Projects of the Week #406e

Hanging a Wallpaper Border

The way to get your feet wet with wallpapering is by hanging a border. This is a really fast, simple and inexpensive project. Basic wallpaper preparation and application techniques apply to hanging borders.

What You Need:
Level/straight edge combination
Pencil
Sponge or paint roller or paint brush
Tape measure
Primer/sizer
Water tray
Wallpaper smoothing tool
Utility knife or wallpaper trimmer
Straight edge or broad knife
Border
Scissors

The basics of hanging a border:

Determining where the border is to be applied is the first step. Let your imagination run wild. I've seen them at chair rail height, eye level, as trim around doors and windows, at the top of the wall, like crown molding, along the bottom of the wall or any points in between. Draw a level line where the top or the bottom of the border will be aligned. In our case the border had scallops, so we drew a line where the upper most part of the bottom of the border will be placed Make the line as faint as possible so you won't be able to see it after the border is installed. 30" to 34" is an average height for chair rail. If the border will hang at or below eye level, draw the level line at the point where the bottom of the border will rest. If the border is above eye level draw the line where the top of the border will be positioned so that any uncovered pencil mark is less visible. Cut a sponge about 1/4" shorter than the width of the border and use it to apply the primer/sizer. A short, napped paint roller, slightly smaller than the width of the border, can also be used to apply the primer. Begin in the most inconspicuous area of the room. Measure the length of area to be covered, add at least an inch and cut the border to that length. Apply adhesive or if pre-pasted, submerge in water. Fold border back and forth with the paste sides touching. It should fold like ribbon candy. Be careful, however, not to crease the paper. Let stand for about 5 minutes. This is called booking the paper. This will stabilize the paper as it could be stretched when applying the adhesive or wetting. Hold the folded border in one hand and begin placing it on the wall with the other, following the pencil line you drew earlier. Work in the direction that is most comfortable for you, placing and smoothing the border as it is put into place. If the border needs to be pieced in order to make it long enough, overlap the border, matching the pattern and cutting through both layers at a 45-degree angle to make the seam less obvious. Remove the trimmed pieces after making the cut. Use a straight edge or broad knife with a cutting tool to trim the ends of the border in the corners. Rinse off excess adhesive as soon as possible after hanging the border to prevent staining the border or the wall.