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Wallpaper From "10 Things You Must Know" episode DTEN-103

Here are the 10 Things You Must Know about wallpaper.

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Wallpaper Countdown

10. Paper isn't just paper anymore. There are many different types of wallpaper to choose from including paper, non-woven, vinyl and fabric as well as an endless number of colors and styles. Vinyl is great for areas with a lot of moisture like kitchens and bathrooms. It's best to only use non-woven, papers and fabrics in areas like bedrooms, hallways and other places that stay dry.

9. Don't get stuck with the wrong adhesive. Just because it's glue, doesn't mean it will make your paper stick to the wall. It can be clear, clay or wheat but if it's wrong for your paper it just won't work. It's important to know the difference between paper and vinyl. There are specific adhesives for specific paper. Check the label on your wallpaper for the right one.

8. Even square rooms need rounded measurements. Don't get hung up on fractions. Round up your measurements and always get extra paper. Rounding your measurements will give you extra paper to work with. Always order two to four more rolls of paper for waist and overages. Mistakes will happen; even with the pros. Stores will sometimes discontinue a certain style so making sure you get extra paper will prevent an awful mismatch later.

7. Level once, measure three times. Your paper has to be level, but even when it is, sometimes your house isn't. Always make sure your first sheet is perfectly level. If things aren't flush when you get to a corner, get out the measuring tape. The consequences will geometrically increase as you go if you are not perfectly level.

6. Smooth walls prevent rough work. Preparation is absolutely essential to having a successful installation. Putting in elbow grease to get your walls smooth and clean isn't considered extra work. It's mandatory. Cleaning your walls before installing your paper will go a long ways. Scrub them down with a wet sponge and light detergent. It will take off all the dust and dirt to get the adhesive to work better. To get your walls smoother do a light sanding. Your paper will have better longevity with smooth, clean walls.

5. Know where you're going before you begin. Always plot out where your seams are going to be on the wall. If you don't, you could have a mismatched pattern turn up in the middle of your wall. Make sure you start out knowing where your seams are going to meet.

4. When buying razors, quantity equals quality. The only proper way to cut wallpaper is with a razor. Don't use them sparingly because you are going to be making plenty of cuts to your paper and razors dull quickly. To avoid rips, keep your cuts clean. Purchase a box of a hundred so you will always have plenty of extras on hand.

3. Close the book on bad seams. Booking paper allows it to naturally expand before you put it on the wall. If you don't book your paper for about five minutes, the expansion will happen on your wall causing seams and bubbles.

2. Don't brush, sweep. Brushes are an old fashioned tool that were used by old timers. A brush won't always get rid of all the bubbles. Buy a wallpaper sweep for a few dollars at any wallpaper store.

1. Don't rush to burst your bubbles. When installing your paper, air will most likely get trapped in between. This is a typical process for wallpaper installation. Don't panic and just let it settle. It should go away in a day or two. If you still see a small bubble, take a pin and puncture a small hole in the middle then with your sweep gently flatten out the paper.

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• When wallpapering the front and bottom of soffits, simply treat it like your doing an outside corner of a wall. Cover the entire soffit before moving to the wall below and leave a 1/4-inch overlap along the wall. Then when you paper the wall, cut the top to cover that overlap and use vinyl-to-vinyl adhesive to glue that seam.

• If the soffit's not plumb and square, your strips will start going out of alignment when you try to wrap the front edge. In that case, paper the bottom of the soffit first, leaving overlaps along the top of the wall and along the front edge. Then, hang paper along the front of the soffit, pasting the overlaps with vinyl-to-vinyl adhesive and the rest of the wall after that.