Installing wallpaper adds an artistic and colorful edge to your house. However, you are likely to experience certain common problems, such as air bubbles and loose seams that interfere with the neat and aesthetic appearance of your wallpaper. You may end up replacing the wallpaper if you fail to fix these small problems on time. The beauty is that it is not difficult to undertake these repairs as long as you work carefully and slowly. Below are some important tips on how you can go about it.
Repairing open, loose seams
Wallpaper seams become loose due to various reasons. For the pre-pasted vinyl wallpaper, seams peel open when the factory adhesive fails to stick properly on the vinyl. Vertical seams are formed when strips are stuck together while fixing the wallpaper. They can become loose if too much glue is squeezed from the seams when they are flattened through rolling. No matter what has caused your wallpaper seams to become loose, the process of dealing with this problem is similar.
All you need to do is to moisten a sponge until it is damp and gently pass it over the open seam to soften the old adhesive. Then spread an even layer of wallpaper adhesive on the exposed underside of the seam using a small artist brush. Make sure you do not apply excess adhesive to the point that it is oozing out of the seam to avoid messing the glossy appearance of the wallpaper. Flatten out the seam using a wooden roller to give it that neat outlook. Remember to clean off any excess adhesive on the surface of the wallpaper with a damp sponge immediately before it dries up.
Getting rid of air bubbles
It is not uncommon for air bubbles to get trapped in the wallpaper during installation. Also, a small bump that was overlooked during installation, or a speck of dirt prevents the paper from bonding completely with the wall and can turn into a bubble over time. Press you finger against the area and if you feel any bump or speck; cut an X through the wallpaper. Remove the speck or bump by cutting it with a razor knife or tweezers. Apply a small amount of adhesive on the wall through the slit and flatly roll back the paper. If the bubble was caused by air, fill a glue-injecting syringe with some readily mixed adhesive. Using a razor knife, make a small straight slit on the bubble and squirt some adhesive into it using the syringe needle. Flatten this repair area with a wooden roller and wipe off any excessive adhesive using a damp sponge.
For more information and tips, talk with paint and wallpaper professionals, such as those at Klenosky Paint.
