wallpapering: external corners and window reveals how?

[Fred]

Hello,

I am about to wallpaper a room. I've papered rectangular rooms with four walls before and done all right but this time I have got to tackle an external corner. What's the correct way to do this?

If I take the roll and wrap it around the corner, if the wall isn't completely true then won't the roll then be at an angle?

If I tackle it as I would an internal corner and take the roll around the corner just a centimetre or so and then paper over the overlap, wouldn't this leave an ugly join on display?

Which brings me to my second question: what is the correct way to do window reveals? In a way these are small scale external corners. I usually try to fold the roll around the corner and into the reveal but you can only fold it one way: either into the side of the window or into the top. Whichever one is left has a visible join.

When (or if) you fit curtains I suppose this would hide a vertical join, so is it best to fold into the top of the reveal and have the join along the side?

TIA

[The Natural Philosopher]

I tend to do it tight, if it splits, lift the split section and slide another bit underneath.

[sm_jamieson]

My house has a lot of probably original papering, or from the days when apprentices learned the skills. They way they did corners, reveals, etc is genius. I have a bit where most of an external corner is rounded off but goes to a sharp corner at the skirting and picture rails. You really cannot see any joins at all - it looks like a continuous film of paper. They somehow even matched the pattern. I believe the methods involved stretching the paper (!), cutting pieces in and tearing the paper to almost feather the join.

Anyway, on external corners lap around about an inch. Then either overlap so it doesn't cast a shadow, or overlap and then run a very sharp knife / scalpel through both layers and remove the detached pieces to create a seamless join (you have to lift one side). Also key is soaking the paper for the right length of time so the paper does not shrink as it dries and pull the joins apart. I'm not sure if I could reproduce the papering to the same standard in my house if I wanted to.

Simon.

[Dave Liquorice]

Yes, so:

This is what you do, and pattern match as best you can depending on how un-true the corners is. You may well need another full drop of paper so think about the amount you need... It might be possible to use an off cut from another corner but I wouldn't bank on it.

Fold in the sides full length. If the reveal is deep or the spacing such that the folded bit doesn't reach the frame fold it round just a couple of cm, then pattern match a piece to cover the reveal as required but place this under the folded part. If you put the reveal piece on top of the folded the thickness of the paper causes a shadow with the light from the window an makes the join very visible. Across the top of the reveal fold in the drop but as you have folded the sides in full length there will be a bit missing. Pattern match a piece but this time the join is along the corner so this bit need to go onto the wall face a couple of cm and also down the reveal at the side a cm or two. Note that cut you make to fold in the drop to the vertical reveal will be on show, it needs to be neat and along the top corner of the reveal.

[Rick Hughes]

go past corner by about 2 ", then with a plumb line mark a true vertical about an 1" out from corner at narrowest part ... trim to that, then start next straight edge of roll against this 'new' true edge.

[stuart noble]

There's the rub. Cutting an 8 foot clean, straight line in wet paper has always been beyond me

, then

[Rick Hughes]

My Father did his trade as a painter & decorator ... watched him do this many times ... draw line using Plumb line is key to ensure vertical .. as corners usually taper. He would then fold paper on that line to give him a clear mark and then pulling paper a little away from wall cut form bottom to top with a pair of wallpaper scissors ... these have long blades and help keep edge straight. A good paperhanging brush allows slight stretching of paper to cover minor imperfections.

The alternative is as before go at least 3"" past corner, then start new roll with an overlap ... matching any pattern repeat, and then run a Kraft knife through both layers, peel off layers and it's a perfect fit .... that is method I have used when I did wall papering. (not often)

[Spamlet]

Yes, that's the way I do it. There is no point in starting a drop at a corner: start *both* walls *from the middle* so you always have a decent width of roll to cut when you get to the corners. It's nice if it works out to half a width ish, then one half is more likely to hold still while you cut it into the corner. On the external corner take as much of the drop on one wall round the corner as you like. Then paste the last piece of the second wall over the top and roughly trim at the corner so that you can see what you are doing. Let the paste dry a little so that everything is held in place and not too soggy, then use the longest metal straight edge you can find and cut all the way down through both sheets, with a scalpel an inch or two back from the corner (or at the point where patterns best match). Then tease back the top sheet and peel off the overlap from underneath. You may need a little more paste to make good the join when you fold the top sheet back and brush it to match. Don't forget to wipe off excess paste before it dries or it will look shiny and may go brown. Make the join on the wall that is least seen or brushed against.

If you are painting the paper - as I usually do - a little gap does not notice much, but an overlap sticks out like a sore thumb, so it is well worth taking the trouble to cut the sheets together to get a flat join. Obviously with a pattern you will have to choose the point where you cut carefully to get a match if possible.

S

[Fred]

[about external corners]

Thank you. This is what I did. I was using a vinyl paper so there wasn't a pattern to match as such, which must have made things slightly easier.

I did read a few web sites and one suggested cutting the overlap slightly back from the corner. I wonder whether this makes the join/overlap less visible?

[about windows]

By luck, this is what I have always done. Good to know I was doing it right!

Thanks everyone.