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Here are the questions I am asked most often:
Q: How long have you been hanging wallpaper?
A: I've been hanging wallpaper for over 15 years. I did it mainly for family and friends until my son began to drive. After I was no longer tied to his schedule of school, sports and friends, I decided to take something I love to do and turn it into a business.
Q: Where did you learn to do this?
A: Like many paperhangers, I am self-taught. Since joining the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers (NGPP), I have had access to hands-on workshops, forums, and the advice and support of other paperhangers from all over the country. This has enabled me to continue to expand my skills, learn new techniques and stay up to date on the development of new adhesives, papers, removal solutions and wall repair products.
Q: Do you charge by the roll?
A: No. Hanging wallpaper is not a "lick it and stick it" operation. There are other factors involved in a quality installation aside from the number of rolls. For instance: what condition are the walls in; the type of repairs and/or prep work that needs to be done prior to the installation; how many doors, windows, archways, etc.; wall height; stairways involved; furniture to be moved; fixtures to be removed and reinstalled; time to complete the installation; and so on. Also, different papers require different installation techniques. Consequently, I take all of these things into consideration and quote my price on a "per job" basis.
Q: Why can't you give me a ball-park figure over the phone?
A: I provide free estimates and consultations. My experience has shown that "ball-park figures" cause misunderstandings and trouble. It would be unfair to the customer and the installer to make a "guesstimate". An accurate estimate protects both parties.
Q: What does "prep work" mean?
A: Before wallcovering can be installed, the walls have to be structurally sound, and have a clean, smooth surface. If the walls currently have wallpaper, it needs to be removed, the walls washed of any residual adhesive, and it may be necessary to reapply a wallcovering primer. If the walls are painted, the paint needs to be sealed off from the wallpaper paste, again using a wallcovering primer.
Q: What is wallcovering primer?
A: Wallcovering primers are specialty products designed specifically to prevent wallpaper paste from softening the latex paint on your wall and making the wallpaper become a part of your wall. Think of it this way: Wallpaper doesn't stick to your wall, it sticks to the paint on your wall. Latex paint is in contact with the wet wallpaper paste for a day or longer during the drying process. During this time the latex loses its integrity and softens into a rubbery film. This softening can wreak havoc with the wallpaper installation because every good installation requires a sound, hard surface to hang on. Even worse, a very porous latex can allow paste to travel into the paper facing of the drywall, making later removal very difficult, if not impossible, without causing severe damage.
Q: Does the old wallpaper have to be removed?
A: If possible, yes. The moisture in the paste of the new wallcovering can cause the old paper to bubble or lift.
Q: What if the old paper cannot be removed?
A: There are some situations where wallcovering primer was not used and removing the old paper will cause damage to the drywall. In those cases, any loose areas of old paper are removed and smoothed, and a sealer is applied. Uneven areas are skim-coated to blend them in with the surrounding wall, and then the whole area is primed. This will provide a sound surface to hang the new paper on. This is the reason that good wall prep and wallcovering primer are so important. It will provide a quality installation that will last for years and ensure easier removal when it comes time to redecorate.
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