Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
The best thing about wallpaper is the ability to completely change any space or room in your home or office. With a variety of designs to choose from, wallpaper is a good way to express your personality while updating the look and feel of any environment.
What are the things you must remember after selecting your favourite wallpaper print? Builders has put together a few easy-to-follow tips to enhance your space and give it a fresh new look with wallpaper:
What You Need To Have?
- Fired earth wallpaper
- Wallpaper adhesive
- A large paint brush (make sure it is clean)
- A spirit level
- A scraper
- A squeegee
- A very sharp knife
- A pair of industrial scissors
- Sandpaper
- A pencil
- Crack filler
- Tape measure
Easy DIY Wallpaper Installation
Tip 1 – A Smoother Surfaces Gives You A Better Wallpaper Finish
Knowing how to prepare your wall for wallpaper installation is important to ensure that you get your money’s worth out of your purchase and also the best possible outcome. The more precautions you take beforehand, the more bulletproof you will be against all things that can go wrong. Smooth the wall: fill holes, cracks and uneven surfaces, sand any bumps or textures, and make sure you get rid of any screws or imperfections. Once that is complete, wipe down your wall with a damp cloth 24 hours prior to installing your wallpaper. With your wall prepped, your next step is working out where to start with installing your wallpaper.
Tip 2 – No Cutting Corners, Literally
As walls and corners aren’t often straight, don’t rely on them as a guide when hanging the wallpaper. Some may prefer to start in the corner, but if your wall is not straight you may be starting off the process skew. The centerline of a wall should be your starting point. Measure this out using your tape measure, a pencil and your spirit level – this line will dictate the way your wallpaper should lie across the wall.
Tip 3 – X Marks The Spot
Once you are done with measuring and marking, you may start to cut your wallpaper using a tape measure ensuring you have measured the space you plan on covering. When all the measuring has been completed you can then start to cut the wallpaper.
Tip: make sure to leave an extra 50mm at the top and 50mm at the bottom of the wallpaper. This will be removed at a later stage.
Tip 4 – And Now For The Adhesive
Mix the wallpaper adhesive in a container; a single packet makes about 3-5 liters in total. Give the mixture about 15 minutes to set before you start applying it. Use a paint brush to paint the adhesive onto the wall, remember to paint enough on either side of the width of the wallpaper to ensure your wallpaper edges stick down firmly and don’t lift.
Tip 5 – The Application Begins
Finally, apply the wallpaper. Start by rolling your already measured wallpaper cutout against the line marked on the wall. Have a cloth close by to keep your squeegee nice and clean, you will use the squeegee to smooth out the wallpaper by pressing against and running this over your wallpaper length in even strokes. Start from the center and move outward. Feel free to move either left or right, but it’s important to ensure the wallpaper is nice and smooth, and perfectly aligned with the line set on the wall earlier. Work out any air pockets with your squeegee. Once your wallpaper is fixed, use a damp cloth to wipe off all the water-soluble glue along the edges. This will also make for a fine finish.
Top Tip: If the wallpaper is not applying smoothly, pull it away from the wall and go back to your centre point. Remember that this job does take some time and a lot of skill but it is worth the results in the end.
Final Product Reveal
Get Inspired With The Builders Wallpaper Explorer
Builders has recently introduced a new interactive visualizer that you can use to envision your home with Fired Earth’s stunning wallpaper range available exclusively from Builders. You can explore Builders’ range of designs that will complement your furniture and infuse your home with inviting colour palettes and prints. The wallpaper explorer also links easily to shopping the range – making for a smooth experience.
Get a visual DIY wallpaper installation step-by-step video for how to apply wallpaper here.
