Preparing the walls is as important as hanging the paper. If the surface is greasy or dirty, the paper won’t stick. Also, if there are irregularities in the wall, they may be visible on the paper’s surface. So be prepared: Wash, patch, fix, prime, seal, and size before you paper. The good thing is primers, sealers, and sizing are combined into a single product. Paint and plaster companies market many wall repair kits.

Step1: PATCH AND PRIME THE WALLS BEFORE YOU START

Primer can be white, clear, or tinted slightly to match the paper. When you have finished priming, look at the paper you selected. The pattern type determines how the strips are cut and glued on the walls. On straight-match and random-match papers, patterns along the left and right edges of the paper are the same, and the installation is straight forward.  On drop-match papers, the elements are staggered along both edges.  Aligning the pattern results in an uneven top edge, which get’s trimmed.  This will take more time and you will waste more paper but results in a  more interesting and fun patern. Cutting alternating strips from two rolls  of wallpaper will cut down on some of the wallpaper waste.

Step2: BEGIN IN THE LEAST-CONSPICUOUS INSIDE CORNER OF THE ROOM

You should position the first strip so that most of the paper is on the first wall to be pampered, with about 1/2 to 2 inches of the strip wrapping around the corner onto the adjoining wall. This helps hide the cracks they may develop in the corners. When you measure the strip, you will need to lay out the strip and measure it from the corner by the width of the paper minus the wrap. Draw a plumb line at this point, guided by a level.

Step3: CUT THE FIRST STRIP OF PAPER

You will need to cut it about 4 inches longer than needed so that it can temporarily overlap the ceiling baseboard. Then roll out the paper on a long work surface and cut the strip to length with scissors.

Step4: APPLY ACTIVATOR OR PASTE

It’s recommended to use a paste activator instead of soaking prepasted paper: It’s a stronger bond and it takes longer to dry so you can continue to move the paper around on the wall. Brush or roll on the activator. Make sure you follow the directions for the activator as well. Also, make sure you get paste ACTIVATOR not paste!

Step5: GENTLY FOLD THE ENDS TOWARD THE MIDDLE,

glued sides together with the patterned side out. The term used for this is “booking the strip”. Try not to crease the paper. Wait at least 1 minute so the paste has a chance to activate before hanging it.

Step6: HANG THE FIRST STRIP ALONG THE PLUMB LINE WITH A GENTLE BUT FIRM HAND

Start by positioning the middle of the strip, and work your way up to the top, sliding the paper to align it. Align the bottom and work it gently against the wall. Now, start from the top and work your way down the wall and smooth the paper onto the wall with a brush or a flexable plastic smoother.

Step7: HANG THE SECOND STRIP AND THEN TRIM THE FIRST

Allow the glue to dry on the first strip while you hang the second one. Then when you are done hanging it, you can go back and trim the first strip.

Step8: BUTT SUBSEQUENT STRIPS AGAINST EACH OTHER

When you have finished hanging a few strips, go over the seams between them with a seam roller to fix the edges in place. Be careful not to force too much paste out from under the strips or your seams will loosen. Use clean warm water and a sponge to remove excess paste from the wall. Do not use a roller on foils, flocked, or embossed papers because it may damage it. Instead, press along the seams with a smoothing brush.

Step9: PAPER OVER ELECTRIC SWITCHES AND OUTLETS

Cut away excess paper. Before you cut around an electrical box, make sure you turn the power off to the room. Make four diagonal slices, starting at the center of the box and working toward corners. Trim and make a rectangular opening, leave enough paper for the cover plate to conceal the edges.

Wouldn’t it be nice if a fresh coat of paint over a good primer would cover over stains, water marks, and mildew? When the paint is still wet it may appear to cover, but as it dries these stains will seep through and you’ll end up with a fresh coat of stained paint.

Before you prime or paint, remove all stains and mildew. It will take some elbow grease, but cleaning it before hand will save you time in the long run because you won’t have to repaint it. The best thing to use to destroy the spores that cause mildew is regular household bleach diluted with water. You will need to fix water stains at the source before you repair the wall or ceiling.

Water leaches chemicals from wood and drywall. When the mixture seeps through a wall or ceiling, it stains. Mildew is a spore in the air. Given food (paper or paint) and moisture, mildew flourishes on walls.

Step1: MIX THREE PARTS WATER TO ONE PART LAUNDRY BLEACH

You will want to mix this two solutions in a bucket. If you are sensitive to bleach, protect your eyes and hands.

Step2: APPLY LIBERALLY WITH A SPONGE

Apply again after 20 minutes even if the mold has disappeared.

Step3: RINSE OFF THE BLEACH AND DEAD MILDEW WITH CLEAN, FRESH WATER

Allow it to dry throughly before cleaning with TSP substitute. Then prime with a stain-blocking primer and paint.

Stippling is a subtractive finish. You apply the glaze and then you remove some of it. You do this by pouncing or bouncing the ends of a finely bristled stippling brush through wet glaze. It creates a more finely textured surface than sponging on or off. However, it does require more effort to pounce the brush over every inch of the glazed wall. A stippling brush has long bristles that cover a larger area than the end of a regular brush with each pounce. Stippling brushes are more expensive, but worth every penny to get the right effect. For the edges of the wall you should get the edge stippler. It has a narrow design that makes it easier to pounce along the edges.

You can also use stippling as an additive effect. You can dip a brush into the glaze mix and apply it to the wall lightly by slapping the bristles against the palm of your hand and splattering tiny drops of paint on the base coat.

Step1: PRACTICE AND PRIME

First apply a semigloss base coat. Brush short sections and then roll out as many of the brush strokes as possible. Finish rolling the area and paint more of the edges with the brush. Allow the base coat to dry. Mix the paint and the glaze with four parts glaze and one part paint. Only roll the section of the wall that you will be able to stipple before it begins to dry. Pounce or bounce the stippling brush on the glaze surface to create your effect. Brush on the glaze near the edges. Apply it elsewhere with a 3/8-inch roller or a foam roller. Use less glaze if you are looking for a lighter finish and apply it in random swirls with a paint brush.

Step2: STIPPLE THE GLAZE

Always work from top to bottom. Pounce the brush so that you feel a rebound from bending the bristles. Gently push to finely freckle the layer of glaze. The effect on the wall should be even. Turn your wrist between each application of the brush to avoid creating a pattern. You will need to remove excess glaze from the brush because a loaded brush won’t leave a finely textured surface. Use a rag to absorb excess finish from the bristles and to lighten the overall effect of the wall. Clean the brush after every five or six pounces. Stipple the corners. Move along the wall, rolling and stippling, section by section. In the corners use a small, stiff-bristled brush to stipple around the edges of the wall.