The Unorthodox Way to Hang Wallpaper Murals

When I moved to Colorado, one of the first things I did was look for a place to live. I found a property that was close to foreclosure, and since the price was so unbelievable, I pulled the trigger without really taking a look at what I was getting into.

For better or for worse, I found myself in a situation where I had a house with a lot of work needed, and with no money in my pocket to hire someone to do it. So I turned to DIY home care, and I have never looked back. I wrote another article about the biggest problem I had to face, which was to remove the lead-based paint from the walls.

One of the walls that I removed the paint from looked really worse for wear, and I was nervous to re-paint over it. Instead, I was able to get a great deal on a couple of wall murals of the New York skyline; and since this wall was in my office, and I’m from New York, I purchased it on the spot.

Proper Hanging of Wallpaper Murals:

The usual preparation steps to hanging any sort of wallpaper apply to murals as well. First you need to remove any old wall coverings, and if there is paint, use sandpaper to make it rough. After, take a soapy solution and wash the walls to get any dirt and grime off of it. Wallpaper adhesive will not stick to anything other than clean, dry wall, so take time to make sure that everything is removed.

Next, most guides will tell you to start on one side, and evenly apply the wallpaper across the wall. I diligently went to YouTube and watched half-dozen videos, and then went straight to ruining my first mural.

The reason the wall mural was ruined is because of a principle known as Occam’s Razor. For those unfamiliar, Occam’s Razor is a principle of reasoning that states that given two scenarios, the one with fewer assumptions or the simpler scenario will most likely be correct. For example, it is a windy day, and you come upon a tree fallen across the road. Occam’s razor states that it is far more likely that the wind blew the tree down directly, rather than blowing a UFO out of the sky that knocked the tree over.

The reason I bring up that reasoning principle is that from the very first SECOND of hanging the wall mural, I knew something was wrong.

The Intuitive Solution:

The problem with hanging the mural the same was as regular wallpaper is apparent in the design. Wallpaper is usually meant to cover an entire wall, and because of that, is generally uniform in design and color. This allows for small imperfections to be lost in the total design of the wall. Since gravity is a constant force, no matter how hard you try to hang wallpaper side-to-side, there is going to be a bit of a screw-up.

When you have to hang a mural, you realize immediately that any fold, bubble, or screw-up in general will be immediately visible. Unlike a uniform pattern, each piece of a mural is a part of a whole, and it’s paramount to make everything count.

So I purchased another identical mural, prepared my wall again, and decided to throw conventional wisdom out the window and rely on intuition. Instead of trying to fight gravity, I would use it; and instead of trying to work with a 8 foot wide canvas all at once, I would do it in sections.

I started at the top of the mural, with the plan to work in sections, all the way down the wall. I drew pencil lines in 1ft sections, and would paste the mural in 8 steps. What this method allows you to do is concentrate on the section that you are working on at the moment. If you put a whole bunch of adhesive down alone, then you are working with a huge piece of paper and trying to stick it to your wall within 5 minutes. Wrinkles, rips, and bubbles are bound to occur.

Only stick each foot to the wall, 1 at a time, and you will find that you can dedicate your full attention to getting a small section perfect, and when you add it all up at the end, you have an expertly-hung wall mural.

Pete Wise is a DIY home improver and a content creation machine. This article was written for Discount Decorating, the largest vendor of wallpaper and wallpaper borders on the internet. If you like DIY articles, find a full list of them at Pete’s Google+ Page

To reduce labor and project costs, making concrete is a good way to save money; as well as improve your own construction know-how.

Equipment Needed

• Mixing box or wheel barrow
• Shovel
• Mason’s Hoe
• Metal Slump Cone

Materials Needed

• Portland cement (Type I or Type II)
• Aggregate (crushed limestone, gravel or rocks)
• Sand (Masonry, Builder’s or another type of clean sand)
• Flat Board

