wallpaper with the ceiling making sure it’s straight and even on the wall. Ask your friend to step back and check that the roll is straight and your design elements are level, then press the exposed adhesive area against the wall. Peel and Stick Woven Wallpaper is repositionable, so if you need to adjust the placement simply peel the paper off the wall slowly and reapply as necessary.

Once the top of the roll is in position, gently peel the paper backing down 5-10″ (15-25 cm) at a time and smooth the wallpaper onto the wall, moving from the center outwards. If necessary, use the squeegee to move large air bubbles to the edge of the design, being careful not to scratch your design.

Hanging the Second Wallpaper Roll
Pick up your second roll of wallpaper and apply it so that its edge overlaps the previous strip by approximately 3⁄4″, carefully visually matching the repeat. When aligning the paper be sure to use a gentle touch to prevent stretching or warping. Do not trim the overlap; it guarantees that the wallpaper will repeat seamlessly. Repeat this step, aligning each new roll over the previous one.

After you’ve installed your final roll, trim the excess paper at the bottom with a sharp utility knife and admire your job well done!

 

   ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿  ✿

Prepasted Removable Smooth Wallpaper Installation

Prepasted Removable Smooth Wallpaper is printed with a slight overlap for easy installation and a beautiful, seamless repeat. Prepare to install your paper by reading the detailed instructions below. We recommend practicing with a Test Swatch before placing a larger order. Learn how to order a wallpaper test swatch. 

  

Step 1. Getting Ready

While your order is printing, begin preparing your space for installation.

 

Step 2. Prepare Your Walls

You may need a couple days or up to four weeks to prepare your walls. You must:

  • ensure your wall is smooth, clean and dust-free
  • patch or sand any damaged areas on the wall, especially where sharp edges might pierce or tear the wallpaper.
  • allow recently painted or primed walls to cure for at least 4 weeks before installation. Applying wallpaper over uncured paint can lead to bubbling as moisture tries to escape.

For best results apply to a surface that is a solid, light color. We have not tested installation directly over other wallpaper, or over wall paper that has been primed.

Installation is not recommended:

  • on walls with texture
  • over "scrubbable" paints

 

Step 3. Find a Friend and Set Aside Some Time

Hanging wallpaper requires at least two people. You also must allow enough time to complete the entire installation in one day. Why? Since this paper shrinks as it dries, completing the task in one day ensures seamless installation of your pattern!

 

Step 4. Collect Materials

Painter’s tape
Paint roller or sponge
Sharp utility knife with extra blades
Drop cloth
Bucket (or paint tray if using a paint roller) of clean water
A long flat surface

  

Preparation of Installation

 

Step 5. Prepare Your Rolls of Paper

Unroll each strip so they face the same way. The top of each panel has no white space. The bottom has a narrow white label with a barcode as show below. Do not trim your paper before hanging.

NOTE: While each roll is numbered ("Quantity-1 of 8" and so on), you do not need to install your panels in any order. Rolls of the same length print identically. This number is the quantity of items in your order. 

 

Step 6. Deciding Where to Start Hanging

When applying multiple rolls of wallpaper across one, two or three walls, you may install from the farthest left corner to the right, or from the right corner to the left. Once you start in one direction, you must commit to it.

IMPORTANT: If you are covering all the walls of a room, the last installed panel likely will not match seamlessly with the first panel. To help reduce any visual disconnect, plan where you will begin the installation. Be sure the first panel is not a focal point of the room.

Example: Start hanging in a corner hidden behind an open door, or put the first panel behind a tall piece of furniture. While the design won't be seamless here, it will be far more inconspicuous than if it on a wall facing a couch or bed.

 

We always recommend ordering all rolls at the same length, matching the tallest wall to make for the easiest installation and will not help you calculate how much to purchase if you want to order different length rolls when you have walls of different heights. However, if you have a mathematically inclined mind, be certain to consider the following:

  • The vertical design repeat varies for each design. You can find the repeat for each design in the Wallpaper Detailssection on the design page.
  • Designs print from the bottom of the roll up at the factor of the vertical design repeat
  • You install from the top down, but a longer roll might set up a repeat that your shorter rolls cannot match. However, if you start with a shorter roll, the longer roll may install more effectively.

