How to Put Up Pre-Pasted Wall Borders

A wallpaper border adds definition and design to a room's perimeter. Though wallpaper may have been a thing of the past, modern designs are making a comeback in the wallpaper industry. A variety of colors and designs are commonly seen in kitchens, bathrooms and children's rooms. You can often purchase wallpaper to match existing bedding and fabrics in a room. The pre-pasted borders are applied without glue; however, many professional wallpaper installers choose to add extra glue for increased adhesion.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring tape
• Wallpaper border
• Vacuum
• Bucket or wallpaper tray
• Large sponge
• Wallpaper smoother
• Razor blade

1. Measure the perimeter of the room. Determine the amount of border needed. Clean the wall by wiping the surface with a damp towel. Vacuum any cobwebs or spider webs from the ceiling.

2. Fill a large bucket or wallpaper tray with lukewarm water. Add the wallpaper border into the water, and allow it to soak for a few seconds, no longer than 10 seconds. Remove the wallpaper border from the water. Lay the wallpaper upside down, and moisten it with a damp sponge.

3. Place the border onto the surface, and smooth the border with a wallpaper smoother or by hand. Remove all air bubbles by smoothing the border. Continue to place the border onto the wall. Trim any excess wallpaper with a straightedge. Do not overlap the wallpaper.

4. Wipe the border with a damp sponge once you place it onto the wall. Allow it to dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask a friend to help with the project to make the process much easier.
• Wear latex gloves to avoid getting adhesive onto your skin.
• Apply glue for extra adhesion. Apply glue to damp wallpaper with a brush. Do not apply the glue directly to the wall.
• When adding a second roll, find the area in the pattern where the first roll of wallpaper ended. Cut a straightedge and match up the pattern with the new roll.
• Always remove underlying borders before applying new wallpaper. Layers of wallpaper can be very difficult to remove in the future.

References

• This Old House: How to Hang Wallpaper