Ok. you're going to need:
A wide paint brush for applying the glue
a squeegee
a large sponge (you could use a bath sponge, but a denser one works better)
a chalk line or a long piece of wool - and chalk dust.
a large flat surface (I use an old door on a couple of trestles)
a sturdy ladder
a spirit level
a Stanley knife
First make sure your wall is good. bumps and nails will cause you to tear the wallpaper while you are smoothing it with the squeegee, holes and dents will allow for air bubbles that can eventually cause the wallpaper to pull away from the wall. Sand down the bumps, take out the nails (if you need a nail there, you can put a new one in afterward) and fill any of the holes with polyfiller. when the polyfiller is dry sandpaper that smooth also. Use a 100,120 or 150 grit paper.
Some people prefer to start putting the paper on from a corner, I prefer to start in the middle of the wall. My reason is this: walls are not always straight. with brickwork and plaster you can have a massive curve in the adjoining wall that can throw you right out when lining up your paper. What I do is I measure the wall and roughly work out panel widths on the wall according to the width of the paper that will give me an overlap on both sides. That way I can trim the paper right into the corner.
Then I choose a marking in the middle of the wall somewhere to start. Pick a mark and stretch the chalk line from the roof to the floor. Use the spirit level to make sure that the line is straight and then flick it to leave a line on the wall. Just in case its not clear, this is a two person job, one on the ladder and one on the floor
Now you cut the paper to size. leave an overlap of about 100mm to 150mm. Again floors and roofs are not always straight, and you don't want to be left short. Trimming after wards will give you a finish right in the cornish.
Now comes a tricky part. Applying the glue. Lay the wallpaper face down on the large flat surface and smooth out any creases. apply the glue to half of the paper (the top, if there is a top) and then fold the glued paper onto itself. Don't fold the corner. Leave it as a bubble, and be careful not to put any pressure there. Any creases will be visible in the final product.
At this point you should have a piece of wallpaper with half of it glued and folded onto itself, and the other half dry. Repeat the process on the other side, so you have both ends meeting in the middle of the paper. Put it aside on a flat surface for a few minuets (5 or so). and do the same with one or two more. Make sure that there is no glue left on the surface in between gluing sheets, otherwise you will end up with glue on the face of the paper and with handling it will damage it.
Now up the ladder with one of the sheets. unfold the top half of the glued paper and remembering to leave a small overlap at the top line it up on the side with the chalk line. You will be able to move it a bit once its down.All the other panels will be lined up with this one so make sure its nice and straight. Once its nice and straight use the squeegee to rub it down. Start in the middle of the top half, hold the paper still on the line side and rub towards the other side. Not so hard as to move the paper, but hard enough to push the bubbles out to the end (you will see what I mean). Now squeegee to the other side, then the top and down. Always start in the middle, or in an area that you have already squeegeed. that way you won't trap any bubbles between squeegeed areas.
Then you do the bottom half, but this time you start squeegeeing from the middle (the bottom of the top half) all the way to the bottom. Now check how straight the wallpaper is. If you're off by a couple of mm its no big deal.
Now use the sponge and some water to remove any glue that has gotten on the front of the paper during the process.
Repeat the process with the other paper, don't overlap tho. Put the paper but up against the first panel. When you're done you should not be able to see the join. Move the paper up and down to match motif if necessary BEFORE squeegeeing. Its not going to move after.
You should trim the edges before the glue is dry, I like to do it all at once, but if you find applying is taking a bit long, then trim as you go, wiping the glue off the cornish and the skirting as you go.
You will have a much nicer finish if you take the skirtings off and then put them back again after, but that's work, so its up to you. The same goes for the cornishes, but that's a job all on its own. You could also just glue those nice decorative polystyrene ones over your existing cornishes after, providing you have a small ones, and you can miter a cornish
A wide paint brush for applying the glue
a squeegee
a large sponge (you could use a bath sponge, but a denser one works better)
a chalk line or a long piece of wool - and chalk dust.
a large flat surface (I use an old door on a couple of trestles)
a sturdy ladder
a spirit level
a Stanley knife
First make sure your wall is good. bumps and nails will cause you to tear the wallpaper while you are smoothing it with the squeegee, holes and dents will allow for air bubbles that can eventually cause the wallpaper to pull away from the wall. Sand down the bumps, take out the nails (if you need a nail there, you can put a new one in afterward) and fill any of the holes with polyfiller. when the polyfiller is dry sandpaper that smooth also. Use a 100,120 or 150 grit paper.
Some people prefer to start putting the paper on from a corner, I prefer to start in the middle of the wall. My reason is this: walls are not always straight. with brickwork and plaster you can have a massive curve in the adjoining wall that can throw you right out when lining up your paper. What I do is I measure the wall and roughly work out panel widths on the wall according to the width of the paper that will give me an overlap on both sides. That way I can trim the paper right into the corner.
Then I choose a marking in the middle of the wall somewhere to start. Pick a mark and stretch the chalk line from the roof to the floor. Use the spirit level to make sure that the line is straight and then flick it to leave a line on the wall. Just in case its not clear, this is a two person job, one on the ladder and one on the floor
Now you cut the paper to size. leave an overlap of about 100mm to 150mm. Again floors and roofs are not always straight, and you don't want to be left short. Trimming after wards will give you a finish right in the cornish.
Now comes a tricky part. Applying the glue. Lay the wallpaper face down on the large flat surface and smooth out any creases. apply the glue to half of the paper (the top, if there is a top) and then fold the glued paper onto itself. Don't fold the corner. Leave it as a bubble, and be careful not to put any pressure there. Any creases will be visible in the final product.
At this point you should have a piece of wallpaper with half of it glued and folded onto itself, and the other half dry. Repeat the process on the other side, so you have both ends meeting in the middle of the paper. Put it aside on a flat surface for a few minuets (5 or so). and do the same with one or two more. Make sure that there is no glue left on the surface in between gluing sheets, otherwise you will end up with glue on the face of the paper and with handling it will damage it.
Now up the ladder with one of the sheets. unfold the top half of the glued paper and remembering to leave a small overlap at the top line it up on the side with the chalk line. You will be able to move it a bit once its down.All the other panels will be lined up with this one so make sure its nice and straight. Once its nice and straight use the squeegee to rub it down. Start in the middle of the top half, hold the paper still on the line side and rub towards the other side. Not so hard as to move the paper, but hard enough to push the bubbles out to the end (you will see what I mean). Now squeegee to the other side, then the top and down. Always start in the middle, or in an area that you have already squeegeed. that way you won't trap any bubbles between squeegeed areas.
Then you do the bottom half, but this time you start squeegeeing from the middle (the bottom of the top half) all the way to the bottom. Now check how straight the wallpaper is. If you're off by a couple of mm its no big deal.
Now use the sponge and some water to remove any glue that has gotten on the front of the paper during the process.
Repeat the process with the other paper, don't overlap tho. Put the paper but up against the first panel. When you're done you should not be able to see the join. Move the paper up and down to match motif if necessary BEFORE squeegeeing. Its not going to move after.
You should trim the edges before the glue is dry, I like to do it all at once, but if you find applying is taking a bit long, then trim as you go, wiping the glue off the cornish and the skirting as you go.
You will have a much nicer finish if you take the skirtings off and then put them back again after, but that's work, so its up to you. The same goes for the cornishes, but that's a job all on its own. You could also just glue those nice decorative polystyrene ones over your existing cornishes after, providing you have a small ones, and you can miter a cornish
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