Wallpaper was once almost as consistently present in homes as rugs or couches. People would spend lengthy afternoons browsing through different types of wallpaper in stores, excitedly rushing back home to plaster it onto their walls themselves.
In the 21st century, however, wallpaper is less commonly seen in the average home. As a result, those looking to bring a vintage feel to their homes will sometimes struggle to properly put up this former staple of home design.
Amazingly, wallpaper has made a real comeback in the past couple of years with 2020 seeing an incredible rise in its demand. If you would like to install your own wallpaper, there are some tips and tricks we can provide, as well as some warnings to avoid a sticky headache.
The Biggest Wallpaper Mistakes To Avoid
Measuring Makes Perfect
The first step to planning a wallpaper job is measuring your walls and attached areas which you would like to put the material onto. This process requires a lot of care and a steady hand, and you should measure your area twice to avoid any hiccups, as well as having to return wrongly sized wallpaper.
There are some great electronic measuring devices which you can buy, but good old measuring tape will never fail you. A good way to avoid having to order more wallpaper in case of mistakes or tearing is to add around a quarter of the total order’s size to your cart.
Keeping Some For Later
Putting up wallpaper is a fairly straightforward task, but it does take a certain level of precision and a lot of patience. Mistakes can happen, and the material is generally quite fragile. If you have any sizeable leftover stretches of wallpaper, make sure to store them safely so that if your fresh fixture gets damaged you can easily patch it up
Keeping Some For Later
Finishing Seamlessly
Keep in mind that wallpaper installations will always be rounded off with an imperfect patch, so perfect symmetry is unfortunately unachievable with this design. That’s why you need to know where your wallpaper job is going to end, so that you can place the rough patch in a concealed spot.
Furniture is one of the best hiding spots for wallpaper irregularities, as are paintings or photo frames.
Ensuring That Both Ends Match
Becoming skilled at matching wallpaper patterns which meet one another from one end to another takes some time, but you can pull it off on your first try by cutting one end so that it will align pleasantly with the other when stuck together.
Please note that wallpapers made from vinyl will not glue onto each other properly, at least not with normal adhesives. Make sure to purchase a special vinyl glue if that is the material you want to stick up.
If you would like to purchase printed wallpapers, keep in mind that they are produced in bulk, and that inconsistencies or mismatching patterns can crop up in your purchase. It is then a good idea to buy extra in the case of errors.
