Tips From the Pros: Wallpapering for Do-it-yourselfers

A do-it-yourselfer doesn’t like to admit it: But some jobs around the house just don’t turn out the way they should. Sometimes small things torpedo a good result – in wallpapering, for example, too little paste or the wrong preparation. Professionals give tips.

Even relatively inexperienced do-it-yourselfers can achieve good results when wallpapering. With a few tricks from professionals, the work is easier and faster.

Professional tip 1: Wallpaper stripper instead of water and spatula

First of all, the old wallpaper has to come off. “This is much easier if the walls are painted with wallpaper solvent,” says Ludwig Popp of the

in Cologne. That way, you don’t have to laboriously scrape it off the wall piece by piece with a putty knife. “Keep doors and windows closed so that the whole thing sweats through well.” Later, brush over it again with the solvent. “Soon bubbles will form, and the wallpaper will peel off the wall easily.” Extra tip: A nail roller tears holes in the wallpaper, the solvent then penetrates better.

Pro tip 2: Do not paste without a new primer

Before the new wallpaper comes a primer on the wall. Because the new wallpaper needs a smooth surface, otherwise dents and holes will form later. Apart from the fact that the new glue is poorly compatible with old glue residues. For paper wallpaper and single-color non-woven wallpaper, a simple deep primer is sufficient for this. Non-woven wallpapers with patterns absolutely need a white wallpaper change primer. Otherwise, it can happen that stains from the substrate show through the wallpaper.

Pro tip 3: Better to buy a few rolls more

A standard roll is 10.5 meters long and 53 centimeters wide. “With single-color models, it is relatively easy to calculate how much is needed to wallpaper an apartment or a single room,” says Popp. It becomes more difficult with patterned wallpaper. They incur repeat, which varies depending on the pattern. “This percentage is noted on the wallpaper roll and indicates how much waste occurs when the pattern is professionally glued.” The expert also advises, “Better to buy a few more rolls and then return them when they are not needed.

Professional tip 4: Don’t be afraid of exotic surfaces

The range of wallpapers has become very diverse, especially in recent years. For example, there are models with basalt or glittering lurex threads or sheets with organic light elements. But the processing is not much different from the usual wallpapers. “The carrier material is always non-woven or paper,” explains Ulrike Reich of the German Wallpaper Institute. “The important thing is to look at the packaging and take the specifications into account.”

Pro tip 5: Don’t skimp on the adhesive

On paper, the paste is applied directly – don’t be too economical. “But the wallpaper should not soak too long in the glue, otherwise it will expand and the patterns will no longer fit together exactly,” warns Popp. He recommends that inexperienced DIYers prepare no more than three to four strips at a time and work quickly. With fleece, an appropriate special adhesive goes directly on the wall – “the other one doesn’t hold,” says Popp. But also on the wall should be generously pasted.

Professional tip 6: Observe the sequence

Wallpapering is done from top to bottom, first the ceiling. Do-it-yourselfers better not try this alone, but get help. Long strips are difficult to manage alone, even by experienced craftsmen. “Then, starting from the corners of the ceiling, you stick the strips gradually along the walls from top to bottom,” adds Popp. Ideally, the strips extend about two centimeters beyond the baseboard. The overhang is cut off cleanly with wallpaper scissors; household scissors leave unsightly edges.

For more professional tips about home decoration, please visit Admire Stickers.