Instructions

1. Accurately measure the form the concrete will fill. The form must be leveled and braced properly. Measure the height or depth, length and width of the form.
2. In the mixing box or wheel barrow, pour the Portland cement and sand into the box. The correct ratio should be 1:2 or 1:3; that is, one part Portland cement, two or three parts sand.
3. After sharing out the Portland cement and sand, add the aggregate to the dry mixture. The aggregate (gravel, crushed limestone or rocks) should be shared to about five parts aggregate to one part cement and sand mix.
4. The aggregate is used to fill the space in the mix and does not affect the tensile strength of the finished concrete.
5. With the adequate aggregate added to the dry mixture, slowly introduce water to the mixture. Mix in the water with the dry mixture until the mixture becomes pliable for pouring into the form. Measure this consistency with the metal slump cone.
6. Continue mixing the concrete until completely uniform. Continue mixing the concrete for two to four minutes to initiate the hydration process, which causes the concrete to form and harden.
7. Once the mixture is uniform, pour the concrete into the form and float the mixture. Floating is the process by which the concrete mixture is flattened and leveled using the flat board. Drag the board across the surface of the mixture, with the board tilted upwards, to make an even and level surface.
8. After floating the mixture, leave the mixture to set and allow grout or cement paste to rise to the surface. Leave the concrete to set for at least 24 to 72 hours depending on the amount used.

Tips, Warnings and Recommendations

• Always clean all tools and equipment used immediately after use especially rented equipment. Hardened concrete is difficult to remove from tools and equipment.
• For large areas, employ the use of a concrete mixer for easy mixing and pouring of the concrete.
• Using a ratio of one part Portland cement to three parts sand usually yields the appropriate tensile strength for housing slab foundations and the construction of sidewalks.
• Do not use too much aggregate in the mixture as too much will prevent a smooth finish on the surface of hardened concrete. Use a shovel-full as a measurement for one part.
• The concrete’s consistency is measured is measured by filling a metal slump cone with wet concrete then lifting the cone off. The amount of sag or slump recorded for the mixture will indicate the concrete’s slump. Acceptable slump of concrete ranges between three and four inches.

For more information on concrete, read How to Build a Concrete Slab and How Much Does Concrete Cost.

Most professional tree service companies perform stump grinding and stump removal services along with tree removal. They know the importance of removing old stumps for five very legitimate reasons.

Pedestrian Hazard

Depending on where the tree stump is located, it can be a danger to passersby. Some stumps are hard to see, easily disguised amongst tall grass, pine straw or mulch. Removing tree stumps near public walkways will eliminate the potential for anyone to trip and fall, which can result in an injury lawsuit. Grinding stumps also makes it easier and faster to mow your lawn and makes it safe for children to play.

Ruin Curb Appeal

Tree stumps are completely unnecessary and are ugly to look at. Having a rotting stump in your front yard or in front of your business can reduce curb appeal and devalue your home. If you’re looking to sell your home, or rent your property, stump removal is definitely one of the first things that should be done. Large stumps from oak trees or old pines can also make your yard look smaller, which decreases appeal as well.

Spread Tree Disease

Trees in certain geographical areas are more susceptible to tree diseases than others. Decaying wood from old stumps is a likely place for tree diseases to inhabit. Diseased wood can easily spread to other plants on your property and cause deformation or even death to other trees in the area. Removing the threat of devastating tree diseases will ensure your property is protected against advancing infection.

Promote Regrowth

In most cases tree stumps are the left behind parts of fallen or removed trees, and still considered alive. If they continue to stay rooted in the ground there is potential for the tree to regrow. This is especially true for smaller trees and shrubs. Trees that were removed near sidewalks or driveways may still have an active root system and continue to spread. These roots can then crack, bulge or break apart concrete or asphalt surfaces. Removing the entire root system ensures absolutely no regrowth.

Harbor Insects

Similar to the spread of tree disease, tree stumps are the perfect haven for insects. Insects feed on the decaying remains of the tree introducing parasites and other fungi that promote bacterial infestation as well – which can lead to tree disease. However, insects themselves can be dangerous to your property. Pests such as bees, hornets, wasps and termites are dangerous to passersby, children playing in the yard or visitors. Larger stumps can even house small rodents such as mice, moles, and squirrels. Eliminate the risk of harmful stings and tree diseases by grinding stumps into nutrient-rich mulch instead.

Whatever your reason for removing stumps from your property, there are many benefits to getting rid of it. You’ll be able to enjoy your property without having to mule over what to do with the rotting tree carcass. The number one reason why so many people don’t get rid of stumps is because they think it will cause a mess. But with professional tree grinding, the surrounding grass or sidewalk is left intact and the job is finished within an hour. True professionals only leave behind a small mound of mulch that can be used as bedding for other plants in your yard.

Syd Martin writes for Premiere Tree Services and writes articles about nature, environmental issues and green living.

If you’re in the market for a new refrigerator, don’t limit yourself by checking out the economy line and buying the first thing you see. There are plenty of moderately priced refrigerator brands, with lots of great features that even the most expensive brands struggle to compete with. 

