Key Stages For Digital Wallcovering Projects: Hints And Tips

Below are a summary of the key stages in the survey, preparation, printing and fitting of digital wall covering graphics projects.

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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?

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.

Surface primers

  • 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 – design2wall, wallvision, 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.

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.

Graphics

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, including textured, smooth, pasted, pre-pasted, self-adhesive and fabric/textile wall coverings…

For all enquiries and to request samples and pricing, call us on: 01753 696977 or 01709 829800 or email: sales@allprint.co.uk