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Bamboo wallpaper

Hanging our bamboo wall cover is very similar to installing regular wallpaper.  Follow these steps to install our bamboo wall cover.

  1. Prepare the walls
    If you're hanging wallpaper on new drywall, prime the wall first with wallpaper with primer to seal the drywall and to help the paper adhere to the wall.

    Wash any dirt or dust from old walls and sand smooth any chipped paint. Remove old wallpaper using wallpaper remover, a wide blade, and rags. Remove electrical outlets and light switch covers. Use a putty knife to apply spackle over holes or cracks. Allow the spackle to dry, then sand lightly until the surface is smooth.

    The first strip of wallpaper will line up with the last strip of wallpaper you hang and the pattern should match up at the ends. You will want to start and finish wallpapering in a corner, near curtains, or behind a door so that any mismatched wallpaper is less obvious. The focal point of the room should have the fewest seams.

    Measure out from your starting point and use a level to lightly draw a vertical straight edge on the wall. This line marks where the first strip of wallpaper should be placed.
     

  2. Cut the bamboo wall cover
    Lay the first roll of bamboo wallpaper, print side down, on a flat work surface. Confirm the top and bottom of the pattern. Measure, then cut the first wallpaper strip to the proper length, adding a few extra inches at the top and bottom (this will be trimmed off later). Measure and cut the next several strips in order, paying attention to pattern match. Cutting vertically is easy, just cut the cotton mesh along the line and don't forget you have the corner space to hide with the molding. Cutting them horizontally or cross cutting requires a miter chop saw with a sharp plywood blade. Put the rolled up bamboo cover on the saw and let the saw run on full speed before slowly lowering the blade to cut the bamboo wallpaper.
     

  3. Apply wallpaper paste.
    For un-pasted wallpaper, apply pre-mixed paste using a large pasting brush or paint roller, working from the middle to the ends. Be sure that all areas are covered with paste with no un-pasted spots. Gently fold the top of the sheet down to the middle so that the pasted sides touch. Next, fold the bottom edge up to the middle. This allows the paste to cure and keep it from drying out. Do not crease the wallpaper.
     

  4. Hang the bamboo wall cover
    Starting at the ceiling, carefully unfold the top half of the first piece of the wallpaper and gently place the side edge of the strip along the measured line. Don’t forget to leave a few extra inches of paper at the top and bottom for trimming later.

    When the strip is in the right position, drop down the bottom half and gently smooth the paper against the wall with your hands, beginning at one edge and working your way across. Use a smoothing brush or damp sponge to smooth out any air bubbles. Use a seam roller to gently smooth down the edges of the wallpaper.
     

  5. Trim the excess bamboo wall cover.
    Use a wide-blade putty knife to hold down the top of the bamboo wallpaper strip at the ceiling. Use the utility knife or straight-edge razor to trim the excess wallpaper. Repeat at the bottom of the strip. Carefully clean any paste from the ceiling and baseboard. Wipe the strip of wallpaper with a clean, damp sponge to remove any paste and remaining air bubbles.
     

  6. Smooth the corners.
    At the corners, measure from the last full-width strip of bamboo wallpaper to the corner. Add 1 inch to that measurement and cut the next strip of wallpaper to that width. Activate or apply paste to the strip.

    Apply the wallpaper on the wall, making sure to smooth it totally into the corner for interior corners or around the corner for exterior corners.

    At the corner, make a small slit from the top of the strip to the wall to allow the strip to lay flat at the ceiling. Repeat on the bottom to allow the strip to lay flat at the floor. Trim off the top and bottom and clean the strip.
     

  7. Hang around the corner.
    Place the next strip of wallpaper on the wall so that it overlaps the extra 1 inch of paper from the previous piece.
     

  8. Repeat hanging the strips around the room.
    Continue hanging the next strips of bamboo wallpaper, making sure to match the pattern, trimming at the ceiling and floor, removing any creases or air bubbles, securing the seams, and cleaning the paste off the paper.
     

  9. Replace light switch and plug plates.
    If desired, cover the switch and plug plates with bamboo wallpaper, making sure to match the wallpaper pattern.

Tips:

  1. Don't rush. Work slowly to avoid making mistakes.

  2. Have a large area to work in and don't crowd yourself.

  3. Cover every area of the back of the wallpaper with paste. Any area left dry, even a small space, will bubble and not adhere to the wall.

  4. Smooth paper surfaces gently. Don't put any pressure on the face of the wallpaper.

  5. Carefully clean off the surface of the wallpaper before the paste dries.

  6. Make sure you use the miter saw with the sharp plywood grade blade when cutting the bamboo wallpaper horizontally in bulk rolled up form.

What you will need:

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Bamboo wallpaper and paste

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Large flat work surface area

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Tape measure and level

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Ladder

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Drop cloth

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Sandpaper, spackle, and putty knife

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Bucket, water, water tray, sponges, rags

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Utility knife or a straight edge razor

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Smoothing brush

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Seam Roller

 

 

 

 

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Last modified: February 23, 2014