Inspiration | Nyheter | Tips för inredning av inredningar | Bakgrund | november 01, 2024
What to expect when hiring a professional wallpaper installer: Q&A with Katie Hunt
Love wallpaper but can’t face the idea of hanging it yourself? It might be worth considering hiring a professional. We asked wallpaper installer Katie Hunt to offer her expert advice on the whole process.
There are many good reasons to hire a professional over tackling a wallpaper job yourself. And it’s not just about getting a seamless, high quality finish.
An expert decorator can provide invaluable knowledge on the different types of wallpaper available and what would work best for your individual needs.
Katie Hunt is a professional wallpaper installer based in Toronto, Canada; and her company, Katie's Wallpaper Installation, has divisions in the United States, including Florida (Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami) and Los Angeles.
Over to Katie for her take on some common wallpapering queries.
Image credit: Katie Hunt
Many new homeowners move into properties with freshly painted walls that appear to be very solid, even and not at all flaky. Do these walls need to be prepped, or can they hang new wallpaper straight onto them?
If the walls have a good quality paint, such as Benjamin Moore Regal, in a white or light neutral shade, additional painting is generally not required.
However, for the best application, I recommend a wallpaper primer, such as the ROMAN PRO-977, which provides for the best adhesion.
[For European alternatives, UK-based professional decorator Victor Cox recommends priming the wall with slightly watered down paste or Beeline Primer Sealer. Germany-based Meinewand recommends Pufas Tapetengrund weiß wall primer and Methylan is also a well-known German manufacturer.]
Which room dimensions does the decorator require before ordering the wallpaper?
For most spaces, we just require the overall dimensions of the room. For example if a dining room is 12’ x 14’ with 9’ ceilings, or a powder room is 4’ x 5’ with 9’ ceilings.
We would also need you to confirm how many doors/throughways there are, the width of each door and how much height there is above.
[If you’re wondering how many rolls of wallpaper you’ll need, check out our wallpaper calculator. For more complicated walls, drop us an email at info@sianzeng.com with your dimensions. We’ll be happy to help.]
How do I prep the room so that it's ready for the decorator?
Generally we just request that the walls are accessible and that there is approximately one metre of space in front of the walls to get access for the installation.
If priming is required in advance, we would schedule our painter to prime two or more days in advance, to ensure the paint has fully dried.
How long does it normally take to wallpaper a room?
An average room requires approximately 4 hours to wallpaper. When installing, we use professional wallpaper pasting machines and recommend TapoFix, which ensures even paste application and faster installation. We primarily use the ROMAN PRO-838 paste or the ROMAN 234 depending on the type of wallcovering.
[For a European alternative Victor Cox (UK) recommends Albany Super Smooth Wallcovering Adhesive. Meinewand (Germany) recommends Pufas Rollkleber für Vliestapeten. But if you are a non-professional wallpapering for the first time, they recommend using ready mixed paste such as Little Greene Wallpaper Paste or Arte Wallpaper Paste because they are easier to handle.]
Is a non-woven wallpaper difficult to remove if I’m considering it for a rental property, or if I change my mind?
With the right prep work, such as priming the wall in advance with the ROMAN PRO-977 primer, most non-woven wallpapers remove quite easily as the primer ’seals’ the walls.
[See Q1 for European recommendations].
What are the advantages of using a non-woven wallpaper compared to traditional 'paste the paper' type of wallpaper?
Non-woven wallpapers are superior in almost every way, compared to woven wallpapers. Non-woven wallpapers do not expand/contract with humidity and generally provide for a virtually seamless installation.
Removal is also much better with non-woven wallpapers. We will still run the non-woven wallpapers through our TapoFix Pasting Machine, but you can also just ‘paste the wall’ with the ROMAN PRO-838, if you’re using a roller and brush.
How durable is wallpaper if hung correctly?
Wallpaper is generally quite wipeable, and will last a long time. It’s also generally more durable than just paint, which can scuff and show dirt more easily.
Thank you Katie! If you have any more questions about hiring a decorator, do get in touch via our contact page. You’ll also find a list of our recommended wallpaper installers on our website.
Want to contact Katie?
Katie is based in Toronto, Canada and specializes in luxury wallpaper installations throughout Canada and the United States, with divisions in Florida (Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami) and Los Angeles.
Follow Katie on Instagram @katieswallpaper
Toronto: katie@katieswallpaper.ca Los Angeles: jo@katieswallpaper.ca
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