Buy the right amount of paper and adhesive

Press, 10 May 1979, Page 10

Buy the right amount of paper and adhesive

It pays to make a generous estimate of your paper needs when purchasing wallpaper.

If you run short of paper during installation, you may have trouble finding an exact colour match with additional rolls; and if there are damaged areas to patch later, you will be glad to have matching paper on hand.

During each printing, manufacturers use fresh batches of coloured ink. Though they try to exactly duplicate the colour of earlier runs, variations in shade or tint often occur.

Each newly mixed batch of colour is identified by a run number that is printed on the package of each wallpaper bolt. Be sure that all your bolts have the same number.

Selecting the proper adhesive for attaching your wa'lpaper is equally important. To decide how much wallpaper you need, first measure the wall or room with a steel tape — measure the total height and width of each wall. Then figure the total area of each wall by multiplying the wall’s height by its width. Now add together the areas of all the walls to be covered; this will give you the total area, including wall openings. Most rooms have windows, doors, a fireplace, or some other interruptions in the wall space. After you figure up a room’s total area, including openings, deduct 15 sq ft for every averagesize door or window.

For larger or unusually shaped openings, measure the height and width of each opening and deduct the exact square footage from your total. Once you learn the total square footage of wall space to be covered (with

openings deducted), you will need to determine the number of single rolls of wallpaper needed. Though wallpaper is priced by the single roll, it is sold in multiple-roll bolts. Since papers vary in width, bolts of wallpaper contain varying lengths of paper — it all depends on the width of the paper you choose.

Each single roll contains 36 sq ft of material. The cutting and trimming you will do will deduct about 6 sq ft, so figure on getting 30 sq ft of usable paper from each roll you buy.

You figure the total number of single rolls you need by dividing the total square footage of wall space by 30 sq ft. If you come up with a fractional remainder of square feet, buy an additional roll of paper.

If you are using a patterned wallpaper, one additional important bit of calculation remains if you are to accurately estimate the number of rolls' you need.

That is to figure out the number of pattern repeats that will fit your actual wall height. Note that a drop match is half the number of inches of a pattern repeat. To allow for pattern repeat, first divide the height of the wall to be covered by the number of inches between the pattern repeat; if you have a fractional remainder, round it off to the next highest number. For example, a 96in wall height divided by an 18in pattern repeat gives you 5.33 repeats; this is rounded off to six. Then multiplying the 18in pattern repeat by repeats will tell you that six repeats will fit on a 9ft wall — not on your Bft wall. If, as in this case, the

actual wall height differs from the height your pattern repeat requires, plan to purchase the additional number of necessary rolls to allow for your pattern repeats.

In determining the amount of border needed for a room, divide the total width of all walls to be. papered by three since borders are sold by the yard, this will give you the number of yards needed.

Wallpaper dealers stock adhesives for every possible type of wall covering installation.

Before you select an adhesive, read the wallpaper manufacturer's instructions to learn which adhesive he recommends, or ask your dealer for one that is suitable for your material.

Adhesives come in both dry and premixed forms. Dry adhesive is made from a wheat formula; premixed is made from a non-organic or synthetic formula.

You can use either drv or premixed adhesive to apply such porous materials as standard papers and oriental weaves.

But to install nonporous papers — vinyls, foils, mylars and other specially treated materials — use premixed adhesive; its low moisture content makes it mildew resistant. This adhesive is an especially good choice for hanging oriental weaves — it will not separate a weave from its paper or cloth backing. Among the preparatory steps you' may have to take are removing wall lighting fixtures and the plates from electrical switches and outlets, repairing all cracks and holes, stripping the old wall covering (if there is one), cleaning and rinsing the wall thoroughly, and applying a primer-sealer.