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Hanging paper – Advice for corners?

rasher | Posted in General Discussion on March 27, 2008 07:33am

Getting ready to hang some wallpaper in my octagonal shaped room. We will start in the middle of one of the long walls hanging paper vertically, but I know that the 135 degree corners are not perfectly vertical, so as we wrap the paper around the corner, the edge will no longer be vertical. If we keep going like that, I’ll bet the paper will be really off after a couple of corners.

The paper has a large pattern and probably will require rigorous attention to getting the repeat right.

Any advice, anyone? Thanks in advance.

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  1. JMadson | Mar 27, 2008 07:44pm | #1

    Might be a change of scope, but could you incorporate some kind of vertical stripe in the corners?

    Otherwise you might have to trim each piece a little, even if it's not in the corner.

     
  2. ChipTam | Mar 27, 2008 10:18pm | #2

    Normally, here's how you do it with a 4-sided room. When you reach a corner, you measure from the last piece put up on wall #1 to the corner, cut the paper wide enough so that it goes into the corner, draw a plumb line on wall #2 about 1/2" less than the remainder of the cut piece.  That way, about 1/2" (more or less) will overlap at the corner.  In this way, the paper will always go up plumb and, usually, with a 4-sided room, the overlap is not very noticeable.  However, it may be more noticeable with an 8-sided room.  A lot will depend on the pattern of the wallpaper.

    Chip    

    1. rasher | Mar 27, 2008 11:14pm | #3

      So let me get this straight: Let's say the paper is 20" wide and you measure from the corner to the edge of the last full-width peice. Let's say it's 9-1/2" inches at the top and 10" at the bottom (grossly exaggerated). So you cut the paper so that it fits tight into the corner? (9-1/2" wide at the top and 10" at the bottom) Then you set that strip, and you're left with a remainder that is 10-1/2" wide at the top and 10" wide at the bottom. So you drop a plumb line 10" from the corner and set that strip to the plumb line? The paper would then overlap at most 1/2" into the corner?Maybe that will work. I think our pattern is going to require A LOT of precision, though.Thanks for the words.

      1. BilWil | Mar 27, 2008 11:43pm | #4

        If, as you say, you paper is 20" wide and your corners aren't 1/2 inch out then use whatever it is.  So, Let's say it's 9-1/2" inches at the top and 9-5/8" at the bottom.  You cut the paper, the first strip into that corner, so that it fits tight into the corner? (9-1/2" to 9-9/16" wide at the top and 10" to 10-1/16" at the bottom) After you hag that strip, you're left with a remainder that is tapered, and 1" to 9-15/16". So you drop a plumb line a bit less than 10" from the corner and set the remainder strip to the plumb line.  The paper will have minimal overlap in the corner and not be noticed, by anyone except you.

        1. rasher | Mar 27, 2008 11:52pm | #5

          Awesome, thanks! I'm just glad the Wifey's going to be taking care of this while I'm outside changing my brakes!

          1. Hudson Valley Carpenter | Mar 28, 2008 01:18am | #6

            Wifey: (out the window) "OK Hubby, I'm coming up to the corner.  Get yo be-hind in here and explain that measuring business to me again".

            Rasher: (from under the car) "But sweet-ums, I explained it all to you last night....and again at breakfast.  And I'm doing the brakes on your car for you, just like you ordered me to yesterday morning."

            Wifey: "Them's the breaks all right.  Now get yo self, front and center, immediately...or the next thing that breaks will be one o' yo' cajones."

            <G>

          2. rasher | Mar 28, 2008 01:29am | #7

            How did you know? Are you my neighbor or something? That's pretty much exactly how my Saturday is going to go...

      2. ChipTam | Mar 28, 2008 04:40pm | #8

        Rasher,

        Neither piece is tapered.  Say, your paper is 20" wide.  On wall #1, if it's 9"  (at the top)  from the last full width strip to the corner and 9 1/2" (at the bottom), cut the strip to 9 1/2".  The remainder of the cut piece will be 10 1/2".  Draw your plumb line on wall #2 at 10" (or whatever minimum will get you to the corner at both top and bottom.  There will be an overlap at the corner either at the top or bottom but it's usually not noticeable.  More often the wall is not out of plumb by a full half inch but rather 1/8" or 1/4" so the overlap will be minimal.

        Chip   

  3. frenchy | Mar 28, 2008 06:17pm | #9

    rasher,

     Do the center of all 8 panels first and work out. That way each corner will be off a by a little bit but it won't accumulate..

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