New Zealand’s Wallpaper Experts Since 1960
On this page, you can find some of our Tuesday Tips. For all Tuesday Tips, please see our Instagram Highlight called 'Tuesday Tips'.
The template for cutting around a squared object can be translated to windows, mirrors, door frames and more! We are demonstrating using a mirror. First you are going to find the corner point of the mirror and cut towards the corner. Start small and increase the cut as you need. Now you have eased up the tension by creating two flaps. Trim the excess pieces of wallpaper using a straight edge and sharp knife. Tip for cutting: keep your sharp knife into the wall the entire cut to avoid creating new starting points.
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Here we walk through how to patch up wallpaper by splicing. Splicing is has so many benefits which makes wallpaper installation easier! Splicing can help fill patches like this one in the video, or save wastage by splicing above and around doorframes. For splicing you need to cut through two layers of wallpaper, by doing so you are now creating a brand new seam for both pieces to match to.
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Today we conducted an experiment to see hands on what happens when the booking/ relaxing time is skipped or cut short. This booking time is crucial in ensuring the performance of the wallpaper. During the booking time the wallpaper is absorbing the moisture from the water trough/ paste and is slowly expanding 5-7mm. When skipped this expansion of 5-7mm is happening on the wall. Once the joins are butted up the wallpaper continues to grow causing lifting seams, wrinkling and bubbling throughout the wallpaper – a nightmare! To ensure this doesn’t happen follow the manufacturers label for the recommended booking time to allow your wallpaper to absorb correctly.
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Installing paste the wall wallpaper is that easy you can do it whilst chatting to your friends!! Here we are installing a new display at @guthriebowronkapiti and you can see how easy and quickly it is to install. On a prepped wall simply apply paste to the wall and line your roll up at the skirting, aligning the edge with a straight line (plumb bob or laser level)...
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Pattern matching wallpaper can seem daunting but I promise it is way easier than you think! Get familiar with your design, know where it repeats and what the pattern match is. Depending on the design some may be harder to spot than others. Even lay your rolls down before touching the wall to see where the design repeats. Start at the top of the wall, working your way down approx. 1m – 1.5m. From here the rest of the drop will fall in line. Work your way down the seam (be careful not to overwork), and you will slowly see your wall starting to take shape!
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Join our team today as they do a practical training session on pre-pasted wallpaper. Pre-pasted wallpaper is made up of wood fibres, with paste powder on the backing paper. To apply this wallpaper you first need to pre cut your drops, soak in the water for approx. 15 seconds, book/relax for 8 minutes (depending on the wallpaper), and then apply to the wall. It is important to ensure the wallpaper books/relaxes for the recommended time to allow the wallpaper to expand 5mm-7mm before it touches the wall.
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Cutting around a window can seem daunting but planned properly isn’t too scary! Work out first what the best way to tackle the window is – plan your work then work your plan. Following a normal square cut process feel for the corner/edge and cut away from the corner on a 45 degree angle. Start small and make bigger if needed. Smooth down all the edges to ensure everything is sitting straight and as expected. Now trim off the excess wallpaper around the scotia, skirting and window frames! P.s helps to have a really sharp knife!
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Here’s some tips for mixing granulated paste and size! ✨ Keep the water moving ✨ Pour the granules in slowly to the moving water ✨ Check the dilution requirements for the wallpaper you are installing
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Reverse hang is a type of pattern match that can be found as an alternating arrows symbol. For reverse hang it is crucial to ensure that every second drop is alternating directions. The reason for this is due to plain wallpaper having a slightly lighter and darker edge - sometimes so slight you can’t see it with the naked eye. By reversing every second drop the light edge is matched against the light and the dark edge against the dark. With different wallpapers the degree in light/ dark shading can vary, however if the label has this symbol ALWAYS alternate lengths!
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Wall preparation is crucial to ensure a solid foundation for wallpaper and the best longevity. Adhesion issues can arise when proper wall preparation is not followed. Three key prep steps… 🔑 Seal the wall 🔑 Sand the wall (80-grit sandpaper) 🔑 Size the wall. Sealing ensures a uniform finish, especially when working with lighter coloured wallpapers. Sanding with an 80- grit sandpaper creates grooves in the wall giving your wallpaper something to grip to. Sizing is crucial in stopping over absorption of paste into the wall, acting as a membrane.
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Today’s tip is all about the direction of wallpaper on a roll! You may not know but not all wallpaper comes off the roll as you would expect. Depending on the manufacturing process you may need to unwind and rewind the roll so it comes off the top in the intended direction. If your roll does come off ”upside down” this is a super easy fix and is not a fault of the wallpaper. Remember, when you check the rolls prior to installation it can save future disappointment if an issue were to arise!
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For today’s tip we walk you through how to cut around a light switch using scissors rather than a standard craft knife or blade. Opting to use scissors can give more precision and control to cutting wallpaper. Either technique works effectively, however using scissors could be an easier way for trimming around tricky objects if you aren’t as comfortable with a blade.
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A handy tip for working around a doorframe is leaving a space approximately 2cm from the top of the frame. This holds the wallpaper in place making your cut easier and more precise!
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This week we are sharing inspiration from a recent hotel stay in NYC! The unique framing of wallpaper creates visual interest and sparks inspiration as to what you can do with wallpaper in your own home! Although we did not print this wallpaper, we still have such an appreciation for beautiful wallpaper in unique spaces.
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Splicing is wallpaper magic! 🪄 Splicing is a double cut through both layers of wallpaper to create a new seam. It makes tricky spots easier to navigate and helps you save on wastage. Perfect for meeting in the middle of a wall.
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Here we demonstrate how to trim the wallpaper along the scotia and skirting. Below are a few key takeaway points to help with your next project. 💡Create an indent in the paper where you will make the cut 💡Use a sharp craft knife - this is important! 💡Straight edge needs to be steady, use your fingers behind the handle to position properly 💡Don’t cut directly into the wall but up/down into the skirting or scotia 💡Keep your knife in the wall the entire cut, only moving your straight edge.
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Welcome to Tuesday Tips! Here we intro what this series is about - a place to share handy tips and tricks about all things wallpaper! If you have any requests for topic ideas let our team know.
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