Ceilings

      Ceilings are harder to do than walls because you are fighting gravity and almost always in an awkward position.  Furthermore, looking up all the time and trying to walk on a walk board is a lot like being in the circus.

      Eight or nine feet high ceilings are not particularly dangerous to do, but you should have a helper.  Two people can paper a ceiling four times easier than one person can.  You could do the job with two ladders and a 2" x 12" plank, if you are doing small rooms (under 12').

     Planks sag in the middle and will keep you off your balance.  Do not use planks unless you are well versed in types and strengths of woods and comfortable on a moving surface.  Never use wood planks longer than 12'. 

      Go to your rental store and get a sturdy walk board (sometimes called 'pics').  They might even have the standard expandable painter's and paperhanger's walk board (13' or 17').  It will be heavier than wood and require two people to place it, but it is far safer to use.  Be sure it is long enough for the longest strips you are going to install.

      You want to be able to install a whole strip at a time, so you must first decide which direction you are going to hang before you know what length walk board to get.  Traditionally, ceiling paper is installed across the width of the room.  This way you have shorter (and therefore easier) lengths to handle. 

      In the "good ole days" all ceiling paper was white and the seams were usually lapped an inch or two, so it didn't much matter what direction you installed it.  Modern wallcoverings require more consideration.  For example, if you install your ceiling paper perpendicular to the main light source, you seams are going to be more visible.

     Also, you must consider the direction of the flow from the ceiling to the wall, if you use the same pattern for both.  Most likely, you will want the largest or dominant wall to continue from the ceiling and down the vertical wall.  With the old style ceiling papers this was never a problem because they had no pattern and borders were used around the top of the wall. 

     If you are not using a border, you will want to overlap your ceiling paper down onto the wall a half-inch or more.  Be sure you tuck the paper into the corner tightly.  If they are not tight they could draw away from the corner leaving an air space.  You will see it as a 'rounding' of the corner when the paper dries.  If you get a rounded corner, be sure not to cut into it.  Hand-trim the tops of the vertical strips without using a razor at the ceiling to make a straight line.  Cut off as much lap from the ceiling as you can or use a border paste where the wallpaper laps over the ceiling paper. 

     Once you have picked the best hanging direction for your ceiling, make a mark out on the ceiling one-inch narrower than the width of you paper from the wall.  Do this at the other end of the ceiling and use a chalk line to mark a straight line from one mark to the other.  If your room is reasonably square, one inch of overlap on the long wall should be plenty.  Allow about three inches of excess at each end.  Too much excess just makes the paper harder to handle. 

      While you are getting the strip started, your helper should be holding up the bulk of the paper.  A wide smoothing brush will help you get the paper in place quickly.  Your last strip should be a narrow one and you can cut it on the table to make it easier to hang.  Complete each strip as you go making sure the seams are down and well washed. 

      A few other points to remember:
· You should use a thicker mix of paste to get extra tack.
· Take down ceiling fixtures first.  It's easier than trimming around them.
· Don't hang over an old ceiling paper if at all possible.
· It is easier to trim wallpaper to the ceiling.  Install the ceiling first.