Installing wallcovering would be a snap if there were no corners, doors, windows, and electrical outlets, where you need to use extra care.
In renovation, trim and corners are rarely perfectly plumb, but strips of wallcovering must be, regardless of tilting trim and corner walls out of plumb. If your first strip begins next to an out-of-plumb jamb casing, overlap it by the amount the casing is off plumb. After brushing
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out the wallpaper, trim the overlapping edge.
Thus the leading edge of that strip will be plumb, as will the next strip’s. But always double-check for plumb before hanging subsequent strips.
Inside corners. If an inside corner is cockeyed, a strip of wallcovering wrapping the corner will be out of plumb when it emerges on the second wall. First use your spirit level to determine which way the walls are leaning. Then trim down the width of the strip so it is just wide enough to reach the second wall—plus a J/s-in. to!4-in. overlap. (Save the portion you trim off: If it’s wide enough, you may be able to paste it onto the second wall, thus attaining a closer pattern match in the corner.)
Now hang a strip of wallcovering on the second wall, plumbing its leading edge to a plumbed line you’ve marked on the wall first. Tuck the trailing edge of the strip into the corner so that it overlaps the first strip. There will be a slight mismatch of patterns, but in the corner, it won’t be noticeable. If you don’t like the small welt that results from the overlap, use a razor knife to double-cut the seam. However, if your walls are old and undulating, they’ll make it tough to cut a straight line. Ignoring a slight welt may spare you
a lot of frustration. In any event, don’t butt-join strips at corners because such seams almost always separate.
Outside comers. Outside comers project into a room and so are very visible. So when laying out the job, never align the edge of a strip to the edge of an outside comer. Such edges look terrible initially and then usually fray. If the edge of a strip would occur precisely at a corner, cut it back h in. and wrap the corner with the edge of a full strip from the adjacent wall. Relief cut the top of the wallcovering where it turns the corner, as shown in the photo below, so the top of strip can lie flat. Remember to plumb the leading edge of the new strip.
FITTING OVER OUTLETS AND FIXTURES
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