Requirements
- Sponge or cloth or flat smoother
- Pencil
- Sharp adjustable blade knife
- Straight edge ruler and or spirit level
Ensure the surfaces are clean, smooth and dry
- Always check the manufacturer’s instructions before starting.
- Carefully examine your borders for proper colour, pattern numbers and consistent run or lot numbers.
- Allow for fresh paint to cure before applying the border.
- For professional results, it is important to prepare the surfaces to be decorated.
- Ensure surfaces to be decorated are clean and dry.
- It is important the surface is clean, smooth, dry and free from dust or dirt.
- Loose plaster or paintwork should be brushed off first to attain good adhesion.
- Borders stick best to surfaces cleaned with sugar soap.
- Rinse the wall of the sugar soap.
- High gloss and semi-gloss paint finishes should be sanded in order for adhesive to grip. (80 grit sandpaper).
- If applying borders over new wallcoverings, make sure the wallcovering is completely dry.
- Check the manufacturer’s instructions for curing times and any special instructions.
Draw a line as a guide
- If you have no edge to work to, use a level and draw a pencil line as a guide for the bottom of the border.
- Measure the length of the border you wish to adhere for each repeat of the process and pre-cut a sufficient number of these lengths to complete the room.
- If two people are on the job longer lengths can be applied and the number of joins is therefore reduced.
- When working out where joins will appear it is better to go around internal and external corners where possible.
Application
- To begin with, peel back approximately 10 cm off the backing paper, then stick the exposed section in position.
- Now with one hand peel off evenly the backing paper, at the same time with the other hand rub the border down flat using a flat smoother.
Finish off joins
Where there are two overlapping sections of the border the excess is removed as follows:
- Place a ruler or straight edge so that it runs vertically on a section where the border overlaps.
- With a sharp cutter knife, cut along the rule, applying enough pressure to cut through both strips. Remove the excess paper on top and underneath.
- Remove any excess paper using a sharp cutter knife being careful not to tear any border.
- To mitre corners: overlap strips, one on top of the other. Place a ruler or straight edge so that it runs from the inside corner to the outside corner. With a sharp cutter knife, cut along the rule, applying enough pressure to cut through both strips. Remove the excess paper on top and underneath.
Recently Painted Walls
These require from 3 weeks to 3 months to cure depending on the paint type and weather conditions. If the paint has not cured sufficiently, adhesion of the border may not occur. Some modern formulated, non-stick paint surfaces with additives such as Teflon, will need to be sized for the adhesive to work effectively. Waiting for the paint to cure is a MUST for these types of paints.
Cleaning
Warm water is usually adequate for cleaning. To remove stubborn stains add a little household detergent. Finally, rub dry with a soft cloth.