Whatever your vision for Wallpaper and Mural Papers I can make it a reality on your wall
I have a wealth of experience in all aspects ..
Removing Wallpaper and making the wall good again.
Using lining papers to prepare the surface for new Wallpaper or a fresh coat of paint.
Pattern layout and matching to ensure the pattern you choose is displayed to it's best.
Working around windows, door frames, media walls ... we can do it all and use advanced techniques to hide the joins.
Specialist Mural Wallpapers ... from the ready made fixed size murals you can buy in DIY stores through to Murals from online suppliers like Photowall and Wallism etc we can help make your vision of a unique space come to life.
Both my wife Suzy and I have been trained in the installation of Whole Wall Murals from VISTA digital ... the whole wall in one piece with no seams. Whether you are choosing one of their licensed images or having a bespoke wallcovering made from one of your own images this is a truly stunning way to personalise your space.
The background image on this page was taken by the trainer whilst we were being trained at the Dulux Academy and features Murals we installed during training. A palm tree mural in 3 pieces of paper on the right behind Suzy and a Sunset over the sea in a Single whole wall piece of paper behind John. There is a copy of this image just a bit further down so you can see it more clearly.
The following sub sections are further down the page. There is lots of info to browse and examples of what can be done.
Wallpaper Preparation - Everything from stripping paper, filling, sanding, lining papers and all that is needed to ensure a good finish.
Wallpaper Symbols - From the different types of paper, how they are pasted, how durable they are and how you can care for them.
Mural Wallpapers - Whether it's an off the shelf mural from a DIY store or a truly unique whole wall image we can do it for you.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper Preparation
You've heard the phrase "It's all in the prep..." and that is true. How the surface is prepared is the key to how the finished project will look. Below we look at the following
Stripping paper
Sealing, Filling & sanding
Lining papers
Wall papers come in a variety of types and materials such as papers, vinyls, anaglyptas, lincrusta and silks to name but a few. They each have different needs when being hung and can each come off again in different ways. We use a number of techniques and tools to remove different wallcoverings and some are easier than others. A steam wallpaper stripper may actually be one of the last methods we use!
This image is of a training wall at the Dulux Academy and it shows the typical type of damage that can be done to a wall when removing wallpaper with a scraper.
We will be using this wall later to highlight how this can affect the finish and the importance of preparing surfaces properly.
This type of wall really needs to be sealed, filled and then sanded back to offer a better surface to then work on. It would very much depend on the wall and the specific types of damage that would determine how it should be sealed, filled and sanded.
There are specialist treatments for sealing bare plaster and deeper holes that would be suitable in some instances.
Once filled then the wall can be sanded and smoothed to provide a good working surface ready for the next step
At this stage we can move on to lining paper to make sure the surface we are working for Wallpaper or Paint is ready for that.
Lining paper underneath wallpaper ensures that the paste used has a uniform surface and rate for the moisture in the paste to work at, which in turn means the wallpaper will stick and dry more evenly and be more durable for longer.
Lining paper under paint ensures a uniform surface and colour that the paint can be applied to. In both cases using lining paper stops what is known as "mapping".
Using that damaged wall we saw earlier and putting some paper on it directly is not the best idea as you can see from these following picture. This zoomed in image of the sky and clouds is of a mural paper, that was quite thick, that has been hung on this wall. At first glance it looks great but ... If you look at the left hand side of the clouds and the wall below them you can see the damage on the wall underneath showing through and looking like a "map" texture in exactly the pattern of damage in the left hand side of the photo of the damaged wall.
The following is an image of a previously stripped wall that has had lining paper hung on it and you can see that it is now a blank canvas waiting for the finish wallpaper or paint to go on.
Wallpaper Symbols
We have many customers who want to choose their own paper and have us hang it for them and the guide information below will help you choose the right paper for you and your home. We are more than happy to help you with advice about what will be best for your project.
Wallpaper can come in a huge variety of styles, textures, materials and finishes that will allow you to truly make your space your own. It can also be a daunting thing to know what you are looking at choosing to make sure it is right for your space ... and that's before you even think about choosing a pattern or image on the paper!
Each roll of paper should come with a set of standard code pictograms on it that will give you information about the paper and it's characteristics. This will allow us to know how it should be hung, how durable it will be once hung, how it can be cared for and then how it can be removed once it's time has come to be replaced. You should also have the all important Batch Number on each roll. Ideally you want every roll of paper that is being used in a project to have the exact same Batch Number so that the colours match perfectly. There will be variations between batches of even the same paper.
There are five groups of symbols that we are going to cover here. Washability, Light Fastness, Removability, Pasting and Pattern Matching.
Let's start with the symbols for how Washable the paper could be. This is a guide for how easy it will be to care for the paper once it is up on your wall.
