HOME DESIGN : With Wallpaper, Hang Expense, Hire an Expert

People still hang their own wallpaper, but it takes a bit of courage--and a lot of caution--to do a good job with today’s heavier, more expensive vinyl papers.

Kim Farthing of Farthing Interiors in Newport Beach suggests hiring a professional to hang high-quality paper. But, she advises, make sure the firm is licensed and has liability insurance--and check references.

Brendan O’Shea, a paper hanger and owner of B&M; Interiors in Fountain Valley, says good references are even more important than a license. And, he suggests, don’t automatically go for the lowest bid.

“You have to pay $15 a roll minimum to get it hung properly,” he says.

He said most people can successfully hang the prepasted, lightweight papers they buy off the shelf. But with heavier papers, special pastes must be used to avoid staining, and matching up seams is tricky, he says. “A lot of people hang the first few strips themselves and then call us to straighten it out.”

A common mistake, he notes, is hanging the paper too soon after applying the paste. “If you hang it too quickly after pasting it bubbles and wrinkles and makes a mess.”

Ildi Pal, co-owner of Gotcha Covered in Santa Ana, agrees that simpler jobs can be handled by the non-professional. But she says many people assume mistakenly that kitchens and bathrooms are easy to paper because they’re small.

On the contrary, she explains, “they’re the most difficult because there’s a lot of cutout work. You have to go around cabinets, doors, counters and windows, trying to match the pattern. It doesn’t look professional because people haven’t been taught how to do it, and they don’t have the right tools.”

She says novices often fail to follow instructions for preparing walls and therefore have problems getting the paper to stick properly. Many also end up with slanted instead of straight lines because they haven’t measured carefully, she notes.

However, she says, “the average person can follow manufacturer’s instructions. It’s fairly straightforward. Make sure you have a sharp straight edge and a clean sponge.”

And, Pal advises, choose your paper with care.

“Pick something more durable for the bathroom or kitchen where it gets more wear,” she says.

“A big mistake people make is when they buy it, they’re not thinking of where they’re going to put it. Is it going to be a background or will it dominate a room?”

If they don’t consider such factors, it may be too late by the time they realize that no matter how well they hang the paper, they aren’t going to be satisfied with it, she says.