Wallpapering Basics

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No material can transform a room as quickly as fresh wallpaper. And with practice, the proper tools and the right selection of papers, even a novice can master the basic techniques needed to do a good job. For your first project, choose a smaller room out of the public eye, like a bedroom for example. And start on a wall with a minimum of windows and doors because the measuring, hanging, and fitting will be easiest there. Many do-it-yourselfers also find that working with a helper makes everything go more smoothly.

How To Prepare Papered Walls
It is advisable to strip the existing paper if your walls are already papered – even if the old paper is holding well. Because moisture in the new paste may cause the foundation layer to soften. But in a case where there’s just one layer of old paper in place, you can experiment by applying a single panel and waiting a day to check results. Many wallpapers are ‘strippable‘ which means they can be removed with very little trouble. Start at the top and pry up a seam edge with a utility knife to see if the wallpaper you want to remove is strippable. Tug slowly and gently on the lifted corner, pulling down at an angle, keeping both hands close to the lifting edge. If the paper comes off easily, peels in a long sheet and leaves no adhesive residue, then removing the old paper will be a simple one-step operation. Older papers and the newer ones applied with a standard wallpaper adhesive will probably have to be soaked to soften the paste. Protect the floor with drop cloths before you start.

• Use a special wallpaper’s tool or a utility knife to ‘score’ or rip the wallpaper so that the water can get behind the paper more easily. An old dinner fork works nearly as well though. Then soak the paper thoroughly a few feet at a time using a sponge or a water-soaked paint roller dipped in hot water. However for a stubborn paper you may want to add a professional liquid paper-remover to the hot water.
• When the old paste becomes soft and the paper begins to wrinkle – it will take about 10 minutes – scrape it off with a broad wallpaper or joint knife. In order to keep the job going, have the next area soaking while you scrape. Scrape as much adhesive residue off the wall as you can. Then go back later with a brush or sponge and warm water to remove any remaining paste. New paper will adhere much better to a clean wall.
• Consider renting a portable, electric wallpaper steamer from a hardware or paint store to make the job go faster, if you are going to remove several layers of paper. Follow instructions carefully and keep moving especially on a wallboard. Directed too long at any one spot, the steamer an cause wallboard to blister.
• Once the walls are stripped, go over them for defects that might show through and make repairs. Paint the ceiling and trim before papering because it is easier to remove paste from painted trim than paint from wallpaper.

Notes:
Shock prevention – turn off electric power to a room in which you are using water or steam to soak off wallpaper. Leave switch plates screwed tightly into the wall too, to avoid water getting into the wiring behind. If you are using a steamer, run it via a heavy-duty extension cord from another room.