If you'd like to give your rooms a Victorian look, install embossed wall coverings. They can be used anywhere--even as borders. Embossed coverings have textured patterns and feel like stiff wallpaper. They're hung much like traditional wallpaper, with just a few minor differences. Materials:
Drop cloth
Pliers
Sandpaper
Drywall compound or spackling compound
Putty knife
Long table (you can use a 4' x 8' sheet of 3/4" plywood on two sawhorses)
Sharp utility knife with extra blades
Disposable utility knife with breakaway blades
Measuring tape
Level or chalk line
Wallpaper tray
Broad knife
Wallpaper brush
Soft seam roller
Sponge
Caulk
Long-nap paint roller
Paint
- Prepare your walls by patching any holes and sanding them smooth.
- Prime the walls with an acrylic primer (figure A).
- Determine which is the focal wall--the one you see when you first enter the room.
- Mark the center point of the focal wall, and use it as a reference point for dry-fitting the wallpaper strips. The pieces in the corners should overlap by at least 6". Adjust the position of the strips accordingly.
- Mark a plumb line on the wall where you'll begin hanging the wall covering (figure B).
- Measure the height of the wall (figure C), and add 6" to allow for trimming. Roll out the wall covering on your work surface, and cut several pieces to length (figure D).
- Lay the first strip face down on the work surface, and apply wallpaper paste evenly to the back (figure E).
- Gently fold over the ends of the wall covering so that the glued backs touch (figure F), but be careful not to make a crease. For larger pieces, fold the wall covering so that the top and bottom meet in the center of the strip. This process is called "booking." It activates the adhesive and makes the wall covering easier to handle.
- Leave the wall covering booked for 10 minutes.
- Unbook the wall covering, and begin applying it to the wall. Start at the top of the wall, and press the wall covering against the top edge so that about 3" extends past the top (figure G). Slide the wall covering on the wall until the edge lines up with the plumb line (figure H). Use the heels of your hands to adjust the wall covering; if you use your fingertips, you could dent it.
- Use a soft-bristle wallpaper brush to smooth out the paper (figure I).
- Trim the top and bottom of the wall covering, using a straightedge and a sharp utility knife (figure J).
- Use the same procedure to apply each succeeding strip. Match the patterns, and keep the paper plumb. Don't use a hard seam roller on the wall covering; you could crush the textures. A soft foam seam roller can be used with light pressure.
- Remove excess paste with a damp sponge.
- Before applying the wall covering in corners, use the straightedge and utility knife to cut off excess paper at the corner (figure K). If the piece you removed is more than 2" wide, use it to start the next wall. Draw another plumb line next to the corner 1/4" less than the width of the strip, and hang the strip. Press the edge into the corner, and use the straightedge and utility knife to trim the paper.
- After 20 minutes, use caulk to fill in any gaps in the corners (figure L). Wipe off excess caulk with a damp cloth or sponge.
- Hang the wall covering directly over outlets and switches, making sure that the power is turned off. After 20 minutes, cut an X over the outlets and switches, and trim away just enough material to expose them.
- Seal the wall covering with satin or semigloss paint. Use a long-napped roller to get paint into all of the textured areas (figure M). The paint will hide the seam lines, giving the wall a seamless appearance.
RESOURCES :
Embossed paintable wallpaper
Bently Brothers (Distributor)
Lousville, KY 40219
Phone: 502-969-1464
Fax: 502-969-1702
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