Wallpaper Hanging Instructions
	All de Gournay wallpapers require expert installation. The company declines all responsibility for problems that arise when the following Hanging Instructions have not been adhered to. These Hanging Instructions contain information relevant to designers, end clients and paperhangers. We strongly recommend that you read them even if you are employing a paperhanger experienced in our products. Checking Upon Delivery: Check your wallpaper panel by panel thoroughly prior to installation to ensure that you are entirely happy with every aspect and that they match your requirements fully before proceeding. This checking must be done by the client or their representative and not left solely to the paperhanger. The hand made custom nature of our products means elements of their appearance are subjective and what is suitable for one client may not be suitable for another. If during the inspection you find anything of concern, then notify us immediately and do not proceed with installation. de Gournay declines responsibility for these problems once the paper has been trimmed or hung. Instructions to Paperhangers: Please ensure that the client or their appointed representative, as well as yourself, has read these Hanging Instructions fully and given you direction on all points that these instructions require them to do so before proceeding. Surface Preparation: Walls must be prepared properly for papering. Surfaces should be dry, smooth, flat and free of any loose material. We do not recommend it, but if hanging on top of previous layers of paper is unavoidable, check that all sub layers are firmly stuck to the solid wall surface. Ensure that the wall surface is to your satisfaction before starting and do not expect the wallpaper to improve an imperfect surface by hiding defects because it is unlikely to do so. New plaster and very absorbent surfaces must be properly sized. Do not attempt to hang wallpaper onto glossy, glazed or varnished surfaces without keying the surface thoroughly and ensuring that such keying is sufficient to achieve adhesion before proceeding. In such cases we recommend exercising additional care. Do not use oil based priming products that remain flexible once dry because these may leech oil into the wallpaper and cause subsequent discolouration. All walls should be lined with a plain white heavy grade paper lining paper. In the UK a suitable lining paper would be classified as “1000” or “1200” grade. If intending the installation to remain permanent for the medium to long term de Gournay recommend using a museum quality non-yellowing acid-free lining paper. The lining paper should be hung with the same adhesive as will be used to hang the final panels (see ‘paste’ below). Cross lining (also known as railroaded lining) is not necessary so long as the vertical joints between the lining panels do not meet up with the subsequent vertical joints between wallpaper panels. All joints between lining panels should be firmly butted without gaps and once dry there must be no discernable ridge between them. It is not necessary and we do not recommend the use of a primer on top of the lining paper. In very low humidity environments the lining paper may provide too absorbent a surface, and in this case we recommend experimenting with sizing the lining paper with paste and allowing this to dry before attempting installation. Paint from adjacent areas must not be allowed to spill or brush over onto the lining paper as this might prevent the wallpaper panels from adhering properly and because many of our wallpapers are partially translucent the over-painting might show through as a discolouration to the final surface. If you are in the USA and finding it hard to locate suitable lining paper please contact Paper-Hangings Inc., 65 South Prospect Street, Lee, Massachusetts 01238, Tel. 413 243 3489 or visit their web site www.paper-hangings.com. de Gournay can supply lining paper directly if required. Design Layout: You should know whether your design layout has been planned prior to manufacture by means of a de Gournay Elevational Design Miniature or not. If so, then a copy of the client approved version will be delivered with the goods. Make certain that your paperhanger has this to hand and understands it fully before starting. In particular make sure that they have all the required panels (sometimes those “borrowed” out of the set by the client to assist with other colour choices may not have been returned) and that they understand exactly where each one is to be hung. The following section helps to explain this drawing. Interpreting your de Gournay Elevational Design Miniature: Each panel is numbered in sequence in pencil on the reverse to match the numbers shown on the top line of the miniature and this sequence reflects our recommended panel installation order. Each panel is bar coded and this bar code label must be carefully removed prior to pasting. Height dimensions are indicated at one side of the elevation rather than per panel to prevent repetition. ‘WH’ = wall height to be papered, ‘DH’ = design height and ‘PH’ = total panel height. The difference between WH and PH is amount of spare paper in the height of a drop. Special size panels for areas above or below doorways, windows, et al. have their own WH, DH and PH dimensions marked individually above or below their panel number. Where special sized sections vary from the standard panel width ‘WW’ for wall width to paper and ‘PW’ for panel width may also appear. The numbers immediately beneath the design show the width of each panel after trimming, if this is required (see Trimming below). Depending upon product, the standard panel width may be 36'' (915mm), 42'' (1220mm) or 52'' (1300mm). A run of panels in a mural design usually flows from left to right and the last panel will have been made wider than required to allow spare for trimming during installation. Such panels have