How to Repair Wall Coverings

Though they're a beautiful, practical and durable way to dress up a room, wall coverings occasionally need minor repairs where adhesive bonds have failed or damage has occurred. To avoid more problems, tackle these simple repairs promptly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wallpaper Adhesive
• Seam Roller
• Leftover Wall Covering
• Seam Roller
• Sponge
• Tape
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Tape
• Glue Or Adhesive Syringe
• Straightedge
• Tape
• Single-edge razor, utility knife with new blade or mat knife

Fix a bubble

1. Using a sharp single-edge razor, utility knife or mat knife, cut a slit through the bubble.

2. 

   Use a glue syringe to inject premixed wallpaper adhesive into the slit under the paper (see A).

3. Distribute the adhesive evenly with your fingertip, then wipe gently with a damp sponge. Sponge toward the slit at first to squeeze out excess adhesive. Then rinse and wring out the sponge, and wipe parallel to the slit to clean off any adhesive on the wall covering.

Fix a loose seam

4. Lift the edge of the wall covering to inject, spread and smooth adhesive as in "Fix a bubble," above.

5. After about 15 minutes, lightly roll the repaired seam with a seam roller.

Patch damaged wall covering

6. Using scissors, cut a generous patch from the wall covering you saved from the initial installation. (If you don't have any leftover wall covering and can't obtain new material that matches well, remove some from an inconspicuous location, such as behind a cabinet.)

7. Remove any loose, torn wall covering and tape the patch over the area, carefully aligning the patterns.

8. Cut through both wall-covering layers with a utility knife, using a straightedge to guide cuts made on linear patterns and cutting freehand on nonlinear patterns.

9. Save the cut-out patch; remove the taped portion left on the wall and remove the cut-out section of the original wallpaper.

10. Use a damp sponge to clean and smooth the substrate.

11. 

    Apply adhesive to the back of the patch and place it on the wall, carefully aligning any patterns (see B). Smooth it into place with a damp sponge.

12. Wait about 15 minutes to roll the seams lightly with a seam roller.

Tips & Warnings

• Wallpaper adhesive is great for any small repair.
• When cutting wallpaper as required to fix a bubble or install a patch, cut on a pattern line so the repair's seam will be less noticeable.
• A knife with a snap-off blade is particularly appropriate for light-duty cutting that requires a very sharp edge, as is the case here.
• When cutting wallpaper installed on drywall, avoid pressing too hard, or you'll cut through the drywall's paper facing.