How To Repair Curling Wallpaper Seams

Wallpaper has always been a quick, colorful fashion to give a room manner and visual interest. Unfortunately, ripped seams, bubbles, tears and other damage are common. And if you lot don't prepare these problems correct away, you'll cease up having to supersede the entire slice of wall covering.

The good news is, fixing wallpaper isn't especially difficult, though it does take a few specialized tools and techniques. We'll focus on the iii most mutual wall-paper repairs: loose seams, punctures and trapped air bubbles. To brand repairs as invisible as possible, work slowly and carefully. Rushing yields sloppy piece of work that'south much harder to ready the second time around.

Save seams

Vertical seams betwixt strips of wallpaper get loose for a variety of reasons. Also much glue might take been squeezed out of the seam when information technology was rolled flat. Or, with pre-pasted vinyl wallcoverings, seams first to peel open because the factory-applied agglutinative didn't stick to the vinyl. What's more, seams on outside wall corners are prone to bumps and abrasions.

No matter where the loose seam is or what caused it, the repair process is the aforementioned: Dip a small creative person's brush into wallpaper-seam agglutinative (about $3 for a iv-oz. tube at paint and wallcovering stores). Spread an even coat of adhesive onto the underside of the exposed seam (photograph i). Then use a wooden seam roller to flatten the seam (photo 2). Clean any backlog adhesive with a damp sponge.

If a loose seam has a small, horizontal tear, be sure to roll the two flaps of the tear back down in their original position. Place the "top" piece—the one with the decorative vinyl surface—over the "bottom" flap to effectively hide the ragged white line of the backing paper.

<p>SMOOTH OUT THE paper using a wooden seam roller, so wipe off any excess agglutinative with a damp sponge.</p> — Smooth OUT THE paper using a wooden seam roller, then wipe off whatever excess adhesive with a damp sponge.

Repair rips and punctures in wallpaper

Severe rips and punctures mean you'll have to cut out the damaged expanse, gear up the drywall if needed and install a wallpaper patch. You'll need a piece of matching wallpaper to use equally the patch. If yous don't take a remnant, buy a modest sample at a wall covering store. If the blueprint is no longer bachelor, steal a piece from within a cupboard or hallway.

A double-cut patch is the all-time style to make the repair nearly invisible. Start past taping the wallpaper patch over the damaged area with its pattern perfectly aligned with the one on the wall. If the patterns don't line up precisely, don't panic; wallpaper tends to stretch a fiddling once it's wet and rolled out. Only align the patterns as close every bit possible.

With the patch taped in place, use a razor pocketknife and straightedge to cutting through both paper layers (photo 3). Be certain to completely cut through each corner. Remove the patch and fix it bated. Next, carefully peel the damaged paper section off the wall. Information technology probably will leave backside some felt bankroll; you can remove this pasty fuzz with a warm, damp sponge. Then patch any divots in the wall with a not-shrinking vinyl spackling compound (photo 4).

If the wallpaper patch is pre-pasted paper, soak information technology in warm water for 30 seconds. Then "book" it by folding it over, paste to paste, to activate the adhesive. Allow it set for nigh five minutes, then peel it apart and press the patch to the wall. Employ your fingertips to adjust the patch and align the pattern (Photo v). Polish the area with a damp sponge, and then wipe off whatsoever excess paste.

If the patch isn't pre-pasted or if you lot lifted it from another location, apply it to the wall with wallpaper paste.

<p>FOR DOUBLE-Cut patches, use a precipitous razor knife and steel straightedge guide to slice through both layers of the wallpaper.</p> — FOR DOUBLE-Cutting patches, use a sharp razor knife and steel straightedge guide to slice through both layers of the wallpaper.

Become Rid of Bubbles in Wallpaper

Trapped air bubbles and blisters are well-nigh ever acquired by an installation problem. Frequently, a speck of clay or pigment chip keeps the paper from bonding and allows a bubble to form with time and humidity. Or, the installer didn't force out all of the air. Either fashion, the simply cure is to cut open up the cicatrice, release the air and re-glue the spot.

Most bubbling and blisters are just air pockets, merely it pays to cheque. Printing a finger confronting the chimera. Experience a speck of something? Cutting an X through the paper and remove it with tweezers or a razor knife. And so, squeeze seam agglutinative through the slit and roll the newspaper flat.

<p>FILL ANY HOLES with spackling compound after removing the patch and peeling off the damaged wallpaper department.</p> — FILL Any HOLES with spackling compound after removing the patch and peeling off the damaged wallpaper section.

If the bubble really is but air, you can set up the trouble with a glue-injecting syringe; it makes a less-conspicuous repair than cutting a slit. Nosotros bought ours, an Advance Equipment Co. model, at a Sherwin-Williams pigment shop for $5.fifty.

Fill the syringe with seam adhesive, push information technology directly into the bubble and press the plunger. On some vinyl wallcoverings, forcing in the needle volition stretch the vinyl. If it does, cut a tiny slit with a razor knife. So insert the needle and eject in the agglutinative. Finish off by flattening the repair with a seam roller and carefully wiping off any excess agglutinative.