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Want to make an immediate difference in a room? Wallpaper it! With every sheet you install along the smooth expanse of unbroken wall, your room takes shape, until you reach a corner, window, or some other challenging interruption, and if this is your first time wallpapering, panic sets in. How do you maneuver around corners, woodwork, outlets, and windows? Plan For Wallpapering Success As with everything else about wallpapering a room, planning is key to successful paper hanging. Knowing what to do in advance will prepare you to meet most situations. Few walls are plumb, so keep your level, plumb line, and pencil handy. 1. Never start or stop a piece of paper at or in a corner. Before you start your job, decide which wall will be your focal point and which point will attract the least attention. Consider hanging your first piece in the middle of your focal wall and wallpapering toward each corner. 2. Walk around the room with the roll and lay it against the wall to visualize where the paper will start and stop. This will help you place the pattern on the wall to the best advantage and avoid having an awkward mismatch of the pattern right in the middle of the wall. 3. Be aware that you must cut your paper at every corner so that it lays flat and gives you a chance to get the strip straight on each new wall. Here are the basic steps for handling corners and other cutouts. Papering Inside Corners 1. After hanging the last full strip, measure from the edge to the corner in three different places. Cut a strip equal to the largest width plus half an inch. Install the strip you have cut, allowing any extra paper to flow around the corner. 2. Draw a plumb line on the new wall that is equal to the width of the strip, plus half an inch. Measure the space between the plumb line and the end of the corner strip in three places. Install the strip with the uncut edge against the plumb line. Any slight overlap will keep the pattern intact while getting the paper off to a good straight start on the new wall. Papering Outside Corners 1. Paper around the corner and then draw a plumb line the width of the strip. Measure the distance between the line and the last strip in three places. 2. If the difference is greater at the top and bottom, you may have to make adjustments. Butt the paper up against the plumb line. To deal with the overlap, make a new plumb line 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the corner. Either leave the edge overlapped or cut through both pieces of paper and peel away the excess. 3. Do not end a strip of wallpaper right at the corner without folding it over the corner as it will pull up. Consider using plastic corner guards to protect the edge. Wallpaper Techniques For Outlets 1. Turn off the power to be safe and remove outlet and switch plate covers. 2. Wallpaper over the outlet box. Before moving on to the next strip, cut an X from corner to corner of the box and trim the paper to 1/4 inch of the edges. Fold in the edges and replace the outlet or switch plate cover. 3. For a decorative touch, paper over the faceplates with wallpaper scraps. Wallpaper Techniques For Windows And Doors 1. Wallpaper up to the frame and then cut away the excess wallpaper by making diagonal cuts to the edges. Trim with a razor knife or scraper. 2. If there is room for wallpaper above the window or door jam, cut off the excess at the top. Use short lengths of full width strips to complete the area above the door or window. 3. If the door or window comes within a few inches of the corner, consider making this the area where you might have paper mismatch. By taking the time to plan, dropping plumb lines, and carefully maneuvering around corners, outlets, and windows and doors, you will achieve professional results even as a first-time paper hanger.
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