2. MEASURING & CUTTING THE FIRST STRIP Unroll part way and hold the first roll of wallpaper against the wall to determine where you want the pattern to fall at the ceiling line. Mark the spot with a pencil on the back of the roll (try beginning with a full design at the ceiling). Cut the first strip with a straight edge. Leave about 2 extra inches at the top and bottom for trimming.
3. FOR UNPASTED WALLPAPER For unpasted products, place the strip pattern side down on a large table. With a paint roller or wide brush, lightly and gently, coat the back of the strip with the paste recommended by the manufacturer. (Skip to Step 5)
4. FOR PREPASTED WALLPAPER For prepasted products, cover the table with a drop cloth and fill a water tray 2/3 full with water at room temperature. Roll the cut strip from bottom to top, paste side out. Submerge the rolled strip into the water tray. Gently press the roll until all air bubbles have stopped. Soak for the amount of time recommended in the manufacturer's hanging instructions. Holding the top of the sheet, slowly lift and unroll the paper, making sure the back is completely wet. Note: You can add a prepaste activator to the water for added adhesion.
5. "BOOKING" THE WALLPAPER "Book" the paper for about 3-5 minutes by folding the top half to the middle of the sheet, paste to paste, and the bottom to middle, paste to paste, keeping the edges aligned. Gently roll up the wet, booked strip, being careful not to crease the strip. Booking allows the adhesive to activate and the paper to relax and return to its original width.
7. TRIMMING THE WALLPAPER Using the wall scraper as a guide, trim the excess paper along the ceiling and baseboard with a sharp razor knife. If the paper begins to tear, wait 5 minutes and retry. An inexpensive breakaway knife can be purchased at local hardware stores. Wash paste off ceiling and baseboards with a wet sponge, changing water frequently.
8. BUTTING STRIPS TOGETHER Using the same procedure, cut and apply the second strip, matching the pattern to the first strip. Butt the edges tightly together, but don't overlap the strips. After hanging 2-3 strips, check for pattern and color inconsistencies. Make a new plumb line on each new wall.
10. DOORS AND WINDOWS To hang around doors, you can pre-cut the strip to fit, but it's tricky. Instead, hang the entire strip of paper and smooth into place to the edge of the window or door frame. Make diagonal cuts (miter cuts) in the wallpaper at the door or window frame corners and allow the paper to separate and lay smoothly against the wall.Smooth the paper around the frame as you go along. Trim the excess paper around the frame with the knife and straight edge.
11. LIGHT SWITCHES AND OUTLETS Remember, electrical power should be off! Paper over light switches and outlets. With a razor knife, cut and trim an area slightly smaller than the switch or outlet cover. Replace outlet covers and switch plates when finished.