KEY STAGES FOR DIGITAL WALL COVERING PROJECTS: HINTS & TIPS
A Summary Of The Key Stages Needed To Successfully Complete Wall Covering Projects
This guide covers the initial site survey, preparation of the wall surface, printing, and fitting of digital wall covering graphics.
Site survey
The most critical part of any wall graphic contract. It is important that an actual physical onsite survey is carried out to check and verify the following area.
Site location
- Where is the job?
- Can 3 metre rolls of print be easily delivered to site without damage.
- If the wall covering is large, once started, the job cannot be interrupted or paused.
Access
- Is there good access to all parts of the wall being covered? This is also to allow the use of working at height equipment.
Wall condition
- Are the walls uniform and flat?
- Are they level over the entire area?
- Good use of a tape measure and string are critical here to assess wall flatness and get an accurate size.
- Does the graphic have to run around corners, or just one simple wall?
- Are they new or old?
- Is the surface in good condition?
- This will have an impact on the time for fitting, extra wall preparation will take more time.
Paint type and age
- Are the walls freshly painted?
- If so what with and when was it completed.
Wall mounted obstacles
- Is it possible to remove switches, radiators, lights etc. to enable a smooth run of wallcovering?
- Or can they be worked around?
Tools of the trade – these cover most eventualities
- Plentiful supply of scalpel blades
- Olfa snap off blades
- Rulers
- Teflon strips – to protect wall surface while cutting graphics in situ
- Squeegees – more info to come
- Foamboard spreaders – simple triangle of 5mm foamboard to aid fitting in corners
- Lint free cloths or wipes to keep print surface clean and paste free
Preparation work
This is also a critical part of the process, treated properly the actual graphic hanging will be a lot easier.
Surface primers
- Latest paint types include many “kitchen and bathroom” types, which are designed to resist marking and damage.
- This will affect the ability of the paste to stick, so it’s important to know about the paint type used – this information should be clear from site, however if at all unclear or in doubt ALWAYS prime the surface with Zinsser.
- ALWAYS use Zinsser Bullseye 123 (white finish) or Zinsser GARDZ if a clear finish is required.
- This will help the wallcovering key to the wall, and give the paste time to dry slowly and bond properly.
- Do not use PVA or similar surface preparations, as this sits on the surface of the wall.
Paste types
- For standard wallpaper products such as design2wall, we recommend the use of a starch based paste (Solvite extra strong).
- For textile or fabric wall coverings, we recommend the Albany Speciality Wallcovering Adhesive, available from Brewers.
Graphics for wall coverings
One piece wall art is possible with large format wall media, such as our Royal Majestic textile.
- Product is printed in one long run, with 50mm bleed top and bottom.
- Applied in one piece, this is a 2 – 3 man operation depending on the length of the wall.
- This is usually printed by UV or Latex, in one long print, this is more demanding to fit, but avoids any joints and colour shifts possible with tiled graphics.
Tiled graphics are possible with all our other pasteable wall coverings.
- Take care to print graphics in register, so panels line up, check printer feed calibration and use take up roll to maintain consistent media tension
- Leave graphics loosely wound to outgas if solvent printed, to avoid damage in hanging
- Cut graphics to size for the job, all our pasteable products are designed for butt joints.
- Care must be taken to trim graphics EXACTLY to correct size to ensure alignment.
- A router will give the most accurate cut.
- Always use the same batch of wallpaper, certainly on the same wall surface.
We supply a complete range of different types of wallpapers suitable for every kind of project
Our wide choice of different printable wallpapers include textured, smooth, pasted, pre-pasted, self-adhesive and fabric/textile wall coverings – click the button below to browse our complete range.
Need to find out more about producing and installing Solvent printed wallpaper graphics?
Read our advice on producing wallpaper graphics printed with Solvent inks, find out the best way to protect the Solvent prints as well as general tips on installing wallpaper.
There is a video guide included describing the tools you will need and follows the full wallpaper installation process, including the design, preparation of the wall, and the joining of wallpaper edges so the design flows.
Do you have any additional questions about using our products?
We have been making a material difference for over 40 years, contact our team for expert technical support.
For more tips and advice, take a look at our Tips & Technical Information pages.
We stock all the media you need to complete your graphics projects – whatever you need to fulfil your graphics applications we are here to help you.