Spongeable: A single wavy line indicates that your wallpaper is Spongeable. This is the lowest washability rating meaning you should use a lightly damp sponge to very gently wipe the surface of the paper. This should be done with no chemicals and just water.
Washable: 2 wavy lines indicates a Washable wallpaper that offers slightly more durability compared to a spongeable paper. It still needs to be treated gently as applying excessive moisture or pressure may mean you rip or tear the paper
Extra washable: 3 wavy lines indicates that the paper is Extra Washable. Because this paper it more resistant to moisture it can be used in kitchens and bathrooms, although it is not waterproof! Hanging it next to a sink or shower is likely to result in damage to the paper.
Scrubbable: A Scrubbable paper is more durable than washable and has a symbol with one wavy line and a scrubbing brush. Can be cleaned with a sponge, cloth or gentle brush using water or mild detergents. Remember it is still paper and too much pressure or too harsh a chemical cleaner will result in damage to the paper. Oil and fat stains will still be hard to remove even if worked on immediately.
Extra scrubbable: 3 wavy lines and the brush symbol mean Extra Scrubbable wallpaper. This paper can withstand the most pressure and use of chemical cleaners but it is still paper and you may find tougher stains such as oils and fats are still hard to remove without damaging the paper.
Light Fastness refers to how well your wallpaper retains colour when exposed to sunlight. Over time wallpapers, like any material exposed to sunlight may fade. Light fastness helps determine which wallpaper will maintain its colour longer in areas with higher sun exposure.
The wallpaper symbols indicating light fastness are as follows: moderate, satisfactory, good, and very good. For a wall that receives lots of natural sunlight, such as one near a window, it’s advisable to choose a wallpaper with a high light fastness rating.
Wallpaper Removability.
These symbols indicate the removal technique for that wallpaper. Understanding removing your wallpaper in the future can help when it comes time to remove or replace the paper. There are three primary wallpaper removal techniques and these are all 'best case' scenarios when it comes to removal and will depend on how the paper was hung and what paste etc was used to do it as well as the condition of the wall/material underneath the paper.
Peelable: This refers to the ability to dry-peel the decorative surface and backing from the wall, leaving a continuous layer of the substrate. This remaining substrate can serve as a liner for applying new wallpaper.
Strippable: Strippable wallpaper allows you to remove the entire wallpaper in one strip while it is dry. When removing the wallpaper, both the front and back layers will come off the wall simultaneously.
Wet removable: This type of wallpaper can only be taken off the wall with a liquid solution like a stripping agent or by soaking it with water. Then, you’ll have to manually scrape off the excess paper.
Paste Instructions for standard wallpaper have 3 different symbols. It's important to understand the methods used for each one to ensure the paper hangs correctly on the wall and avoids issues.
Paste the Paper means applying paste directly to the back of the wallpaper before allowing it to soak in to the paper for the recommended time. This allows the paper time to expand with the moisture in the paste and it is then ready to hang on the wall.
Paste the Wall or wallpapers labelled as 'Non-Woven' means you can apply the paste to the wall and then hang the wallpaper.
Ready Pasted means the paper already has paste on it and when it is placed in water the paste is activated and ready to hang on the wall.
Pattern Matching is really important for hanging patterned papers. Pattern match refers to how the patterns align horizontally between adjacent strips of wallpaper and allows you to plan what needs to go where.
Free match design means no alignment is necessary. Adjacent pieces of paper will automatically line up. Free match results in the least amount of wasted paper compared to other available pattern matches.
Straight match means that the design aligns horizontally across adjacent strips. The pattern will line up from left to right and is quite straightforward to do.
Offset match design means that the pattern will be lined up with a part of the pattern that is lower down on the next strip. There will also be a measurement for how much the 'offset' measurement will be. Offset match wallpaper typically results in the most waste because of the way the pattern is aligned.
Reverse alternate lengths is a technique commonly used with specific patterns to ensure that the pattern works correctly when hung on the wall. Vertical striped patterns are a common example of this.
Mural Wallpapers
Mural wallpapers are a fantastic way to bring life and colour to a wall. They come in a variety of forms and types. Here are a few examples...
Fixed size 'pictures' you can source from places like your local DIY store or online retailers like Amazon. The London Scene below was part of my training and is actually made up of 4 panels of paper.
Photo wallpapers from online retailers. You choose the image and give them the dimensions of the wall and they will deliver ready for me to hang it for you. Just search for Photo Wallpaper UK and you will find lots of popular options such as these
Whole wall papers from suppliers such as Vista Digital are simply spectacular as they cover the whole wall in one piece without any seams or joins. I have been trained by the Dulux Academy in the installation of these papers. This one from my training at the Dulux Academy is a single piece of paper covering the whole space.
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