Applying Wallpaper: Pasting And Booking

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In applying wallpaper, remember that your starting point will also be where you finish. Because it is almost impossible to have the pattern of your first and last panel line up perfectly you want this joining place to be where it is least likely to be noticed – which is along the edge of a door or a built-in cabinet, or at an inconspicuous corner. But an exception is the mural-type scenic paper which should be centered over a fireplace, behind the sofa or between matched windows. Wherever you begin, push a tack into the wall 1 1/2 inches below the ceiling and tie a plumb line to the tack, letting the bob swing. When it comes to rest a a true vertical, place a mark on the wall 2 inches above the baseboard. If your plumb line is self chalking, hold the string to the mark with one hand and pull back with the other, then let it snap, leaving a chalk line on the wall. Similarly, rub colored chalk along the string of a plain plumb bob before snapping. Now check to see where the patter will best break at the ceiling line. With individual design elements, generally, it’s most visually pleasing to start with a full element at top, with stripes start at any point. Move the paper up and down until it’s positioned where you want the panel to begin at the ceiling and where it will end at the baseline. Lightly mark the locations with a pencil. Add 2 inches to the top and bottom to make adjustments. Cut the panel.

Pasting And Booking
Place measured panels face down on a worktable, one strip at a time for unpasted paper. Apply paste to the back using a roller or pasting brush. Work from the center outward and cover the upper two-thirds including the edges. Fold the pasted section on itself (booking) for ease in handling but don’t crease the fold. Similarly, paste the bottom third of the strip and book toward the middle. Then wait for five minutes. Prepasted wall coverings require no additional pasting. Measure and cut the strip. Immerse pattern-side down in a tray of warm water, positioned on the floor at the foot of the worktable for 10 to 15 seconds. Holding the edges nearest the table, slowly pull the strip onto the table, letting water fall back into the tray. Then book the panel as before.