two widths marked - the actual width required to cover the wall is the first number and the width of the panel including any extra allowed is the second number shown in parentheses. The design in such an extra width section duplicates the design on the next panel in the sequence, which means a design mismatch will result if the extra section is hung. In the event of an incorrect wall measurement such a mismatch of design can be touched in and is preferable to a lack of wallpaper to complete the job. The base line of the drawing shows actual wall widths taken from plans provided or de Gournay site measurements. Divisions between elevations and changes in wall direction are indicated with divisions above this line, while width measurements between each division are marked beneath it. These panels incorporate a standard 2'' (51mm) extra strip of design at the foot of the panels built in to allow for some 'running out' of the dado rail or skirting board around the room. In order for the design height overall to match that specified on the drawing the panels should be positioned on the wall such that this 2'' section gets trimmed during the hanging. Straight Run of Panels: If the design layout was not planned, then you have a straight run of panels that are all of uniform size and must be trimmed to fit. Check before starting that the panels are in the correct sequence (each is numbered on the reverse with the lower number always matching on its right hand side to the next one up in the sequence). Check that you have enough panels to complete the job. The best results are obtained if the layout is planned before commencing to hang. Because the design is a mural panels must be hung in their correct sequence on continuous wall sections. Breaks in the wall (for example doors, windows or fitted furniture), which rise in height close to or above the design height give the opportunity for the sequence to be altered. Bearing this in mind while planning, consider the following; placing the preferred sections of design in the most visible areas; ensuring that panels are centred up on the main walls; ensuring any balustrade ends neatly against door or window frames; preventing important design elements being cut at the end of runs. The quoted design height on a straight run of panels is indicative only. The actual design height will vary by as much as 6'' above and below the quoted size as the design rises and falls across the run of panels. If you wish the design height to rise no higher than a certain point on the wall you will need to ascertain which panel has the tallest pattern height at the outset and calculate your horizontal trim lines from this. Trimming: Trimming requirements vary depending upon the product purchased. If in doubt please contact us to ascertain this. Chinoiserie Collection, Japanese & Korean Collection wallpapers require trimming of the right hand vertical edge prior to hanging. The correct quantity to trim is evident from the position at which the design matches to that on the adjacent panel and should be in the region of 1/2''. Under no circumstances can the edge of one panel be lapped over another after pasting and trimmed on the wall. This will severely damage the product. Papiers Peints Panoramiques (Scenic) Collection wallpapers are delivered pre trimmed at both vertical edges. Plains Collection with the exception of paper-backed Damask, all wallpapers are delivered pre trimmed. If the edges have become damaged in transit re-trim prior to installation. Paper-backed damask panels require trimming to both edges and must be installed differently to other panels – see Installation below. Orchid Collection wallpapers can be hung without trimming but will usually require further trimming to fit the intended wall space. Repeating Collection wallpapers are delivered pre trimmed with the exception of those whose design joins to the next panel in sequence. These panels follow the same rules as those in the Chinoiserie Collection. Panels are cut by hand in our workshops and whilst great care has been taken to ensure that edges are as straight and as square as possible you should check all edges prior to installation and re-trim if required. We recommend that after the installation is complete all off cuts are rolled up carefully and stored. They may be useful if in future you need to call on de Gournay to repair or replace any sections of design. Adhesive: We strongly recommend that you use an adhesive designed for hanging specialist wall coverings. These are water-soluble, starch based and with a relatively low water content. Such an adhesive will help minimise marking in the event that it touches the surface of the panels by being relatively easy to remove, although an expert paperhanger should not get any paste on the surface in the first place. Do not use a cellulose based adhesive. It is imperative that before attempting to wipe the surface of any of our wallpapers that a test be carried out on an off cut. Some backgrounds can be wiped carefully with a clean damp sponge and others cannot under any circumstances. In the latter case marks should be left and covered once dry by other means (see Special Effects below). There are various adhesive options. Our preferred recommendation is a traditional wheat-starch based adhesive Halls Beeline Prepared Tub Paste sold in green-lidded tubs and manufactured by Halls Beeline Ltd. In the UK, telephone 0113 2511450, email sales@hallsbeeline.net. However, this adhesive has a very short shelf life of less than 3 months even when stored under ideal conditions and must be thrown away if there is an unpleasant odour or evidence of discolouration upon opening the tub. This makes it impractical for storage and impossible to transport overseas. We also recommend Halls Beeline Ready Mixed Vinyl Adhesive, often referred to as “Light Grade” adhesive sold in tubs with a yellow lid, available from all Leyland decorators’ merchant’s branches nationwide. This is a potato starch based adhesive with polymer and mould inhibitor additives which give it a much longer shelf life and better travelling qualities, whilst it is very nearly as good as the Prepared Tub Paste to use and increasingly some of our top installers actually prefer it. Muraspec’s Light Grade Ready Mixed Adhesive, sold in tubs with a black lid and Albany Ready Mixed sold in tubs with a yellow lid (available from C. W. Brewers decorators’ merchant’s) have exactly the same qualities as the Halls Beeline Ready Mixed Vinyl and are equally recommended. In the USA we prefer Professional Clear 880, which can be bought from Home Depot or Pro 838 Clear from Roman Decorating Products (telephone 800 488 6117, or email techsupport@romanadhesives.com). Depending upon which product is being installed, the adhesive may require watering down by up to 20%. Achieving the correct consistency of adhesive is vital for a successful installation and it can only be found by testing using off cuts or by experience. As a rule of thumb to guide your testing, the thicker heavier products require less watering down. Always ensure that after mixing the paste is totally free of lumps. Application of the adhesive should be performed either by brush or by roller directly to the back of the pre-trimmed panel. For Paper-backed Damask separate rules apply, see Installation below. The correct soaking time will vary considerably depending upon which of our products you are installing and the consistency of the adhesive. Our paper laminated silk panels and our hand made paper grounds require very little soaking and will be ready to hang almost as soon as they are pasted and booked. With these particular products expect to have a limited time (around 10 minutes) in which to hang the panel once pasted. If the panel is worked for too long the silk and paper will start to delaminate. Other wallpapers require longer soaking and how much varies depending upon the quantity of paint on their surface. More paint and a thicker surface means the time required for the soaking to make the paint layer supple is increased. Please ensure your installer knows which product they are dealing with and tests an off-cut before commencing. Installation: General Installation: All panels are delivered numbered and as far as possible should be hung in the sequence in which they are numbered. This applies equally to plain ground panels and for these additional care must be taken to ensure they are hung with all panels orientated in the same direction. All panels are bar-coded at one end on the reverse with an adhesive label. This panel section should be trimmed off during installation. If for any reason the area with this label might not be trimmed away then the label must be removed prior to pasting. The first panel should be hung to a vertical plumb line whilst remembering that many of our wallpapers are semi translucent so the lining paper should be kept as free of pencil or other marks as possible. The height at which the first panel is hung establishes the design height for the entire room when the product being installed is a mural. This is because the lateral flow of design from one panel to the next means that the correct join can only be made at one point. If the product has been tailored using a de Gournay Elevational Design Miniature the panels have been engineered to fit the wall when 2? (50mm) is trimmed off the foot of each. This is done to make allowance against “running out” of the base line around the room. All tools that will touch the face of the paper should be immaculately clean and dry at all times. Sponges should be rinsed clean after each use. Panels can be wrapped around outside (convex) angles, but they must be cut vertically into all sharp internal (concave) angles. Joints on outside angles or in exposed positions should be avoided as these areas will be prone to fraying in future. A fresh blade should be used for every cut. Panels should be solidly butt jointed leaving no gap after drying. In order to achieve this we recommend that panels be firmly butted during installation leaving a joint fractionally proud to the touch. Some time after hanging as the panel starts to dry this joint should be firmly rolled with a seam roller. The slight ridge should “sit down” flat and done correctly will have been enough to prevent any shrinkage from leaving an unsightly gap between panels. The exact degree of shrinkage changes with the product and the adhesive used, but as a general rule expect more significant shrinkage with solid paper construction products than with paper laminated fabric products. Installation technique for paper-backed Damask only: We recommend that these panels are dry-hung onto a pre-pasted wall. The wall surface should be prepared according to our standard guidelines. The correct consistency of adhesive is likely to be stiffer and to have required little or no watering down prior to use. We recommend a dry hanging technique so apply adhesive to the lining paper surface with a roller in a layer generous enough to ensure good adhesion. It is essential that no adhesive be allowed to touch the surface of the silk. This surface is unprotected and will mark. Each panel contains two full width design repeats plus a design over-lap on both sides and selvedge on both edges. The design over-lap will be trimmed off during installation to ensure a sharp clean edge. The right hand edge of a panel is positioned on the wall over-lapping the left hand edge of the panel immediately on its right by the correct amount to create the design join. Position a metal straight edge over the lapped joint at the design join point and cut cleanly through both layers of product. Do not apply so much pressure as to cut through the lining paper. The trimmed section of the left hand panel will fall away. Lift the edge of the left hand panel and remove the trimmed section of the