How to install Traditional Wallpaper : Traditional Wallpaper vs Removable Wallpaper

There are almost a thousand wallpaper related articles on this site, oh I'm just kidding, well… not a thousand but quite a good number. Wallpapers seem to be catching on a lot when it comes to home decor and makeovers/DIY facelifts. There are different types of wallpapers that you can dress up your walls with and most of them require the same technique except for peel and stick wallpapers which is the same as removable wallpaper. I've never used a peel and stick or removable wallpaper and I guess it's because it's not so on-demand here in Nigeria that's why it's almost not available to be purchased, unlike the traditional paste to wall wallpaper that you can find in almost any corner but i have a friend who had the peel and stick, of course I watched the installation process and the lifespan till we switch to traditional wallpapers later on. OK, let me briefly mention the advantages and disadvantages of both types of wallpapers before we go to how to install wallpapers.

Advantages & Disadvantages of Traditional Wallpaper vs Removable Wallpaper

1. Reusable: peel and stick wallpaper can be used multiple times, it only requires you to carefully peel it off the wall. As much as it is used permanently at home, This is also good for temporary projects, maybe a video shoot, photo session, rented apartment, hostels etc. Traditional wallpaper on the other hand doesn't offer the luxury of reusing it. Once it is installed and  you take it off, it goes straight to the trash.
2. Durability: there are different types of traditional wallpapers and most of them are durable and cleanable. They stay on the wall for as long as you want except if the wall upon which it was installed is moist and damp, it will reduce the durability of your traditional wallpaper. Some removable wallpapers are good but most people have complained that the one they got (I don't know who their plug is) kept falling off the wall after a short while. I don't want to believe it's the wallpaper because peel and stick wallpapers require the wall to be prepped in a certain way before installation, if that is not done it won't stick for long.
3. Wall damage: installation of peel and stick wallpaper requires you to have a smooth clean wall. Probably painted with gloss paint and finely screeded, if this is done before installation, removing the wallpaper should be super easy with no damage to the wall and wallpaper. Traditional wallpaper on the other hand can't be peeled off with such ease. You can't return the wall to it's original state without making a little mess. Most times, people like me who love wallpapers either place a new wallpaper over an old one or peel off the old one and cover the mess with a beautiful wallpaper.
4. Installation process: the peel and stick wallpaper is mostly a DIY thing, no professional wallpaper installer is required. All you need is wallpaper peel and stick tools and maybe an extra hand for proper alignment and it doesn't leave any mess while installing. Traditional wallpaper on the other hand can also be DIY, I love to do almost everything myself, that's why this article will expatiate on traditional wallpaper installation in a bit. It requires the tools as well as gum or installation paste. It often gets messy while installing, just like painting a wall, you have to cover the floor around the installation area.
5. Surface requirement: with traditional wallpaper, the wall doesn't need any special care before installation. You only need to smoothen out the wall so that you don't have bubbles and bumps visible after installation. That's what wallpapering remains one of the easiest and affordable wall treatments. The wall does even need to be painted, or it can be so dirty and abandoned but once wallpaper hits the surface, it completely transforms it.  With Peel and stick you need a clean wall, properly cared for. It must be primed and painted with satin or gloss paint. The surface must be cleaned with a damp cloth and left to dry before installing your peel and stick wallpaper.

Buy Removable Wallpapers on Amazon

Now the differences, advantages and disadvantages have been cleared up, I'll quickly share with you how to install traditional wallpapers seeing that peel and stick needs no further explanation.

How to Install Traditional Wallpaper.

Before installing any type of wallpaper, you must have measured the wall to be covered to know how many rolls you need. See how to measure for wallpaper installation. Peel and stick installation is different from traditional wallpapers, peel and stick as the name implies, is simply what you need to do, just peel off the paper sheet from behind and paste it. Traditional wallpaper on the other hand requires certain things.

1.  First, you need to make sure you have your wallpaper installation tools. The kit consists of a Flexible Smoothing Tool Kit. A seam roller,  squeegee, knife/blades; cutter or scissors, measure tape, glue and a bucket to mix the glue.
2. Clean the wall and make sure it's smooth. Although the wall doesn't have to be nicely painted it must however be free from bumps and whatever may make your wallpaper not sit nicely. Prepare the wall by scraping it and if your wall is painted with texcote, you will also need to scrape it off. this may increase your installation time but it's worth it if you don't want a mediocre look.
3. Now you need to measure and cut. It's easier to cut most of the wallpaper and keep aside so that you can just keep installing and make the process easier. If you are using a vertical wallpaper, this should be a lot easier compared to using a patterned or floral design. These designs tell a story and it must continue just as it's meant to be if not it will just be ‘another wallpaper’. Victorian wallpaper and geometric designs are some examples. Watch how to install patterned wallpaper like a pro.
   
4. Now, it's time for installation, you must have mixed your glue mixture by now. Place the wallpaper on the floor and apply glue on the back as well as on the side of the wall you are beginning with. Another easy trick I saw my installers do was mix the glue with a lot of water and then folded the already cut wallpapers and soaked them in the very diluted mixture while they had a thicker glue they used on the wall. This made the installation fast because they didn't need to apply glue to the back of the wallpaper again. This is efficient if you have a large space to cover. But note that it may be a little bit messier than the normal installation style.
5. Always have a towel to clean the excess glue when pushing out bubbles and air underneath the wallpaper.

Wallpaper is beautiful and remains one of the easiest wall treatments you can have / do by yourself either at home or anywhere else. shop for wallpapers on this site.

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