Pre-Pasted Wallpaper

Custom wallpaper murals can be printed from your own photo or design, or you can use a stock photo from one of the many sites available that provide images such https://www.istockphoto.com - https://www.shutterstock.com - https://www.dreamstime.com and many others. These sites have low cost stock images you can purchase, and there are some that offer free images, but make sure any free images are of a suitable resolution because you do often get what you pay for. If you plan on using your own file or photo, be sure you read the helpful information in the FAQ tab to learn about file sizing for quality wall mural printing. If you're printing a traditional wallpaper design with a repeating pattern, you can provide the pattern file and we can repeat it to fill your desired dimensions>

Wall Preparation

Wall should be prepped to a smooth, clean, and dry surface prior to installation. Wallcovering will not hide wall flaws such as: nail holes, bumps, or dirt.

Hanging over Dry Wall: For best results the dry wall should have a coat of builder’s primer and one coat of latex paint. Typically, new construction will have a coat of each on the dry wall. Be sure the treated wall is free from surface dirt and other contaminates. Hanging over satin and gloss paint or a single coat of primer is permissible.

Hanging over Paint: Test the wall to be sure that the paint adhesion is strong. There are a variety of methods to test for the quality of adhesion. All painted walls should be primed before hanging wallpaper and free from debris.

Hanging over walls previously covered in Wallpaper: Remove all adhesive from the wall by sanding or adhesive remover. Also remove any remnant of the previous wallcovering. Prime the wall prior to wallcovering installation.

Hanging over Paneling: Fill all grooves to make the surface smooth and uniform. Prime with a primer that promotes adhesion. A wall liner may also be applied to make the surface uniform.

Using a pencil, mark straight horizontal and vertical lines on your wall to line up the first panels.

Activate the Adhesive

1. Separate the panels.

2. Roll one panel loosely with the printed / design side in.

3. Place the rolled panel in a water trough long enough to fully wet the panel and activate the pre-paste, approximately 10-15 seconds.

4. Extract the roll pulling the leading edge out of the trough slowly to ensure the paste is fully wetted and activated.

5. “Book” the sheet by folding the pasted side of the paper back against itself bringing the paste in contact with itself. For best results allow the sheet to remain “booked” for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Do not crease the paper when folding. The “booking” process allows the sheet to relax prior to installation. NOTE: This product expands slightly in water; for best results, soak and book each panel for the same amount of time.

Note: The wallpaper is designed to hang and strip easily due to the synergistic design of both the pre-paste and the base sheet. “Paste-the-wall” application systems are not recommended.

Hanging Information

Unfold the top half of the wall paper, leaving the bottom half of the wall paper booked, and position the glue-exposed portion of the top of the wall paper on the wall. 

Once satisfied with the initial positioning, unfold the wall paper exposing the remaining glue surface.

Using a damp sponge, smooth downward and outward. It is recommended that seams are overlapped by .25" to .50".

Do not over smooth. Bubbles smaller than the size of a quarter will dissipate as teh wall covering sets.

Do not allow adhesive to dry on surface as it may leave a white residue. Wash off excess paste from face of wallcovering as you hang it with a cellulose sponge. The cellulose sponge must be rinsed in clean water after every use. Dry with a clean cloth.

Seams should not be located closer than 6” to corners.

Maintenance and Care

Ordinary dirt and smudges can be removed with a mild soap and warm water. Clean from bottom of wall upward. Rinse thoroughly with clean water from the top down using a sponge. Dry wallcovering with a soft lint free cloth or towel. For more difficult stains that are only surface deep, the use of a stronger detergent is recommended. Always test an inconspicuous area with the stronger detergent to be sure that the surface and ink are not damaged. DO NOT USE steel wool or powdered abrasive because they can damage the image and textured surface. DO NOT USE solvents, alcohol, pine oil, or cleaners that contain these kinds of products as they can remove the image and damage the surface. When cleaning, always take measures to prevent water from dripping behind molding. 

How wide will each panel of my wall mural be?

Generally we make each panel of a larger wall mural 48 inches wide. If the dimensions of your mural are such that narrower panels are necessary to divide it into equal sections, we may make the panels narrower. For example, if a mural were 80" wide, we might split the mural into two 40" panels, rather than one 48" and one 32" panel. For wallpaper and textured vinyl wallcoverings that require wallpaper paste for installation, we leave a 1"-2" overlap between panels to make alignment and trimming easier. For self adhesive products, we leave a 1/2" overlap since those materials require you leave the overlap between panels rather than double cut and butting the seams.

For smaller murals or graphics, we try to keep the image in one piece if possible.

Should I install my wall mural, or should I hire someone else to do it?

We generally recommend having a professional paper hanger install your mural. The process isn't any more difficult than installing other wallpaper, but since a custom wallpaper mural is more expensive than standard wallpaper, a mistake during installation could be more costly. For that reason, professional installation is the safest approach. Also, many people are used to installing wallpaper in smaller sections and may have a more difficult time with larger 48" panels. Your local wallpaper retailer should be able to suggest a qualified installer, or most painting contractors can also install wallpaper.