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

First Aid For The Ailing Houses

With the paper over the arm, climb the stepladder and allow the paper to unfold of its own weight. Apply to the wall, with one edge along a plumbline that has been chalked or penciled in ahead of time. Then, with the smoothing brush, smooth the paper to the wall in sweeping motions, making sure to brush out any bubbles under the paper. After about three or four strips have been hung, using the previous ones for guidelines, a seam roller should be rolled over the first edge to press it down and firmly attach it to the wall. Care should be taken to use the roller lightly to keep from marking the paper or squeezing out excess paste.

To butt wallpaper, both edges must be trimmed, and the paper placed with these edges together with no overlap. For the novice, however, it is usually more satisfactory to trim only one edge and overlap this trimmed edge over the selvage edge of the previously hung strip. The slight ridges will not show and possible trimming slips will not be noticed.

To hang in corners, use a narrow fill-in strip of about a foot wide, or be sure the regular strips do not extend around the corner more than about 6 inches. A wide piece cannot be hung evenly around the average comer because of the unevenness of most walls.

Since plywood walls have come into wide use, many home owners desire to cover them with wallpaper. If not done properly, the results may be disheartening. When plywood is being installed, the panels should be closely butted and the joints filled with Swedish putty. The surfaces are then given a coat of wallpaper paste to which a gelatin glue size is added, about half-and-half. A 3/4-pound smooth, dry felt is then put on with the same paste and glue-size combination. The joints of the felt should be neatly butted, rolled, and smoothed. For a better quality job, wall lining canvas or sheeting is used in place of felt over the plywood. Wallpaper is hung in the usual manner, after the felt or canvas has been given a coat of glue sizing.

Plywood may be painted with a special sealer made to tame the "wild" grain of the wood (see section on Sealers). This sealer provides a good base for the glue size and prevents the grain of the wood from being swelled by the moisture from the paste. Swelling may often result in the grain being noticeable through the wallpaper, particularly when lighter patterns are used.