How to Apply Wallpaper

Materials and Tools:

rubber gloves
buckets
paint roller
paintbrush
paint tray
sponge
sandpaper
straight edge
level
pencil
primer
drywall compound
large and small putty knife
utility knife
wallpaper hanging kit (adhesive, tray, brush, wallpaper smoothing brush, seam roller)
wallpaper

Steps:

1. Wipe down the walls with a sponge and bucket of warm water. Let the walls dry thoroughly then sand away imperfections.

2. Fill in uneven areas with drywall compound using a large putty knife. Let dry for 24 hours, then sand it smooth.

3. Wipe the dust off walls with a damp sponge.

4. Apply primer with a brush or roller to the walls to help the wallpaper stick. Use the large putty knife as a paint shield when working along trim.

5. Let the primer dry for at least two hours before hanging wallpaper.

6. Start by drawing a guideline on the wall. Use a straight edge and a level to make sure the line is plumb.

7. Measure and cut paper, leaving an extra four inches at the top. Reverse-curl the paper to get rid of the natural tenancy to curl up on itself.

8. Spread the paper out on a flat surface and apply adhesive. Use a figure-eight motion to spread adhesive evenly over surface of paper.

9. Fold ends of paper in on itself so you have dry paper to grip and carry to the wall and stick it up, aligning the paper with the guideline you drew. Leave a couple of extra inches at the top and bottom.

10. Smooth the wallpaper using the smoothing brush.

11. Trim away excess using a utility knife and a putty knife as a guide.

12. Repeat hanging process until all walls are covered. Use a seam roller to press the seams tightly together.