Anyone who has ever tried to do anything knows that good tools save you time and trouble in getting the job done. Ask any carpenter, mechanic, or painter and they will tell you the right tools are important. Therefore, the more wallcovering you plan to install, the better your tools should be.
     A one-time job can be accomplished with an inexpensive kit of paperhanging tools that most paint, wallpaper, and even hardware stores carry. You can also assemble your own kit from tools that you already have. You might even borrow some from friends and neighbors for a few days. The difference in a minimal kit and a professional set of tools is the amount of effort required to get the job done and the quality of the results. Quality work can be done with inexpensive tools, but it takes more time, effort and patience.
     The following is a list of tools that I use on a daily basis. Where possible, I list the less expensive alternative for the occasional paperhanger.

DROPCLOTHS:

    You should cover the area along the base of the wall with plastic dropcloths and then cover the plastic with canvas dropcloths. If you are doing a messy stripping job first, you might want to tape the plastic down to seal off the floor completely.

WALLY'S BRAIN-DEAD-BONE-HEAD RULE # 1:

Prevention ALWAYS takes less time than correction.

      You can substitute almost any plastic for the bottom layer (take scissors and cut open dry cleaners bags, big trash bags, etc.) and old sheets and bedspreads, or blankets will do for the top layer. You should have the same kind of coverage under your pasting table too. ONE spill could cause you a lot of grief.

TABLES:

     Never try to hang wallpaper without some kind of table for pasting and cutting. It may seem like a lot of trouble to find one, but that is nothing compared to the effort required to install without one. If your local rental store does not have a paperhanger's table, ask if they have the large folding tables like schools use for cafeteria tables. These tables are large enough for pasting, but you may not be able to cut on them without damaging them. You will still need to procure a sheet of plywood or some good planks to lay over the table for a cutting surface.

     You can also make a table by putting two card tables together and taping the legs together to keep them steady. Again, you will need a wood top for cutting. A thick sheet of plywood (one-half inch or more) over two saw horses also will make a table. Three 1" X 12" six feet long planks will make a table top and so will an old flat-surface door. Do not cover your table with papers or cloth of any kind. A clean wood surface is best. The main thing is to get a waist-high work surface that will allow you to cut and paste conveniently.

STRAIGHT-EDGE:

     A paperhanger's straight edge is a 6' by 3" plank of metal. It is a guide for cutting perfectly straight strips of wallcovering. Straight edges cost from $30.00 to $100.00. Aluminum costs less, magnesium cost more. You can substitute this tool with almost any strip of straight metal (angle iron, extruded aluminum, etc.), but it may cost you in cutting accuracy.

PASTING TOOLS:

     All you need to 'paste' a prepasted wallcovering is a water trough. You can get one at any paint or paper store for a few dollars. If you want a heavy duty trough, get a plastic planter from the garden section of any department store. I know some of the paperhangers "kits" come with a pasting brush. This should be considered a HUMOR PROP. You may choose to give it to an umpire for dusting home base or you might want to give it to your dog as a chew toy, but DO NOT USE IT TO APPLY PASTE. Please paste your wallcoverings with a ½ inch cover on a standard 9" roller frame. You can get paint rollers almost anywhere and they can be used for sizing the walls as well as future painting projects.

CUTTING TOOLS:

     Scissors are convenient for many cutting situations that you will encounter, but razors are a necessary tool. Most stores have the snap-off blade cutters which are cheap and easy to use. You can also use the single edge razor handle. These even come with a pin-on scabbard to hold the handle. Buy your single edge razor blades in boxes of 100 for the best price. Razors are VERY sharp and give great quality cuts, but they are dangerous if you are lacking in dexterity or concentration. If you start thinking about something else while cutting with one, you may lop off a finger. Trust me--I know.

BROAD KNIFE:

     A 6 or 10 inch wide taping knife is a great tool for paperhanging. Painters use them for scraping and patching. Drywall finishers use them for applying joint compound to Sheetrock. You will find them indispensable for making straight trim cuts around your woodwork.

SMOOTHING BRUSHES:

     Smoothing brushes are like very wide paint brushes. They are handy for laying in place long strips on walls and ceilings. The long-haired (3 inch) hog bristle brushes are expensive, but necessary for delicate wallcoverings. The short-haired (one inch) brushes are best for tough Vinyls. Many vinyls and even acrylic coated prepasted wallcoverings can be installed with a spatula. The spatula is a wide piece of plastic for smoothing and will work well on durable vinyls. It is light, easy to work with and only costs a few bucks.

SEAM ROLLERS:

     A seam roller can have a flat, curved, or beveled surface. I use the beveled type most of the time because it is light, and reaches into corners easily. Because it is angled, instead of flat, I am less likely to put too much pressure on the seam and push out all the paste. Generally speaking, it is better to under-use the seam roller than to over-use it.

RULERS:

     You can install wallcoverings with only a yardstick to easure with, but you will find a 12 or 16 foot tape measure a lot handier. You can carry it with you on your belt or in a tool pouch. Either way you save many steps. A tape is easier to get into a small space, can be wrapped around corners and curves, and is more accurate than a yardstick. If you get the self-locking type, you will only need one hand to measure--no small convenience for a paperhanger. In fact, you may find a carpenter's style tool belt good for carrying many tools around with you, rather than wearing out coveralls.

TAPING KNIFE:

LEVEL AND PLUMB:

     You will need a 4' level or a 'plumb-bob' to make a vertical line for your first strip of paper. If you don't have a level or a chalk box, you can make a 'bob' by tying a weight to a string, pressing it to the wall when it is vertical, and marking along the string with a pencil.

CHALK BOXES:

      A chalk box is a string on a reel in a box full of colored chalk powder. When you pull it out, you have a string that will shed its color when it is pulled tight next to a surface and snapped against it. If you hang the string on a nail, you will get a perfectly vertical plumb line to guide you in hanging your first strip. Be sure to hang your first strip 1/4 inch away from the chalk line so that the chalk does not darken your seam. If you have a light background wallcovering, wipe the chalk line off, so that it does not bleed through the wallpaper.

LADDERS:

SPONGES AND RAGS:

      Natural sponges are great for washing the paste off of wallcoverings and woodwork. The artificial sponges will do, but some tend to smear more than they clean. Wiping the surface with clean rags will prevent water spots. Some wallcoverings will self destruct if you do not clean them thoroughly. Just the little bit of diluted paste that get in your wash water can attack the inks and cause them to degrade the paper. Believe me--I have seen it.

MISCELLANEOUS:

     You will also need an assortment of common tools: screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, and, of course, a pencil. A power screwdriver is a necessity for the pro. Stairway handrails and some fixtures are just too much work to do by hand. A clip-on refrigerator magnet is easy to wear anywhere and carries a single-edged razor blade.

ONE LAST NOTE:

     You can install wallcoverings with almost any assortment of tools, but
you should get (even if you have to borrow them) better tools if you can afford to.
You won't regret it.