2 Common Problems when Hanging Wallpaper

Hanging wallpaper can be an easy do-it-yourself project but it does require following some basic rules and directions. Some people like to skip over things they may not deem necessary when hanging wallpaper but this will almost always come back and haunt you later on in the project. There are a two main problems that people encounter when hanging wallpaper so it helps to be aware of what they are and how to avoid them.

1. Bubbles and Blisters in the Wallpaper

This is probably the most common problem that people have when hanging wallpaper. There are a few main causes for this to happen. Once a piece of wallpaper is applied to the wall, a plastic smoothing device should be used to smooth it out to prevent bubbles. You should start in the middle so that air pockets get pushed out the top and the bottom. If this is not done correctly it can cause bubbles or blisters in the wallpaper. Another reason this may happen is if the temperature is cold in the room, below 50 degrees. This causes problems with the paste and can cause bubbling.

If the surface of the walls is not prepared properly and all the directions are not followed, this can also cause bubbling. Walls should be primed or cleaned and in good shape. An additional problem that can cause bubbling is if you booked the strips of wallpaper but did not allow it the correct amount of time to set. Knowing all of this ahead of time can save you a lot of time and headaches. Be sure to follow directions and this will prevent bubbling. If you were not aware of these factors or have bubbling for unknown reasons, the way to solve this is to continue to try to smooth them out. If this does not work poke a tiny hole or slit in it in order to allow the air out and then smooth over again.

2. Seams or Ends Opening Up

The second common problem people usually have when wallpapering is with the seams not laying flat or sometimes having the ends curl up. This can again be caused by not preparing the walls in the correct manner. Remember to prep the walls by priming or cleaning. Sometimes not enough adhesive is used as well and this causes the ends and edges to flip up like this. There also may not have been any adhesive applied to the edges, they are easy to miss.

Be sure enough adhesive is applied evenly over the surface, including the edges. If the room is too hot this may cause the adhesive to dry very fast and by the time you are attaching it to the wall, it may not stick so remember that having a room at average temperatures during wallpaper hanging is necessary. Sometimes ends or seams come up because the edges dried out during the booking process. To fix problems after they have occurred with the edges and seams they can be sealed back down with special adhesive.