How to Hang
Get all your tools together before you start. Having a good pasting table, tape measure, sharp wallpaper/utility knife, spirit level, plumb line, pencil, heavy duty wallpaper paste, wallpaper brush, smoothing brush or tool, a sponge, stepladder, a pair of decorating scissors and a bucket of clean water will make the job easier and quicker.
Wear overalls or old clothes. Preparation may seem the boring bit, but prepare the job properly and the rest will be much easier and give you a much better finish.
Clear furniture away to give yourself room to work.
Don't forget to put a dust cloth down to cover the floor and furniture around where you are working. Take your time and be methodical. All customised mural strips are overlapped by 2cm, you can either leave the strips overlapped or use a straight edge and cut the strips once hung and still wet.
Step 1
If you are at all unsure about hanging the mural, please consult a professional decorator. Basildon Wallpapers cannot take responsibility for any damage caused to your mural after it has been delivered or during hanging.
Before you start! Your wall should be rubbed down, sized and well prepared prior to hanging your customised mural.
Your mural has been pre-cut into wallpaper drops of equal width and length.
Step 2
First, organise your wallpaper drops in the order that you will need to apply them, going from left to right.
Measure the heights of your walls at both ends so know the maximum height of the walls and allow a few inches extra so you can trim the paper & make it look neat.
Measure the width of the wallpaper. Use this measurement to draw a vertical line one drop width from the left hand edge of your wall. Use a plumb line to get this line straight.
Your customised mural is designed to be hung using a standard heave-duty wallpaper paste.
If you are new to wallpaper hanging we recommend that you use a commercially available pre mixed paste.
Step 3
If you are happy to use a dry mix paste, make up the wallpaper paste according to the manufacturer's instructions for a heavy application. Apply paste generously to the first wallpaper drop. Align the right hand edge of the first drop with the line you have just drawn and use your wallpaper brush to smooth the wallpaper into the edges and corners of your wall.
Coat evenly to prevent peeling. Think of the strip of wallpaper as having three stripes along it. You need to coat the central stripe of the strip first and then the stripe nearest to you and then the stripe furthest from you.
Step 4
Paste the first length and fold the ends inwards so glue touches glue. This is important because it gives the glue time to work.
You must be careful not to crease the wallpaper so just bend it gently. Once the ends are folded, fold the new ends into the centre to create a concertina. This will make the wallpaper easy to handle when putting it up.
Check which is the top of the wallcovering (having marked it on the back if need be, before pasting), and carry it to the wall.
Step 5
Few walls are truly square or perectly vertical. To overcome this, so avoiding your pattern going askew, always mark a vertical pencil line against a plumb line or long spirit level (plumb line can be made with a weight attached to a thin string). Allow the plumb to swing freely until it is at rest before putting your pencil mark down the wall behind the string.
Start from the top of the wall. Hang main paper vertically. The first piece should be lined up precisely next to the guideline. Remember to allow a bit at either end so you can cut neatly.
The first length is hung and subsequent lengths are hung working away from the last. Holding the top of the length, carefully open the top fold and lightly stick the top half of the length to the wall.
Step 6
Once your first drop is correctly in place you can begin to apply each of the remaining drops so that the edges align accurately to create your illustration.
Ensure the pattern is the right way up and never assume that the outside end of the roll is the top - it is not always so! Mark the back of the paper with a 'T' at the top, this avoids confusion later on.
Step 7
Smooth out any ripples or bubbles as you go with your wallpaper brush or smoothing tool and wipe of any excess paste with a damp sponge.
When positioning additional hanging strips, ensure a good butt joint and pattern match, then work out towards the edges, removing air bubbles.
Look for blisters. Puncture blisters with a needle or the tip of a single-edge razor blade and then squeeze out the trapped air or excess adhesive.
Step 8
Open the bottom fold and continue to smooth the paper down to the skirting.
Step 9
When you are certain that your wallpaper drops are straight and accurately aligned, trim off the bleed from the top, sides and bottom, with your wallpaper knife.
You may find it easier to wait for two or three hours before trimming your wall to allow the wallpaper to dry, making cutting easier.
Step 10
For outlets & switches, just remove the faceplates and paper over the recessed electrical boxes. With your utility knife, trim away the overlap, cutting a rectangle in the paper the same size as the box itself.
CAUTION: Wall covering paste is a superb conductor of electricty, so cut off the power to the circuits you're working on at the circuit breaker or fuse box. If you need additional light, run an extension cord to a "live" outlet in another room. Replace faceplates.
Step 11
Step back and admire your Customised Mural!!
