Wallpaper: Sticker Toss

Getting Ready (weeks ahead)

Preparation of Your Walls

Peel and Stick wallpaper is not recommended for use on walls with texture or painted with scrubbable or No-VOC paints.

• Ensure your wall is smooth, clean and dust-free
• Patch any damaged areas of the wall, especially where sharp edges might pierce or tear the wallpaper
• Surface should be a light, solid color. The following primer and paint finishes are acceptable: 
  
  • Satin (preferred)
  • Eggshell (preferred)
  • Semi-gloss (preferred)
  • Gloss
  • Matte (Removal may experience some paint damage)
• Recently primed or painted walls must dry for at least 30 days before installation

Walls with washable or scrubbable paint, or No-VOC paint, may not allow for strong bonding of wallpaper to wall. To promote better adhesion under these conditions:

1. Create a solution of 30 % isopropyl alcohol and 70% water
2. Wipe solution over entire wall with a clean, lint-free rag
3. Allow to dry completely
4. Install a Test Swatch to confirm longevity prior to placing larger order

Get a Friend and Schedule Your Time

Hanging wallpaper is a two-person job. Find a meticulous friend to help and plan to complete the installation in one day to ensure a steady and consistent hand.

Necessary Tools

Prepare your installation tools to include the following:

• Sharp utility knife
• Extra blades
• Squeegee (included with all 2′ x 12′ rolls)

Preparing for Installation (day of)

Remove switch and socket covers, and window treatment hardware

Lay Out Your Paper

1. Unroll each roll to face the same way. The top of each panel has no white space. The bottom has a narrow line of white space printed with order information:
2. Each roll is labeled with its item number (“Quantity- 1 of 8, etc…). This number is not an installation order. Rolls of the same design may be installed in any order
3. Re-roll each panel starting from the bottom so that the top edge is on the outside of the roll

Choose Where to Start Hanging

Each wallpaper panel is printed with a slight overlap of ~0.5″ (~1+ cm) along the right edge to help during installation. This overlap may vary per roll so visually matching the design is necessary.

When installing 

• across one, two or three walls, start hanging at the farthest left or right corner and continue in one direction until you are done
• on all four walls, the final panel may not align seamlessly with the first. To reduce visual disconnect, hang the first panel at an inconspicuous point in the room, such as behind an open door or taller piece of furniture

IMPORTANT: If your installation space contains different wall heights, we still recommend ordering all your rolls at the longest wall height. Purchasing and installing rolls of different lengths can be very tricky, as you may experience issues aligning the patterns due to the vertical design repeat.

Installation

Hanging the First Roll

1. Peel away 6″ (15cm) of the paper backing from the top of your first roll and fold it backwards and flat
2. Place a few inches of the exposed back in place, with at least 1-2″ of the paper above the top edge of the wall. Ask your helper to step back and check that the roll is straight and the design is level
3. Adhere the paper onto the wall from the center of the panel
4. Use a squeegee and gently smooth the paper from the center out to each edge.
   • Be careful not to scrape the design
   • Move large bubbles to release at the edges
5. Keeping the roll of paper flat to the wall, unroll another small section of the panel
6. Peel and fold down more paper backing and install the next 4-6″ segment, smoothing from the center as before
7. Move down the wall in small segments until you reach the bottom of the panel

Peel and Stick Wallpaper can initially be repositioned during the installation process. To adjust, slowly peel the paper from the wall and then reapply.

Overlapping Each Following Panel

1. Pick up your second panel
2. Determine the proper overlap for the design – approximately 0.5″ (1-2 cm) – to install seamlessly down the edge of the first panel (as shown above)
3. Starting at the top, align paper properly along the top edge of wall
4. Follow the steps from the first panel and work down the wall in 4-6″ segments, constantly verifying pattern alignment before using the squeegee
5. To reposition, gently pull off paper, parallel to the wall, with consistent pressure to avoid stretching
6. Complete the entire installation with the remaining panels
7. Review Finishing Installation below for tips on trimming excess paper
8. Dispose of paper backing properly. It is not recyclable

Installing Around Windows and Doors, Corners, and Plugs and Panels

It is always a great idea to search online for videos with installation hacks when tackling trickier spots on your walls.

Around Windows or Doors

Once you are certain you know how much paper you need to install around the molding edges of these room features, you can trim away the bulk to help ease the adhesion. Wait until all wallpaper panels are installed before trimming the final excess to the edges.

Around Corners

Installing around interior and exterior corners can challenging. Rather than trimming right into the corner, it is easier to control installation so that a least a few inches of paper will wrap around any corners.

Outlets and Wall Panels

You can install over these and trim appropriately when you finish the installation. Always be careful working around live electrical outlets.

Finishing Installation

Once all panels are in place, trim the edges with a sharp, fresh blade. We often recommend a snap off knife with good stability, such as the Olfa SAC-1 Graphic Cutter.

Using a straight edge at the ceiling, across baseboards and vertically down corners will ensure a straight cut without edge walking.

Caring for Your Product

Clean with a damp microfiber cloth and mild detergent dish soap. Do not aggressively rub.

Removal of Wallpaper

Temperature, humidity, and wall preparation will determine how long the wallpaper can remain in place and still be easily removed. A fair estimate for longevity is one to two years. Once the adhesive has hardened, or if the paper was installed in drier conditions, your surface may still require touch up after removal.

To remove:

1. Working backwards, begin at the top of the last panel that was installed
2. Lift exposed corner with a knife edge
3. Gently pull paper downward at 180 degrees, parallel to the wall surface
4. Continue with a slow, steady force until you reach the bottom of the wall
5. Repeat with remaining panels
6. Dispose of paper properly. Paper is not recyclable

Pulling down on the paper, rather than pulling it away from the wall, will help reduce unnecessary removal of paint/primer.

• Surface type, primers and paints will affect adhesion and removability of this wallpaper
• Washable paints and no-VOC paints prevent full adhesion
• For smooth, flat, non-textured surfaces