Wallcovering Basics.
Hanging Instructions.

Follow the OMNOVA wallcovering installation instructions provided as a PDF-formatted document. Supplementary tips and techniques also follow below:

OMNOVA Wallcovering Installation Instructions

Links to Tips and Techniques
Cautions
Checklist
Seaming
Inside Corners
Dry Hanging Instructions

Cautions

Sizing of walls is not recommended for commercial Wallcoverings. Instead, walls should be primed with good quality wallcovering primer. In critical areas such as short returns, after priming the critical area and it dries, an application of heavy-duty adhesive to the critical area before wallcovering installation will assist making a better bond in that area.

Vinyl wallcoverings show a marked tendency to recover their original size and shape. If stretched, they will shrink on the wall; when shrunk, they stretch to recover. The thicker the vinyl, the greater the tendency to recover. When handling these wallcoverings, therefore, an excess of material should be present at all points where shrinkage would be apparent and undesirable – at an open seam or spanned corner, for example.

Non-woven fabric-backed vinyl wallcoverings should be hung with care. Dry Hanging Instructions (see below) are recommended. The hanging instructions must be followed explicitly with special attention to the adhesive recommendations. Do not roll the edges excessively as this will cause seam problems. Minimal rolling of the edges produces a less noticeable seam.

Checklist

Read the hanging instructions.
Check to ensure you’ve received the correct pattern, color and proper amount of wallcovering.
Determine if the material is matched or random and if it should be hung straight or reversed, whether material has a random match or a match point.
54” inch wide commercial rolls are numbered. Hang the strips in sequence starting with the lowest number.
Install each sheet on the wall, including headers, as it was cut from the roll to ensure color uniformity. Color variation at the header can be minimized by using header material as it comes from the bolt. If the header strip is split in the center, the factory edges can be overlapped in the usual manner, then the center of the header strip can be overlapped and trimmed in the center above the door to minimize shading from a cut piece of wallcovering.

Seaming

There are three methods of installing and seaming vinyl wallcoverings:

Butting
To butt-join, the wallcovering needs to be pre-trimmed at the factory or the installer must table-cut the edges to remove excess material. Butt joints reduce the problem of cleaning excess paste, which is an especially important point when hanging deep textures and dark colors. To make a perfect butt joint, however, be sure the walls are smooth and in good condition. When using butt joints, the strip should be worked up and down – not across – so the strip remains as straight as possible. For tight seams, push the material off a slight overlap to the butt; do not stretch it. This allows the recovery forces of the vinyl wallcoverings to work towards maintenance of a tight seam and keeps the seam from opening. Clean the seam area with clean water to remove any residual adhesive.
Double Cutting (Cutting Lap Into Wall)
This is the most frequently used method of seaming vinyl wallcovering and yields the best results. With a paint roller, or by applying adhesive with a pasting machine, cover several strips with paste at once to allow adequate “soaking” time. Apply the strips to the wall using a broad knife or plastic smoother. Edges of the wallcovering should be overlapped approximately two inches. Double cut perpendicularly through both layers of the wallcovering and remove excess strips. Remove any trapped air with a broad knife or plastic smoother. A floor-man straight edge is excellent for use when cutting seams since it is thin and permits a more uniform application pressure to the razor blade or cutting tool. Changing the blade edge after each cut will help to ensure a good seam. Clean the seam area with clean water to remove any residual adhesive.
Undercutting Lap (with seam cutter or seam buster)
Undercutting is usually determined by the wall surface. Installing on concrete or block walls that rapidly dull a cutting edge can be aided by using a seam buster. While this method is least preferred since it is difficult to cut a straight line, the experience and skill of the installer will determine the quality of the seam. This method will allow the installation without scoring or cutting the drywall. Clean the seam area with clean water to remove any residual adhesive.

Inside Corners

Inside corners can be treated in three ways. The one you choose depends on convenience.

Carry the strip around the corner approximately two (2) inches to allow an unbroken surface in the corner. Hang the next strip using one of the seaming methods listed above. If you find an excess of material, or the corner is not square, use the third method mentioned below. Cut either all of the corner or a part of it to allow exiting the corner without puckers or wrinkles. Some specifiers require the seam be no closer than 6” to the corner. Accomplish this by wrapping the wallcovering around the corner the 6” as required.
Cut the strip tight into the corner and hang the next strip. Utilize a butt joint in the corner as described above for a clean corner. Fit the first strip firmly into the corner. Trim the second strip directly into the corner so that it fits firmly into the corner.
Use this procedure if the strip is being hung from right to left when the corner is reached. Use a rigid template flat against the wall and tight in the corner. While holding the template firmly in this position with the left hand, set and hold the blade on the edge of the plate with the right hand and slide the blade down the corner, cutting as you go. This should overlap the corner about ¼”. There should now be an excess of material around the corner. Repeat the procedure for the next strip of material, but cutting on the opposite side of the corner. Caution: You will be cutting on the top of the strip already installed. Cut gently to prevent cutting into the material below. Alternatively, lift the trimmed strip from the corner and apply the second strip into the corner. Trim it directly into the corner. Remove the excess material. Lift the just-trimmed edge and replace the first strip into the corner, overlapping onto the second wall. Apply a thin bead of seam or vinyl-over-vinyl adhesive to the corner then re-apply the second strip on top of the overlapped edge and smooth. Wash any seam or vinyl-over-vinyl adhesive from the surface before it dries. Conventional adhesive will not adhere vinyl to vinyl in the corner.

Dry Hanging Instructions

Nonwovens, textiles and perforated wallcovering will install better if they are installed using the dry hanging method.

Prepare walls in a conventional manner for wallcovering installation.
Prime wall with wallcovering primer.
Non-diluted adhesive is applied uniformly to the wall using a paint roller. Top and bottom edges of the wall surface may need to be “cut in” with paint brush. The wall area to which the strip is to be applied plus 4 inches wider on one side should be coated with adhesive. (The extra 4 inches allows a starting point for next adhesive application while minimizing adhesive onto the decorated surface.)
Apply wallcovering strip to adhesive. The strip should be cut to exact length.
Smooth the wallcovering uniformly with light pressure onto the wall. Use a plastic smoother.
Prepare adjacent wall area for next strip.
Overlap wallcovering edges when applying second strip and smooth out sheet as above.
Using a straight edge, hold pressure against the wallcovering so that they it is cut without any bunching of the wallcovering. A metal straight edge with a handle or a 4-foot level would be preferred over a mud knife as a straight edge. The cutting edge must be held firm to prevent the top layer from bunching or rolling.
Trim top and bottom. The top strip should fall away from the wall. The bottom strip should be removed and the edges joined together. Roll the seam lightly with a seam roller.
Repeat starting with step 6.

Additional Information: Perforated wallcovering may allow some adhesive or moisture to soak through the wallcovering. The surface may feel damp. A light application of adhesive to the wall surface, light smoothing pressure, plus a short waiting time (10 minutes) will limit the amount of adhesion soak-through. Any adhesion that does soak through should be cleaned while still wet. Perforated wallcovering's performance feature is to allow moisture to escape through the wall, so the selection of an appropriate primer that allows a water vapor to pass through is critical.

Wallcovering Basics. Hanging Instructions.