right hand panel. This will have been in contact with adhesive so be careful not to allow this to touch the remaining panels. Remove any of the paper backing left by the trimmed strip. Apply additional adhesive with a small brush to the newly exposed lining paper as required and carefully press down the left hand edge to create the perfect joint. Working Practices: It is relatively simple for one person working alone to successfully install products from our Chinoiserie Collection and Papiers Peints Panoramiques Collection. However, for the following products we strongly recommend that a team of two people working together is necessary: All extra wide panels (48'' (1220mm) and 51'' (1300mm)) Panels with metal leaf backgrounds. These will curl at the edges once pasted making them hard to control.Paper-backed Damask panels. Advanced Installation Techniques: de Gournay's manufacturing process is such that all joints between panels over which the design matches will join accurately and this join has been checked carefully more than once prior to your receiving the goods. Plastered walls are never perfectly flat, corner angles in rooms are rarely perfectly square and even the most careful measurements can only realistically be accurate to the nearest 1/8'' (3mm). The result is that the installed mural will contain less perfect design matches than it exhibited prior to installation. An expert paperhanger will expect to rectify this where it is noticeable by using either or both of the following two processes. 1. Touching up with paint: Upon request we will supply the correct paints for an expert paperhanger to perform minor touching in of the design. It will not be necessary to perform any major amount of painting. If there is a serious problem please contact us for advice before proceeding. 2. Appliqué of design: Sections of design from off-cuts can be stuck invisibly onto the surface of the wallpaper. This is possible with all product types, but really effective with laminated silk ones. This method is most often used to add butterflies, small birds and flowers over joints and small marks, but can also be used on a larger scale to add back into the design sections of pattern that would otherwise be lost to trimming. The section of design to be added is carefully trimmed from its background using scissors. The laminated paper on its reverse is dampened with clean water until it delaminates and in then peeled away to leave only the front layers. These are then dabbed dry with tissue paper, pasted on the reverse with the same adhesive used to hang the wallpaper and stuck to the wall in the required location. Antiquing after installation: de Gournay recommend that the product is purchased with one of our antique finishes if this effect is desired. Antiquing panels after installation is hard to do well and involves a large degree of risk in that the product may become damaged. Protecting the surface: All de Gournay design wallpapers can be supplied coated with a thin layer of acrylic water based wallpaper glaze that increases the durability and stability of the surface. Paper backed fabrics from the Contemporary Collection are not available with this finish. Panels supplied pre-coated are gently wipeable using a damp clean cloth. The protective layer is very thin and care should be taken not to wear through it. Do not assume that the design colours in panels coated with the protective glaze will not move at all. If you decide to add additional layers of glaze, you must allow the panels to dry out thoroughly after installation before doing so. This can take a matter of weeks. Failure to do so can result in the additional glaze layers staying opaque rather than being transparent as they dry. The glaze should be applied with a spray to ensure evenness In the UK we recommend ‘Dead Flat Decorators Varnish’ from Polyvine Ltd., telephone 01454 261 276, info@polyvine.co.uk, available from all good decorating outlets. This has an extremely matt finish but because it is marginally opaque we recommend that only one coat of this be used. For greater protection use compatible satin or gloss varnish undercoats finished off with a dead flat top coat. In the USA we have been told that ‘Soil Shield’ from Guardsman Products Inc. of Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546 works well but have not seen the results first hand so we cannot recommend this unreservedly. Recommended Paperhangers: de Gournay maintains lists of paperhangers worldwide who have worked on projects using our wallpapers in which we have either seen the results first hand or have had testimonial from designer and/or end user clients as to their professionalism and the high standard of their work. Please contact us to obtain the appropriate list for you territory. de Gournay cannot and does not guarantee the work of any paperhanger. Not all expert paperhangers are on our list. The exclusion of a name does not mean that this person is not capable of installing de Gournay wallpapers. A client must satisfy themselves as to the standard of work and professionalism of the paperhanger before accepting them to do the work required. Further Information: If your questions have not been answered by any of the above, or you do not understand any aspects of these instructions or if you still require further advice do not hesitate to contact us. We will be only too happy to help in any way that we can to ensure that your de Gournay wallpaper lives up to its full potential to create an outstanding room. Additional Help Sheets Available from de Gournay: Ordering Procedures for Wallpapers & Ordering Procedures for Fabrics Advice on the Constructions of Screens from de Gournay Wallpapers Installation & Operating Instructions for de Gournay Roller Blinds Explanation of Wallpaper Elevational Design Miniatures Explanation of Fabric Design Miniatures Frequently Asked Questions (Wallpaper) Frequently Asked Questions (Fabric)