For some removable wallpaper is considered a renter's dream come true, while others suggest to choose especially self adhesive wallpaper, if you are installing it on your own property with your beloved one & don't want to get a divorce.. Be it as it may, we think this wonderful home improvement product works wonders and has made a great comeback to wallpapering itself. Just take a look at Apartment Therapy's House tours, we bet you will find wallpaper in (almost) every post!
We started our Wallpaper 101 series a while ago with the basic information about our self adhesive wallpaper, however now it is time to dig deeper and get into all the installation details to answer all of your questions of this process! We did our best to create an instructional & in the meantime beautiful wallpaper installation video. We do include detailed installation instructions in every order, but if there are still some questions left unanswered, please let us know in the comment section below!
What you will need
- Self adhesive wallpaper
- Level tool
- Sharp craft knife
- Squeegee with round edges
Before you start
When hearing words 'self adhesive wallpaper' it might seem like a simple peel and stick will be enough to complete your 'brand new feature wall' project, but it is a bit trickier than that.
Firstly you need to remember that the surface you will be applying the paper must be clean, dry, smooth and free of any mildew, grease or stains. Thinking of applying removable wallpaper over old wallcoverings? You can of course do that, but if you are a perfectionist just as we are, forget about this idea. Beautiful long lasting results will be achieved if the wall is smooth and in one color - as we have mentioned in the product description, our self adhesive wallpaper material is not 100% opaque, so it most likely will show all of the old wallpaper pattern through anyway. And the illusion of removing your brand new removable wallpaper from the old one without doing any harm? It is just an illusion.. try to remove a sticker from a regular sheet of paper and you will understand what we mean.
Secondly, we suggest to cure freshly painted walls for at least 3 weeks to ensure the paint has dried completely, so your freshly installed wallpaper wouldn't peel off of the wall on the next day.
Wallpapering steps
- Find a level spot on your wall
- Remove only small section of backing paper at first
- Apply the first panel & smooth it out with a squeegee
- Apply the second panel & make sure the pattern matches
- Apple the remaining panels & cut off the excess material with a craft knife
- Smooth out all of the wallpaper panels with a squeegee once more
Removable wallpaper installation guide
When you have unpacked your temporary wallpaper, we suggest to unroll the panels & let them stretch for an hour or so to ease the installation process, that is, if you have a floor space that allows it. If you have ordered a wall mural or a complex pattern, we suggest to align first couple of panels on the floor to confirm the pattern matches & to get a visual of how it will look on the wall.
Now that it's time to start the wallpaper install, find a level spot on either side of your wall - whichever you find will be easier to start from. The level spot is necessary to ensure the wallpaper suddenly wouldn't start to lean upwards or downwards, as usually ceilings and walls aren't 100% straight and it's quite hard to notice it with a naked eye.
Pull back approx. 10 inches (25cm) of the backing paper from the top of the panel for an easier start.
Apply the first panel starting from top and removing backing paper gradually as you go. Don't pull off all the backing paper at once, because if the back of the wallpaper will stick to itself, your chances of unsticking it are, well.. close to none.
You can use a squeegee (with round angles) or another smoothing tool to smooth out the wallpaper & remove any air bubbles that may form. When you have completed the first panel, continue on to the next. Keep in mind that our wallcoverings are designed to align side by side, no overlapping needed here!
When all the panels are in place, cut off the excess material from top/bottom of the wall as well as electrical sockets, etc., just like shown in the video. Make sure to use a very sharp blade to not tear the wallpaper - it is self adhesive textile after all.
Then give it a brief smoothing once more to ensure it has stuck properly to the wall surface. We also suggest to repeat the last step after a week or so - for long lasting & fabulous results! Happy wallpapering!
