The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California

First Aid For The Ailing Houses

Cutting and Preparing the Paper One of the first steps is to uncurl the paper. From being rolled up in the store, it has a tendency to wind back when it is unrolled and then released. To prevent this, unwind and draw the paper, pattern down, over the straight edge of the pasting table. The pressure of being drawn over a sharp edge at 90 degrees will impart a reverse curl that will cancel out the rolling tendency.

Be sure that each roll exactly matches the color and shade of the others. Sometimes the "run" number will be indicated on the selvage (waste) edge of the paper. If the run numbers aie all the same, this means that the paper was all printed with the same batch of color at the factory. (When the tanks go dry and a new batch of color is mixed, it is often impossible to get an exact match, so the manufacturer will change the run number to give notice that this batch of rolls has been printed with a different color.)

Cut only enough paper at a time to cover one wall. Cut the paper about 2 or 3 inches longer than the space that must be covered. This will allow trimming later to ensure a perfect fit at baseboard and ceiling or molding. Another thing to consider is matching the paper on the wall. There are two types of paper: The kind that matches evenly if it is simply lined up on a horizontal line, and the type that may have to be "dropped" for as much as a foot to match the designs. This must be considered in cutting the paper.

After cutting the paper to length, it must have the edges trimmed. This is easiest when the paper has already been pasted, for the paste will hold it to the table and keep it from supping while the straightedge and knife are used. Place a piece of paper, pattern down, on the pasting table; then, with the brush, coat the entire back of the paper in sweeping, overlapping strokes. Be careful to remove any possible lumps and to brush over finger marks where the paper has been held. The paper should be folded with ends together in the middle of the strip and pasted side to pasted side to keep the paste moist and to make handling easier. Edges must be aligned.

To trim, place the straightedge over the doubled edge of the paper and trim through both layers at once, using the paper knife. Trim into the good part of the paper about 1/16 inch to be sure no guidelines remain to spoil the pattern.