How to Hang a Prepasted Wallpaper Border
Prepasted wallpaper borders may be hung alone for a quick and easy home decor accent or applied to top of wallpaper for an additional focal point on the wall. A prepasted wallpaper border is hung with minimal preparation because the adhesive is already coating the back of the border and is activated by immersion in water. Dip the border into water, smooth the border onto the wall with a wet sponge and your prepasted wallpaper border only has to air dry to be hung. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Level
- Ladder (optional)
- Pencil
- Painter's tape
- Scissors or craft blade
- Large plastic container
- Water
- Towels
- Sponge
- School glue or wallpaper border adhesive
Instructions
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Measure the width of the prepasted border to help you determine where you wish the wallpaper border to be placed. Measure, on the wall, the width of the border over the location you wish to apply the border. Use a pencil to lightly draw the lines into place to use as pasting guidelines. Drawing guidelines is more efficient than eyeballing it because your guidelines eliminate hanging the prepasted borders crooked or sloping. Use a level to ensure a straight line as you draw on the wall.
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Measure and cut the prepasted wallpaper border for each wall you are pasting the border onto. Cut away any indentions or allowances needed on each section of the border, such as a light switch obstruction or windowsill corner. Hold the border to the wall and trace around the obstruction. Cut it away. Use low-adhesive painter's tape to hold the border into place while you measure and trim the section to fit. Remove tape once the section is custom fit.
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Fill a container, such as a plastic under-the-bed container, with water. Read the packaging. Some paste is activated by warm water, while other paste is more lenient and is activated by room temperature water.
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Insert the section of wallpaper border into the water loosely accordion style. Immerse it gently beneath the water. According to the Creative Wall Covering website, gently loop the border with the pasted side facing out. Allow the border to remain in the water for 30 seconds to about five minutes, depending on the border's instructions.
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Wet a sponge. Position the wallpaper border in place and smooth it, while pressing, onto the wall with the wet sponge. Keep the sponge wet. Press and rub the border from the center out toward the edges to work out air bubbles. Most border paper rolls measure about 15 feet, which is usually enough to do one wall. If you need to join ends, match the patterns of the ends of two rolls of border, cutting away the excess.
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Continue applying the remaining border sections. Allow the border to air dry.
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Use school glue or wallpaper border adhesive to apply a fine line of glue beneath any loose or curling edges. Press firmly against the wall. Wallpaper border adhesives dry clear, come in squeeze tubes and are available at discount and home improvement stores.
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Tips & Warnings
According to the Creative Wall Covering website, turn off the electricity to the room at the fuse box to avoid shock or electrocution when applying wallpaper near or around an electrical outlet or light switch.
References
- Photo Credit fragment of wallpaper image by Mikhail Malyshev from Fotolia.com
