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Grasscloth Wallpaper Advice Needed

16 years ago

As much as I hate the idea of wallpaper again after getting rid of all our '80's deco, I have a wall that I truly want to have texture.

The wall runs along the outside of our kitchen and won't be affected by cooking grease or other messes.

The full door at the end is our pantry and will be replaced with a dark stained 15 light (glass panel) door with a rice paper film applied.

I've already ordered the grasscloth so that's a done deal. Now I just want to find out if there is something I need to know about hanging it.

It's been years since DH and I hung wallpaper, should we hire someone or attempt it ourselves?

Are there any secrets to hanging grasscloth?

If we decide to hire out, what questions should I ask someone who claims to be a "professional" hanger to ensure they know what they're doing?



The wall in question is on the right. It is 12.5 feet wide and 7.5 feet high minus two doors and an intake vent.

{{!gwi}}



This is similar to what our pantry door will look like.

{{!gwi}}





This is the kitchen just opposite the grasscloth wall.

{{!gwi}}

Thanks! Jodi-

Comments (12)

  • 16 years ago

    I don't know what your wallpaper hanging skills are, but if you have to ask questions about it, I think you should go with a professional.

    The tricky part is going to be dealing with that corner. How is the paper going to be trimmed on that corner so that it looks smooth and does not fray? How thick is the grasscloth that you ordered? Is it going to look flat from that viewing angle at the corner?

    You say the wall is going to be papered "minus two doors and a vent". Are you leaving that utility door as is?? You can "hide it" by papering over it. Or are you also replacing that door along with the pantry door with a nice wood one?

  • 16 years ago

    As one who started out hanging my own paper due to expense of hiring someone, and who went on to do it professionally, I would never recommend anyone other than a professional do it. It is the dickens to cut and has to be hung upside down and right side up, alternating and one must have a very steady hand at cutting and be able to cut the thickness of it precisely and another thing, the recommended wallpaper paste will not hold it after a couple years near a vent or moisture. There is a special paste that all old paper hangers use who know about vents and moisture which will cause contract and shrinkage of the glue otherwise.

    Having said all that, the wall is pretty straight forward and is not like hanging around windows, doors, and corners where hanging grass cloth becomes very tricky.

  • 16 years ago

    Another tricky area would be around the furnace door where there's no trim to butt up to.

    Glad to see patricia's input since I've also wondered how difficult it is to hang grasscloth. I'd love to have some in the guest bath!

  • 16 years ago

    If there is one thing I would do that would be to replace that utility door with a smooth board with two clips and eliminate those hinges and knob.

    Can a door for access be built inside of the pantry in the side wall, to allow access to whatever is behind that door? Can the hinges be replaced with those flat ones?

    I would also worry about the grasscloth peeling away at the cornered edges of the wall eventually. Would trimming it with a thin strip of wood help prevent this?

  • 16 years ago

    I completely forgot that we are covering the utility door so that it somewhat disappears. We've lived in this house for 28 years and that door has never stopped being an eyesore to me.

    The door allows front access to our furnace and air conditioner so the opening needs to be as large as it is.

    Access from the pantry is not possible because it has built-in shelving and isn't terribly deep. It was originally designed to be a guest coat closet (it faces our front door). FYI: the new 15 light pantry door will have the handle on the kitchen side instead of the living room side for easier access.

    We are toying with the idea of putting piano hinges on the utility door for a lower profile look. What I'd really wanted to use there was a stereo cabinet type door that swings open and then can be pushed back into the closet but there isn't enough clearance on the side of the furnace to accommodate the thickness of the door.

    The grasscloth itself is pretty simple (i.e., not a lot of woods or thick fibers) but the paper it's on is fairly thick. Fraying and bending was certainly a consideration so I decided not to bend it around any corners. Even still, there is the problem of fraying, and to be honest, I'm not sure I really know what to do there. They do sell clear strips that protect corners and keep wallpaper from lifting due to people brushing up against it but I never liked the looks of that. I like nice clean lines and don't really want to put anything on the corners if I can help it.

    Any idea what someone might charge to hang this little bit of wallpaper? Keep in mind, I live in (everything is greatly overpriced) Southern California. :-)

    Jodi-

  • 16 years ago

    If the utility door has to be left as is, I would hang some large art over it. Something big and bold in tasteful colors that match your decor, centered on the wall.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Large Art

  • 16 years ago

    It has been a long time since I hung wallpaper (for a fee) but most wallpaper hangers have a flat fee, which means they come out to your house and find you want 2 rolls hung on a 4-foot wall, they have to recoup the costs, so they charge a flat fee. However, most charge by the roll and the more expensive the paper, the more difficulty in hanging it, the more they charge, and the reason being, if they mess it up, they have to replace whatever they messed up and if they are just charging a flat fee, that could result in the whole price of a job depending on the size job and how much paper involved. In other words, if your paper cost $500, they cannot hang it for $100 unless they are willing to accept a lot of liability.

  • 16 years ago

    Dilly Dally, I seriously considered large art but decided against it for three reasons;

    1. The wall is mainly seen from a side angle, not straight on except by people working in the kitchen. The wall is really only seen by visitors who pass by on their way to the bathroom. It is not a focal point that people would/could really admire straight on.

    2. The passage between the wall and the kitchen counter and wall is only 40". Art, at most any depth, would feel intrusive.

    3. The utility door is located in such an odd place that artwork would not be effective at camouflaging it and the hinges would be in the way.

    Patricia, the cost of the wallpaper is under $100 from an online source so it's not a great investment. I've gotten one quote of $275 for hanging it (including paste) but I'm not sure the guy has ever hung grasscloth. I'll be asking him that question sometime this week.

    Jodi-

  • 16 years ago

    Would love even more input!

    Jodi-

  • 14 years ago

    I am a professional paperhanger of 30 years experience. I did a DVD on the subject

    Here is a link that might be useful: Hanging Grasscloth

  • PRO
    last year

    Here are some good home wallpaper collection