Pro Tips To Help You Master The Installation Of Stoney Brook Paper!

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Make sure your walls are clean, dry, & serviceable. Stoney Brook Wallcoverings will look great over knock-down texture or orange peel textured walls. These surfaces will add dimension to the paper. It will not smooth out a bumpy wall or paneling. Stoney Brook Wallcoverings is not recommended for installation over stucco or shiplap. If you have shiplap walls and want to maintain a historically accurate wallcovering installation using the old world method of canvas & paper, call Frank Ricks Wallcovering @ (830) 537-3753.

Order the exact square footage you need to cover your walls. Take out for all doors, windows, cabinets, shower stalls, built-in book cases, etc. Example

You should be able to finish an average size bath in one day or an average size bedroom in 2 days. If you have a larger room, you should still be able to finish on schedule with a helper.

Prime your walls with a wallcovering primer like Shieldz or Roman 909. It's available at most paint & wallpaper stores, Home Depot, or Lowes. While you're there, pick up some heavy duty clear strippable adhesive like Roman Pro-880. About a gallon per 150 sq ft should be sufficient. Thin your adhesive with water in a 5 gallon bucket until it's about the consistency of paint. A Squirrel Mixer works great!

Stoney Brook Wallcoverings comes "pre-torn". However, I recommend tearing all exposed edges to get a "finished edge" - except on the black edge faux colors in the collection. Don't worry, Stoney Brook will send you enough paper to allow for tearing and overlapping edges. A finished edge only shows the faux paint colors and not the backing. Eight of the faux colors in the collection are painted on black kraft paper. These are meant to be installed with an "unfinished edge" which shows a black edge (the backing is exposed). However, this cannot be over emphasized: If you want to see only finished edges; only unfinished edges; or a combination of both, then that is the correct way for you to do the installation. It's a matter of personal taste.

Most "pre-torn" pieces will have one or two straight edges. Feel free to use a straight edge at the ceiling line, base boards, or along wood trim, etc. But I still recommend overlapping and trimming off these factory straight edges because they often lack a complete faux painting all the way to the straight edge. Also, remember to never leave these straight edges on the wall even if you plan to overlap them. At certain viewing angles they may be noticeable. So tear any straight edges if you won't be trimming them off during installation.

To get a finished edge: Place the paper painted side up and tear off the edges away from you.

To get an unfinished edge: Place the paper painted side up and tear off the edges towards you.

After tearing, place a stack of torn pieces painted side down on your pasting table. Use a 9" roller to paste the back of the paper. Ensure all of the backing is pasted paying particular attention to the edges. "Book" each piece without creasing. The pieces are random shapes and sizes, so it will get a little messy. Clean your paste table after each pasting session. Paste about five pieces at a time. Take your stack of pasted pieces to the wall. Remember to flip your stack so you're starting with the piece you pasted first. Just make sure the paper has been pasted about 5 minutes before installing.

You can begin installing Stoney Brook Wallcoverings anywhere you wish. I like to hang the pieces at the ceiling line all the way around the room first. Then I'm done with the ladder. Unfold the piece and apply it to the wall. Let any excess overlap the ceiling, wood work, mirror, base board, etc. Smooth the paper with a sponge, wallpaper smoothing brush, or plastic smoother. Trim the excess with a sharp razor blade using a 5" or 6" taping knife as a trim guide. Throw the trimmings away (unless they're big enough to use later) and wipe off the entire piece with a clean wet sponge. Be sure to wipe off the ceiling, wood work, mirror, base board, etc. Make sure all your edges are laying down flat and not folded over.

Install subsequent pieces in the same manner, but remember to overlap your edges at least 1/2". Wipe off each piece as you go. Don't try to hang several pieces then go back and wipe, as you may forget which pieces you've already wiped and miss one. Wrap Stoney Brook Wallcoverings around outside corners.

Due to the random nature of the manufacturing process plus your own tearing, pieces will vary in shape and size. Some pieces are noticeably darker than others. This is the intended signature look of Stoney Brook Wallcoverings. It's almost a marbled or fractured effect. As if you took a faux painted wall, tore it into pieces, then arranged those pieces randomly overlapping the edges.

Inside Corners: When you get to an inside corner, let the piece wrap around the corner. Gently smooth the paper into the corner. Use a plastic wallpaper smoother to gently crease the corner. Split the inside corner with a new razor blade using the plastic smoother as a trim guide. The plastic smoother is thicker than a taping knife and will give you about 1/8th inch overlap onto the new wall. The remainder of the piece you just split will have a straight edge. Slide this straight edge into the corner and over the 1/8th inch of material. This will give you a nice crisp corner when your paper dries.

Rounded Inside Corners: Before installing over rounded inside corners (like those on a wall with Bay windows where the angles are greater than 90°), "size" the rounded inside corners with Heavy Duty Clay adhesive and allow to dry. While installing these pieces, push the paper into the rounded inside corner from both sides and smooth. This will ensure the paper doesn't shrink away from the rounded inside corner during the drying process.

It doesn't take long before you see the dramatic transformation to your room. Even after installing only a few pieces, you will be amazed at the beautiful effect you're creating. Don't forget to wallpaper your switch plates too! As you begin your installation, use the trimmings that are big enough to cover a switch plate. Use scissors to cut the paper about 1 inch wider than the face of the plate and to poke the screw holes. Wrap the paper around to the back of the plate and set it aside till the end of your installation. As the paper dries on the plate it's easier to cut out the out the holes for switches/outlets. Of course this is torn paper so if you accidentally tear the paper while cutting out the holes, you can always add a smaller torn piece (with a finished edge) to make the switch plate look perfect! Install the plate being careful not to over tighten the screws and tear the paper which would expose the switch plate.

Finally, remember it's not a race. Enjoy your installation and go at your own pace. Stoney Brook Wallcoverings will last many years. And if you should accidentally damage it, just paste one of your left over pieces and go right over the top of the damaged area. The repair-ability of Stoney Brook Wallcoverings will secure your investment for many years!