How to Hang Up Wallpaper Borders

Wallpaper borders are a simple, inexpensive way to add style to any room in your house. While traditional wallpapering projects can be fairly intimidating to the novice wall paper hanger, wallpaper borders are actually relatively easy to install. With a few supplies, a family member or friend to help with the project and an eye for detail, you can hang a wallpaper border in virtually any room in your house in an afternoon.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wallpaper border rolls
• Measuring tape
• Warm water
• Plastic tub
• Sponge
• Bucket
• Razor blade
• Cutting surface
• Ladder
• Friend or family member to assist

1. Select a room to put up your wallpaper border in. If you have never added a border before, consider starting with a small room such as the bathroom, kitchen or laundry room. You can move on to larger rooms once you have wallpapered small areas and built up confidence in your skills.

2. Measure the length of the walls you plan to wallpaper to determine how many rolls of wallpaper border you need to purchase. Most borders are sold in 5-yard rolls; remember to purchase enough rolls so that you have a few extra feet of border in the event of mistakes.

3. Select a wallpaper border that is pre-pasted. This will make the project much easier, especially if you have never hung a wallpaper border before. Beginner wall paper hangers should avoid buying borders that require the user to add glue.

4. Decide where you want to hang the border. Most wallpaper borders are hung at the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling or at chair-rail height, which is placed 1/3 of the distance from the floor to the ceiling. The best project for a beginner is to install the border at the top of the wall, because you don't have to worry about making it level. (If you do decide to hang a chair-rail border, be sure to use a level when marking where you border will be placed.)

5. Fill the plastic tub with warm water, then gently submerge the border in the water. The border will become sticky as it absorbs the water. Ask your friend to hold the other end of the paper to help prevent tears.

6. Begin placing your wallpaper border on the wall, starting at one corner of the room and allowing an inch or two to overlap the corner. This piece will later be cut off after the paper has dried, ensuring that you have a straight edge.

7. Use the wet sponge to gently rub out any air pockets in the border as you hang it on the wall, paying particular attention to the corners. Small adjustments can be made to the wallpaper border before the glue sets; simply use your hands to gently slide the paper into its proper place. Use up the entire roll before starting a new one since the wet paper is difficult to cut.

8. Check the new roll before wetting it to ensure that the patterned edge matches up perfectly with the edge of the roll you just finished hanging. Use the razor and cutting surface to cut the edge of the new roll to match up with the pattern on the finished piece.

9. Repeat Steps 1 to 8 until the entire room has been papered.

[abeautifulwall]

on 11/4/2009 Great article! If you need help and u live in San Diego, give a call at 619-972-6298 or visit us at www.wallpaperingsandiego.blogspot.com