SIMPLE AND EASY WALLCOVERING INSTALLER TIPS

Here, Dennis shares some of the insight he’s gained while playing with paste.

The Number One Rule

"For installers, it’s all about the seams. You want to make them disappear and blend into the room. The challenge is figuring out how you’re going to do that. No room is completely straight so you also have to be flexible and able to adjust on your feet. Everyone always says, "It’s so precise what you do,’ but it’s anything but. The more flexibility I give myself in any project I’m doing, the better the job looks."

Sticky Situations

"Prep work! You want to create stickiness and tackiness so that you don’t overwork the seam. I always put paste on the wall, in addition to the back of the paper, where I’m trying to bend material so that it’s sticky there, too."

CUTS & CORNERS

"When working with a specialty wallcovering like Rivets® with a unique design, it's important to get the cuts right. When you get to a corner or a door, you want to engineer it so that you cut through the ground, not the rivet. So you have to predetermine where the pieces will go and vary the size so that if you miss a raised rivet, no one will know the difference. Also, corners are tricky! I always say the most valuable tool in my bag is my heat gun. A lot of materials, particularly vinyls, can be stiff, but if you heat it a little, it’ll go around corners easily."

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PROJECT?

"There have been so many, but, when I first started out, I worked on a client’s study that we did with suede. The twist was that it was four different shades of brown and it all got hung sideways, and the door frame and built-ins were covered, too. It was a very intense-yet-cool project. That was back in the 1970s and the room was featured in Better Homes & Gardens, which was a big deal back then."

WHAT'S YOUR BEST TIP FOR HANGING A WOOD VENEER WALLCOVERING?

"Moisten the back. In most cases that will be sufficient to relax the material prior to installing. In some cases, I will also moisten the front LIGHTLY. I do this two times. Roll it up and put aside 10-15 minutes. Material will be perfectly flat. I suggest trying on a scrap piece to get familiar and to make sure this will work in your particular environment. This helps avoid any bubbling after the wood veneer dries."

Pj Is Here To Help

When installing a Phillip Jeffries wallcovering, we always recommend using a professional installer for the best results. We offer detailed hanging instructions with each wallcovering order and our Customer Experience team is always available for questions. For the best results, installers are always welcome (and encouraged!) to call with any questions before hanging our wallcoverings.

tהFor behind the scenes photos, new product updates, and gorgeous designer installations, check out our new blog! Simply sign up for the newsletter to have the latest updates sent straight to your inbox so you can read about PJ in your PJs!