How to Install a Brick Wallpaper Mural

Today I can’t wait to show you how to easily add dimensional interest to a focal wall in your home. Installing a Brick Wall Mural is definitely a DIY project you can tackle if you have a friend or two to help you. When Wallpaper Direct contacted me to offer to let me try some of their products, I was still a bit wary (having stripped my fair share of wallpaper.) But, then I stumbled upon the white brick wallpaper and saw how cool it looked. I decided to give it a try and let them send me a wallpaper mural specifically for my son’s bedroom. But, let’s back up. Remember last week when I admitted to being a procrastinator? Well, this is what I started with:

After staring at Nickelodeon green for 6 years, my son and I decided it would be calming to paint the walls a soothing gray. And, I thought it would be really cool to create a loft look by installing a giant wall mural of white brick. (Note: The large mural panels has since been discontinued, but you can purchase white brick wallpaper that looks very similar and may actually be easier to install by yourself.)

I ordered the mural and it arrived safely to our house in a few days. I quickly organized a few friends who had installed wallpaper to help me.

To install a wallpaper mural, you’ll need a few tools.

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Materials:

• Wallpaper application brush
• Squeegee
• Platforms or step ladder
• Wallpaper paste
• Paint roller
• Paint tray
• Wallpaper mural
• Wet rag
• X-acto knife
• Two DIY friends who are also wallpaper experts

Prep Work:

Before wallpapering your wall, clean it with a mild cleanser (diluted TSP is wonderful, but you can use regular multi-purpose spray cleaner.) Patch any holes or imperfections with spackle (joint compound). After the compound has dried, lightly sand the wall.

Wipe off the sanding dust with a damp rag.

Coat the wall with primer and let dry. This may seem like overkill, but you never know what the wall condition is (for example, how many sticky fingers left their mark on there. And I won’t mention the booger memorial. Parents of boys, you so get this right?!) It’s better to prime and be certain your wallpaper will stick to the wall the first time. If you are going to repaint the rest of the walls, go ahead and paint around the edges of your soon to be wallpapered wall. This will avoid the headache of trying to cut around the wallpaper after the fact.

Once the primer is dry, gather your supplies for hanging the wallpaper. Set out the platforms or step ladders to help you install the top panels.

Read the instructions that come with your wallpaper mural. It should direct you to the correct installation order. (The wall mural I bought has codes in the corner and  a corresponding diagram to tell us where to hang the panels.) Locate your first panel.

Gather your DIY Wallpaper experts to help you. Spread wallpaper paste onto the first panel using the paint roller.

Carefully lift the panel up and position it on the wall. The directions told us to install the first panel in the upper right corner.

Pull each side taut and line up your mural panel against the corner and the ceiling. Some overlap is okay, you can trim it off later.

The panel is still re-positionable while the paste is wet. Make sure you get the panel in position before proceeding.

Use the wallpaper application brush to sweep from the center out. This will force air bubbles and wrinkles out of your panel.

Then you can use the squeegee to really smooth the panel and remove any remaining air bubbles.

After the first panel is installed, move on to the next panel (as instructed by the directions from the manufacturer.)

Continue installing each panel until your wall is complete.

Trim any excess above the baseboard and at the ceiling using an x-acto knife (with a clean sharp blade.) For a super straight line, you can use a metal ruler as a guide.

You should have a fabulous feature wall now!

Do you love the look of that brick wall? You can find it and more at WallpaperDirect.com?

Thank you soooo much to my sweet girlfriends Holly & Claire (soon to be blogger). I owe them both for their friendship and help.

See you later alligator!

Disclosure: WallpaperDirect.com sent me complimentary wallpaper products. I was not told what to say about Wallpaper Direct or their products. All opinions and words are my own.

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