While budget is of course, important, you want to consider some other options when buying your next refrigerator. For example, what is the energy efficiency of your top five brands? Models that use excessively high energy levels aren’t going to do you any favors and if they’re cheaper up front, they’re going to cost you more in the long run in the higher energy bills. 

Have you read reviews about your favorite models? How are they at keeping the optimal temperatures needed for your dairy products and fresh produce? Does the freezer keep your ice cream at the right temperature? 

Samsung

There are three types to choose from, refrigerators with French doors, side by side, and bottom freezer.  This good-looking, well-priced brand has even received awards!

LG

This brand makes all the varieties that Samsung does but it also offers the top freezer variety.  Their prices are competitive with Samsung and their focus is on appearance as well.  There are many different models to pick and choose from.

Whirlpool

Under this name you will find a daily line and a premium line called Whirlpool Gold.  They have all four styles as mentioned in the first two brands at prices pleasing to your wallet.

While these are the top three brands according to popular customer sentiment, there are still others to choose from for those that like to tarry awhile in the whole process and savour it all!  These are as follows:

Bosch

There are few models to choose from but more are promised in the not too distant future.  Availability of these is not so wide as the previous names, so one has to be in luck.

Kenmore

This name is well-known and immediately creates confidence in the consumer.  A clear favorite with customers for its quality as well as great after-sale service, one cannot go wrong with this brand.  The Top Freezer Mounted Refrigerator was most popular. 

Amana

A lesser known name, yes, but it gets a high number of votes because of its wide spectrum of economically priced feature-rich models. Now under the Whirlpool umbrella, it is still famous in its own right.

We take our refrigerators for granted, after all it’s a simple appliance. However, there are plenty of defining features that can make it the focal point of your kitchen. 

This article was lovingly crafted by Lucas Jenkins, the writer with the salty snack addiction from “Affordable Home remodeling Ideas”.You can read more of Lucas’ writing such as finding a custom deck contractor or decorating with kitchen floor mats and rugs at his website.

First Steps

You need to contact an estate agents to get your house valued and make the first steps to putting your house on the market, this can be a struggle in itself as all the different estate agents will have different fees and charge different amounts for various procedures. You need to choose which one is most likely going to be able to sell your property best. To do this, you should look at what reviews people have written about them and what is generally being said about them as an estate agent.

You need to weigh up professionalism with costs, and decide what is the most important aspect for you. If you only have a small amount of money to work with then the chances are you might want to use one of the cheaper options, but if you have a large home to sell, then using a premium service provided by some of the local estate agents may suit your needs better. They will generally spend more time looking after the bigger houses as they are going to get a larger commission out of it.

Finding a Home

Putting your home on the market is one thing, but then actually finding a place you want to commit yourself to is a whole other matter, whole other guides have been written on how to find a home, but it all comes down to your own tastes and price range. The biggest piece of advice is to go with gut feeling, if you have inspiration of how to decorate whilst you are looking around, then chances are you’ll have no problem putting your own stamp on the place.

There are many other socio economic factors that you must consider when you are looking for a new home, such as what catchment area the homes are in for the local schools. Whether there are local amenities and all the basics that need to be considered when looking for a home.

After you’ve found a Home

Once you have found a home, if you have already got a buyer lined up for your home, or you are a first time buyer, then all you need to consider is the ongoing chain of properties. But if you are waiting for your own home to be sold, it is time to step up the efforts in making the home more attractive to potential buyers, either by dropping the price, or using the many tips found on the daytime television programmes to help make your home more appealing.

The tricks to make your home more appealing are sometimes the easiest, putting some of the ‘clutter’ into storage makes the home feels a little bigger and by placing large frameless mirrors on the walls creates the illusion of extra space.

Moving day

Everything has gone through, monies have been paid and the moving vans have arrived, this could be months from the first time you visited the estate agents, but after all that struggle, the pain and the stresses of finding and selling the home is over.

You finally have yourself a new home to move into, a blank canvas to start with whatever designs most interest you at the moment.

After Moving in

Everyone has a bunch of artworks, rugs, decorative pieces that they kind of wished were ‘lost in transit’ or fell foul to some heavy handed removal men, whatever you do, don’t try and recreate the home you’ve left. Redecorate using different colours, different decorations and different artworks.

Selling your home is hard work, and can be the cause of months of stress, but the outcome is that you will be in a home that you can perhaps settle and raise a family in, when you look back at whether it was worth it, I am sure most people will say how worth it it was.

Andy works on behalf of an estate agents in Worthing who have a great range of new homes in Sussex, and moving in to a new place, although stressful fills him with an enormous sense of well being once in the new property.