A tear in your wallpaper or a trapped air bubble can easily be fixed so your wall looks perfect again.
Most of the air bubbles that occur when wallpapering should have been taken care of when you hung the wallpaper by brushing them out the edges. The majority of the remaining bubbles will disappear as the glue dries and the paper tightens, but sometimes a few bubbles remain.
If the wall was properly pretreated before wallpapering then there shouldn’t be many bubbles and they will be pretty easy to repair.
Read on:
- Preparing to Wallpaper, Proper Preparation for Wallcoverings in Your Home
- Painting Over Wallpaper: Learn Tips and Tricks to Cover Wall Treatments with Paint
- How to Remove Wallpaper, Step-by-Step Instructions for Removing Wallpaper
- How to Wallpaper With Different Types and Techniques
- Should I Paint Over Wallpaper
Repairing Wallpaper Bubbles
Use an Exacto knife, utility knife or sharp razor blade to get a clean cut. Make two cuts in the paper, just the size of the bubble. These cuts will form a cross and leave you with four little flaps.
Simply peel back the flaps and apply the paste with a small artist’s brush and then press the flaps firmly into position by using a seam roller. You may have a little excess paste left on the outside of the repair, remove this with a damp cloth being careful not to pry the flaps back up.
How to Repair Damaged Wallpaper
A damaged piece of wallpaper is a little more difficult to repair, but it’s worth the effort as you can create a near-perfect look again. This can only be done if you’ve saved some wallpaper, so remember to save some wallcovering for future repairs.
Hold a piece of new wallpaper over the damaged area, carefully matching any decorative pattern, and use a sharp utility knife to slice through the repair piece and the original damaged piece. By doing it this way you’re certain to get a piece that is exactly the same size as the piece you’re removing.
Carefully remove the old, damaged piece of wallpaper. It depends on how long this paper has been on the wall, but some removals will be slick and easy and others will take more effort. If the piece is pretty firmly attached steam is a good way to loosen the paste without ruining the surrounding paper.
If the wall itself has also been damaged by a gouge or other major scar, putty, and sand the wall so it is once again a perfectly flat surface. Once the wall is dry and ready for paper, paste the area with a small brush and carefully apply the new piece of wallcovering, brushing out any bubbles that appear.
Once this wallpaper repair dries you will once again have a great looking wall. It does take a little effort, but you’ll find it’s well worth it.