How to Wallpaper a Ceiling

When most people redecorate their homes they don’t think about their ceilings. However, by adding a fashion treatment to your home’s ceilings you can create a beautiful result that makes your home look and feel more comfortable and rich. One of the treatments that you can use on ceilings is wallpaper.

Step One – Select a Wallpaper

There are a lot of different wallpapers that will work for ceiling applications. The most popular is embossed, or textured, wallpaper. These wallpapers are usually treated after their installation to make them look like punched tin, however, you can leave them plain, or paint them a color that compliments your décor. If you don’t want to use embossed wallpaper on your ceiling then you can select a wallpaper that has a pattern, texture, or color that you like. You should keep in mind that simple wallpaper works best for ceilings.

Step Two – Buy Your Supplies

Applying wallpaper to your ceiling is different from applying it to your walls. The supplies that you will need include: wallpaper, clay-based adhesive, Acrylic primer, chalk line, wallpaper smoothing brush, razor, ladder, paint, paint roller, and help.

Step Three – Prepare Your Ceiling

In order to produce a beautiful ceiling it is essential that you prepare your ceiling properly before you start. Your ceiling needs to be smooth, flat, and clean. To accomplish all of these things you will need to sand and wash down your ceiling. Then allow it to dry before proceeding. Next prime the ceiling with an Acrylic primer that is specially designed for clay-based adhesives. After priming the ceiling you will want to let it dry for at least 24 hours.

Step Four – Create a Straight Line

Before you start applying wallpaper to your ceiling you need to establish a straight line to work from. Measure in 20 inches from the molding and snap a chalk line. You may need help doing this. If you are doing this alone then you can pound in some nail to tie your chalk line to. Snap your line. This is the line you will need to use to apply your first row of wallpaper.

Step Five – Prepare Your Wallpaper

Lay out your wallpaper and carefully apply the paste to the back of the paper. Remember that if you are using embossed paper you don’t want to press down too hard on the paper as this will smash the embossment.

Step Six – Apply Your Wallpaper

Line up your wallpaper with the chalk line and smooth it into place. There will be an overlap of about half an inch with the molding on the first line. Don’t worry, you’ll cut this off later. Apply the rest of the wallpaper to the ceiling.

Step Seven – Trim

After your Wallpaper has been applied to your ceiling you will want to go around the molding using a trim guard to trim off the overlap. Press firmly to ensure that the razor goes all the way through the paper, and that your cuts are sharp and clean.

Step Eight – Clean

Use a damp sponge to wipe down the surface of your wallpaper to remove extra adhesive. Allow the paper to dry for at least 24 hours.

Step Nine – Paint

Your final step is to paint the wallpaper. Use a color that you like and that compliments your décor. For the best results use a high nap roller to apply the paint. Several coats may be needed.