How to Hang Murals
Please refer to the instructions that came with your mural as different murals have different installation methods. In general, installing murals is similar to installing wallpaper. Our murals are not for outdoor use, and should be installed in a room with an average temperature 18° to 20° Celsius or 60° to 70° Fahrenheit.
Step 1
Tools Needed to Hang Wall Murals
Unpasted Tools
- Paste
- Paste Brush or roller
- Knife or snap off blade
- Level
- Sponge & bucket of clean water
- Smoothing brush or plastic smoother
- Tape Measure
- 6-in inch Putty knife or straight edge
- A pencil
- Step stool
- Drop Cloth
Prepasted Tools
- Water Tray
- Knife or snap off blade
- Level
- Sponge & bucket of clean water
- Smoothing brush or plastic smoother
- Tape Measure
- 6-in inch Putty knife or straight edge
- A pencil
- Step stool
- Drop Cloth
Peel & Stick Tools
- Smoother and Utility Knife Installation Kit
- Level
- Tape Measure
- Ruler or Straight Edge
- A pencil
- Step stool
You can also purchase our complete taskmaster wallpaper hanging kit!
Step 2
Prepare Walls
- Turn off power and remove all faceplates and socket covers.
- Remove any existing wallpaper.
- Patch, spackle, and sand any holes or imperfections in your walls.
- Prime walls, waiting 30 to 60 days before hanging your wallpaper or mural.
- For heavily textured or damaged walls, install a heavy duty wallpaper liner.
Step 3
Lay Out Mural & Create a Plumb Line
- Arrange the pieces of the mural in front of the wall where they will be installed in the proper order.
- Make sure that colors match up evenly at the seams before pasting the mural.
- If the mural is smaller than the total wall space, mark out the dimensions lightly in pencil on the wall.
- Determine where to begin hanging your mural and which panel to start with. Some murals come with recommendations of which panel to start with. You can hang mural panels the following ways:
- Left to right
- Right to left
- Center outward
- Using a level and tape measure, create a straight line (plumb line) for your first panel.
Step 4
Apply or Activate Paste
Check the instructions that came with your wall mural. Unless otherwise noted, we recommend hanging unpasted wall murals by the "paste-the-wall" method.
UNPASTED - Paste The Wall Method
- If needed, mix the paste according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Apply paste directly to wall with brush or roller.
- Evenly distribute across area slightly larger than 1 strip at a time.
UNPASTED - Paste The Backing Method
- If needed, mix the paste according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Lay the strip of wallpaper or mural face down on a clean work surface.
- Brush paste on to the top half of the strip. Gently fold that section back to meet the middle.
- Brush paste on the remaining half of the strip. Fold the bottom end in to meet the middle.
- Allow the paper to rest in this "booked" position for 10 minutes.
PREPASTED - Wet & Book
- Fill a water tray 2/3 full with water at room temperature.
- Roll the cut strip from bottom to top, paste side out (you should not see the pattern).
- Submerge rolled strip into the water tray.
- Soak for the amount of time recommended in the manufacturer’s hanging instructions, usually 30 seconds*.
- Slowly lift and unroll the paper onto a work table, making sure the paste is completely wet.
- Gently fold both ends, paste side in, towards the center of the strip, without creasing the folds. This is known as "booking"*. You should see the pattern.
- Let the strip rest for the amount of time recommended in the manufacturer’s hanging instructions, usually about 2-5 minutes.
*PLEASE NOTE: For Fine Décor prepasted wallpaper, refer to packaging for exact soak times (usually between 5-10 seconds). Fine Décor prepasted wallpaper does not require booking.
Step 5
Hang First Strip
- Install the first panel, being careful to ensure that it is straight with your plumb line as a guide.
- Use a smoothing tool to firmly adhere the mural panel to the wall, sweeping the tool from the center outwards to work out all air bubbles.
Step 6
Trim Excess & Wash Off Paste
- Trim excess paper along ceiling and baseboard with a sharp razor knife and 6-in putty knife as a guide.
- Do not to lift your knife when making long cuts.
- Wash excess paste off ceiling and baseboards with a wet sponge and clean water.
Step 7
Hang Additional Strips
- Apply additional strips in the same method, matching up the pattern at the seam and carefully smoothing out all bubbles as you go.
- Touch the edges tightly together, but don’t overlap the strips.
- Smooth the seams together as you go so they will not separate.