Wallpapers are a very powerful type of surface; they can change the décor of your house and make or break its look. Putting up a wallpaper in your rooms gives it a customized affect based on your personality, choice and taste. This makes ‘wallpaper perfection’ very essential to give out a great image. But, how to achieve this?
You see, wallpapers tend to work like magic in your house, when chosen correctly. However, while making these choices and applying them, people unfortunately end up making mistakes that deviate your house from the route to wallpaper perfection.
Surfaces Reporter (SR) has made a list of mistakes that you should avoid while working with wallpaper in your house so, let’s dive right in: -
An un-fitting pattern: a huge variety of wallpapers are available in the market now-a-days which may confuse you on what to choose and what not to choose. Choosing the wrong set of wallpaper might turn out to be disaster for your interiors.
While choosing wallpaper for a big room, go for big patterns as they are easily visible from a distance as well. For example: if your dining room or living room is huge but you choose a wallpaper with small or minute patterns, it will not match with the interior of the room thereby, making the décor look shallow and your room look smaller. So, go for the big patterns in big rooms and keep the small patterns for the small rooms. Keep in mind of course, that the rest of the interiors are not overpowered by the wallpaper.
Woven and non-woven: Gone were the days when people used to struggle with tearing the sheds of wallpaper. This is because woven wallpapers tend to stick on wall for a limited period of time and start shedding in small pieces as these aren’t quite as durable but, tend to be very modern and pretty. So, if you have plan on changing the wallpaper after a specific period of time, choose woven wallpapers.
On the other hand, non-woven wallpapers, made of synthetic and natural fibers are available in the market which can be directly pasted on the walls without creating a mess. These are felted and pressed together that produce a flexible and strong category of wallpaper. These are durable and less clumsy while applying but their designs tend to be limited. If you’re looking for a sturdier choice that lasts you a decade, this should be your go-to.
Picking the incorrect material: People should do a little research before buying wallpaper for their house. There are different kinds of wallpapers available for different locations in the house. One must choose a non-woven or woven material for places like bedrooms, kitchen, living room and, choose vinyl carpets for wet areas like bathrooms or open-balcony to make sure that they don’t break open due to the moisture. Making the wrong decisions in these circumstances can and will, cost you heavily.
Plan ahead: Always plan on buying enough quantity of wallpaper as they shrink while applying on the walls. You may consider measuring your walls both vertically and horizontally and then plan on buying the wallpaper. Shopkeepers tend to keep extra rolls of the same pattern. Try and buy 15-20% extra wallpaper in case they shrink or tear. Different patterns of wallpapers are less likely to be available in the market after a specific period of time. So, plan ahead and be careful with your decisions.\
Using the wrong tools: Some people choose to apply their own wallpapers and while doing so, they unknowingly tend to use the wrong tools in order to finish the work quickly. This is the worst thing you can do as it runs the wallpaper and the look of your house.
Thus, use tools like sharp blades, wallpaper sweep, wallpaper pasting machines, dry foam roller and a brush as they might turn out to be of great help while applying wallpapers. To make sure that there are no bubbles in the middle of the wallpaper, ease out with a dry foam roller. You can also use a pin to burst the bubble and not damage the wallpaper all together. Use sharp blades to cut thick wallpapers easily and get the job done.
Unprimed and bumpy walls: before working on the walls, clean them to remove any stains, dust or discoloration. Then, apply a good layer of wallpaper primer to make sure that the wallpapers stick to the wall with ease.
Never work on an uneven surface as it can completely ruin both the wallpaper and its look. In case you are not satisfied with the wallpaper you’ve applied; you can always apply a wallpaper liner. They minimize the imperfections on the wall, if and when they appear.
Handle the ends properly: Always trim and align the ends of the wallpaper to avoid any unwanted look for your interiors. For woven wallpapers, use sharp razors or blades as they cut the wallpaper easily. Also, use a strong adhesive while applying vinyl wallpaper as they do not stick easily and require a sharp precision so that the rolls align properly.
Smoothing wallpaper: Smoothing of the wallpaper is a very essential element. Always remember; never smoothen your wallpaper from the centre.
Always go upside down or inside out as it smoothly releases the air bubbles trapped under the wallpaper.
Then, you can push them towards the edge or simply bring them down and pop it with a pin. After this, wait and let the wallpaper dry, you can smoothen it once again after a while, for perfect application.
Wasn’t that an informational read? Now, go ahead and try these steps when you apply wallpaper in your home, next time. We promise you that this will take you on a joyride for a smooth, elegant and of course, perfect finish.