Wallpapering FAQs

Recent Questions

A: You're already in the right place! Sherwin-Williams offers a vast selection of wallpaper options to meet your design needs. Whether you need elegant and formal, sleek and modern, or anything in between, there's an option specially designed for your taste. View our wallpaper products here.

A: Wallpaper types are classified in a few different ways:

  • Application type: Washable, strippable, paintable and peel and stick
  • Design style type: Tile, wood, metallic, and brick-look wallpapering or patterns, vintage styles, mural looks, and floral prints

A: Wallpaper is generally available in three standard widths: 21, 27 and 42 inches. One single roll of wallpaper yields approximately 50 square feet of usable paper, regardless of its width.

A: The adhesive you select for wallpaper projects depends on the wallpaper material and the type of surface the wallpaper is going to cover. There are several types including standard, special, textile, non-woven, machine or device-based, and dispersion adhesives.

A: Yes, you can paint over wallpaper.

However, it's important to identify when painting over wallpaper isn't a good idea. For example, avoid painting over wallpaper that is textured or peeling in multiple places.

Additionally, be sure to properly prepare wallpapered walls by cleaning them, repairing any major damage, taping your molding, wainscot, or trim areas and priming the walls prior to painting them.

A: Reverse hanging wallpaper means that every other strip of paper is installed in the opposite direction from how it comes off the roll. If the first strip is hung as it comes off the roll, the second strip would be rotated 180° and hung "upside down." The third strip would be hung in the same direction as the first, the fourth would be hung like the second strip, and so on.

Reverse hanging is done to mitigate shading variances that can occur on a run of paper. It's only done when the wallpaper has no pattern.

A: At times the soaking process can be somewhat messy. For those wanting to avoid this, we do offer a paste activator. The paste activator can be brushed onto the back of the wallpaper in the same manner as paste. Once applied, set the wallpaper aside to allow the paste to activate prior to hanging.

A: Working from two rolls sometimes cuts down on waste when matching up a pattern.

A: Measure the wall width corner to corner. Each border strip should extend to the full width of wall plus a 1/2" to extend around corners. Submerge the border in water for the amount of time listed in the directions, then book by loosely folding in an accordion fashion and apply to the wall.

If the border is being applied over a wallcovering, do not wet border; you should use a vinyl to vinyl adhesive to hang the border. Wrap corners by about 1/4" and smooth the surface. Finally, make sure you wipe off excess paste with a clean sponge.

A: Sometime papers can simply be peeled off. If not, a wallpaper shaver can sometimes be used to remove the paper from plaster walls without the need of liquid stripper. If neither of these options work, a chemical stripper may be needed.

Many wallpapers today are either solid vinyl or have a vinyl coating which makes it difficult for stripper solutions to act on the adhesive. A wallpaper shaver can be used to perforate the surface of the wallpaper to save you time, effort and minimize damage during the stripping process

When soaking the surface with a stripper, allow time for the solution to soften the paste; usually 15-20 minutes is enough. Then apply more solution prior to scraping.

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