Repair Wallpaper Seams and Tears

In this article, I’ll give a few tips about wallpaper problems, and the easiest ways of fixing them. First of all, I’ll deal with torn wallpaper. How often have you noticed paper that’s torn, which sticks out like a sore thumb? Begin by tearing off the damaged paper to leave a clean, bare patch. Leave the paper around it that’s still firmly fixed to the wall. Hopefully, you have a spare roll of paper to hand, and from that, cut out a piece larger than the area to be patched up. Hold this piece over the repair area, and move it until you have a matching pattern. Tear a patch slowly from this piece to get a rough circle of paper. Do not cut it, as a torn edge is less noticeable than a cut one. It helps to make the edges thinner if you rub them gently (back of the paper) with very fine abrasive paper. Apply some paste to the back of the paper, and place it over the gap. Position slowly and carefully until you’re satisfied that the pattern matches all round. Smooth down with a seam roller, working outwards from the centre. Wipe off any excess glue, and hey presto!—when it dries, the repair should be almost invisible. Talking of seam rollers, you can buy either a hardwood or a plastic one. They are also excellent for squeezing out trapped air from underneath wallpaper.

Tears in heavy wallpapers have to be treated differently from ordinary papers. When dealing with vinyls, tape a new large square over the area to be repaired, making sure of course that the pattern matches. Using a steel rule and a trimming knife, cut a square through both layers of paper. Take off the top one (the new paper), and remove the old paper from the wall, scraping it out from the centre, so as to avoid any damage to the edges. Spread vinyl paste on the new piece, and fit to the wall. You can use the same method for embossed and relief coverings as well, but hold the new patch over the area to be done, without using tape.

If you notice that wallpaper is peeling, you have to decide on your course of action by the extent of the problem. If it’s a small area, good-- you can apply paste to the wall, and press the paper backinto place. However, if larger or whole strips are peeling off, then you should strip and repaper the area involved. You’ll sometimes see bubbles on the paper’s surface, which is caused by air trapped behind it. To deal with this, cut across the bubble with a very sharp knife. Once the air is released, apply a little paste behind the cut flaps with a very fine paintbrush (an invaluable tool to have around). Press into place, and wipe off any extra paste with a damp cloth. If the wallpaper is lifting at the seams, it usually means that not enough paste was used when it was being hung. Gently lift the edge, and apply paste, again with the ever-useful fine paintbrush.

Stains on wallpaper can be unsightly, but treated fairly easily. Grease stains are quite common, and they can be removed effectively by covering the area with blotting paper, and then rubbing it with a warm steam iron. Stains on vinyl are different—do not apply any solvents containing chemicals, as they could easily soften the vinyl. If it’s something like coffee or tea stains, simply sponge with plenty of warm water.

If you have central heating, and there’s poor ventilation in the house, it can lead to condensation, which causes mould growth. Mould on vinyl is usually due to using paste with no fungicide. Soak the affected area with a solution of bleach and water. This should get rid of any old paste. Apply the same solution to the wall in order to sterilize it. So that no mould reappears, leave for between 4 and 7 days. When it’s dry, apply a primer, then an oil-based undercoat. Sand it lightly before re-papering.

A tip to end with. When you buy wallpaper, think ahead, and get one more roll than you think you’ll need. You could easily have miscalculated the amount you need, but it’s always handy to have in case you have some of the above problems.