Visualizing and sketching the 24" (61cm) wide panels with the vertical design repeat is likely essential for this process.

Step 7. Booking the Paper

Booking the wallpaper is the process of activating the prepasted adhesive with water. Enough water must be applied to saturate the paper and create a goopy consistency.

 

There’s a many ways to book your wallpaper, but these two are the most common:

  • Use a clean paint roller or sponge to thoroughly wet the back of the paper
  • Use a high output spray bottle to saturate the adhesive. Keep all sprays consistent so the same amount of water covers the entire panel

IMPORTANT: Good overhead lighting and a flat surface will be your friend! 

Dry spots that need more water will appear dull under the light. Typically, the edges of the paper are not saturated enough. If overhead lighting is not available a flashlight or cell phone can reflect variations. Reapply water at these spots or edges.

 

Once the paper is thoroughly wet, gently fold the top and bottom so that pasted sides meet together in the middle, as shown in the diagram below. Take care not to crease the paper. Allow each panel of paper to rest in this booking phase for at least 3-5 minutes before hanging. The paper is absorbing water into its fibers to activate the glue. As it dries, the paper will tighten and create a smooth, professional finish.

 

 

Step 8. Start Hanging

Once the first panel is properly booked for 3 - 5 minutes, unfold just the top half of the paper while leaving the white edge with the barcode still folded.

 

From your starting point on the wall, align the top of the wallpaper with the ceiling. Have your friend to step back to confirm that the strip is straight and level. If you are starting in the corner, that vertical edge may help, too.

HINT: If the ceiling edge is not perfectly straight, start about an inch above the edge and trim away the excess when the paper is dry. Painter's tape can help secure the paper if it slips as you adjust your installation.

 

Once the top of the paper is in position, unfold the bottom half. Smooth the paper down the wall using a damp sponge or a wallpaper squeegee. Remove air bubbles as you go, lightly pressed them from the center of the paper to the edges.

 

Step 9. Begin Overlapping

Book your second roll and hang it so it overlaps the previous roll by approximately 0.5" to 0.75" (1-2 cm). The overlap may vary from roll to roll so be mindful and visually match the repeat. There is no need to trim the overlap. Because wallpaper shrinks as it dries, this guarantees there will be no spaces between panels.

Repeat this step with each panel until you complete your installation.

TIPS

  • When installing around doors or windows, apply the wallpaper as normal. However, you may want to cut away any extra bulk that is not installing to the wall. Still wait until the paper has fully dried (3 or more hours) before trimming it flush to the moulding.
  • Installing corners, either interior (in a room) or exterior (around edge), may offer a challenge, especially when you are installing more than half a roll (12+", 30 cm) from one wall surface to the next. Consider this issue when you determine your starting point. In a perfect scenario, installing only few inches of paper across an edge is best. It is easier to keep the paper level and there isn't too much extra weight to balance.
  • Do not cut the paper for corners because it will cause problems with your seamless overlap.
  • Since installation will vary from room to room, search online for additional ideas for navigating around switches, electrical plugs, window hardware and more.

 

Finishing Up

Once you've installed all the panels it is time for the finer details for a professional look:

  • Let your paper dry completely - at least 3 hours - to guarantee it has returned to it's original size
  • Use a sharp utility knife with a good grip to trim the extra paper around the frames of windows and doors, and across the ceiling and by the baseboard. We have had good luck with Olfa SAC-1 Graphic Cutter. It offers stability so the blades and wobble as you cut with a straight edge. Don't be frugal, either! Sharp blades cut cleaner lines
  • Wipe down the walls with a damp sponge to remove any excess adhesive
  • Recycle any leftover bits of paper
  • Stand back, admire your work and share a pizza with your friend

 

Removal

  1. Use a damp sponge to lightly reactivate the adhesive
  2. Start at the corner of the last installed roll and gently peel from the wall
  3. Repeat for each roll, in reverse of installation
  4. Wipe down the bare wall with a damp sponge to remove any leftover residue
  5. Recycle the paper appropriately