Hanging Wallpaper Made Easy

Hanging wallpaper, or vinyl in some cases, is one of those DIY jobs that make some DIYers cringe with nausea. Why? Not because of the smell of the wallpaper paste. Usually, it's from a past frustrating experience.

Getting a grip on this job is like learning to tape and float drywall. What it really takes is patience. The main points, which are outlined in detail in this article on properly hanging wallpaper are straightforward.

The problems that most people have are really easy to solve. For example, I can't tell you the number of comments I've gotten asking why the job got botched.

The Importance of Using a Plumb Bob

Me: "And what tool or method did you use to plumb the first drop?"
DIYer: "Tool?"

See where I'm going with this? If the first drop is off, even by 1/8" from top to bottom, you'll never recover if the paper you're working with has a pattern. If anything, it'll get worse as you go along.

Task Lighting and Level Viewing

More experience paper hangers develop almost what seems a sixth sense for lining up the pattern. But matching the pattern can be a challenge for novices. On many patterns, the repetitions are not so obvious, and in fact what you thought was correct alignment at first glance turns out not to be so.

It's a visual thing. The first trick is to have proper work lighting. Natural sunlight seems to work best for me. That's not always practical. On my contract jobs, this twin work light has been the best I've found. In fact, I use it in my home wood shop.


Secondly, you need to looking at the seam horizontally. So much can change when you look at an angle. It's a real sinking feeling to get a whole wall done, step back to admire it, and realize, holy flying crap! It looked good up close! What happened??

The moral of the story is: have patience, go slow, and step back and check your work often.

How to Hang Wallpaper

Trends in home decor are just like clothing and social attitudes: they swing back and forth like a pendulum. Paint or wallpaper, paint or wallpaper? Decisions, decisions.

Wallcovering Items: Wallpaper and Borders

Other than paint, these are the two things next in line that folks use to dress up their rooms. Use one or both for a quick decor redo. Either way, the first thing you'll have to do is prepare the wall for wallpaper.

This is easy enough on new construction, but involves a few more steps with a remodel project. As long as you're comfortable with, or willing to learn, drywall taping and floating, it's not a problem.

Hanging Your Wallpaper

Got the walls ready? All you've got to do now is finish the job. That means doing the work. It's not a tough task but it does take some patience and close attention to detail.

At this point you can hire a wallpaper contractor or hang the wallpaper yourself. I recommend doing it yourself, with a helper if possible.

Depending on how comfortable you feel with the job, you can buy regular residential paper or commercial rolls. The main difference is that the commercial stuff is twice as wide. This will make the job go faster if you have a large area to do with lots of long walls.