Choosing the Right Tools to Wallpaper a Room

You’ve decided that you want to redecorate a room in your home with wallpaper. You’ve also decided that you want to do this project yourself and not hire a professional.

One of the first steps in this process is deciding which tools you’ll need for the job. Here we will cover which tools are available so you can decide what best fits your needs.

Wallpapering tools come in a large variety and wide assortment depending on their use. When buying tools it’s always best to go with quality instead of quantity. You will want your tools to last for many years.

You don’t need to rush out and buy every available wallpapering tool there is. If you plan to do one room at a time, you can spread these purchases out over a period of time to help reduce costs and only purchase the tools needed for a specific job and purpose.

Renting tools is also an option if you plan to only do one room of your home. There’s no point in buying a seam roller if you’re only going to use it once.

Basic Preparation Tools:
Slotted or flat head screwdrivers, Phillips screwdrivers, scrapers, putty knife, dusting brush, pencil, tape measure, drop cloth, hammer, nail set punch, pliers, and caulk gun.

Working surfaces:
Sawhorses, boards, stepladder, and table for pasting.

Wallpapering Tools:
Bucket, stirring stick, wallpaper trough, scissors, razor blade knife, craft knife, level, rule or yard stick, pasting brush, chalk line, rollers and a drop cloth to protect carpeting or other floor coverings. You may need a plumb line if you need help with vertical lines.

You may want to wear goggles, gloves and dust masks while applying wallpaper as well. These can be purchased fairly cheap, but most households have these items already available for other purposes.

If your walls need some repair work before you can apply wallpaper, you may need some materials for that as well.

Fillers are used to fill nail holes and other small holes. These can be purchased as a powder or a premixed paste.
Fillers for joints and corners can be purchased in tubes like caulk.

Other needed products for prep work include:
Strippers, cleaners, sandpapers of various grits, primers, sealers, stain blockers, and adhesives.

Shopping around will help you find the best deals on the supplies you will need. Preparation and planning will also help you assess the tools you need to avoid purchasing things you really wouldn’t have a need for. The tools mentioned in this article are basic tools but many more helpful or professional tools are available.