You’re about to wallpaper a wall or entire room and in your search for tips, you come across the word ‘plumb’. A tool that professional wallpaperers use regularly. But why does a wallpaperer sometimes use a plumb line? How does an ejector plumb work? And is it a good idea to use plumb? This article answers all these questions and more!
How does a plumb line work?
A plumb bob is a measuring instrument consisting of a heavy piece of lead on a string. You can actually think of it as a spirit level’s little brother. If it does not hang against anything, the weight of the lead and gravity mean that plumb always hangs vertically. In construction, for example, plumb is often used to build a wall vertically. Unlike a spirit level, which always needs something to lean against, a plumb line can be stretched wherever you want. This is handy, because that way it is never in the way.
Why use plumb when wallpapering?
Now you’re probably still wondering: why does a wallpaperer use plumb? Simple. To be able to place the first strip of wallpaper vertically. By using plumb when wallpapering, you can be sure that your first strip will be attached perpendicular to the wall. And this is important, because in most houses, both the top and bottom of walls are not always straight. So you can’t just assume that if you start at the top, it will come out exactly right everywhere. With a plumb line, you can be sure that you are on the right track and that your wallpaper, even if it is a pattern or print, will always come out right. And that’s a nice idea.
Using plumb yourself when wallpapering
Would you like to use plumb when wallpapering just like a wallpaperer? You can! Drive a nail into the top of the wall and attach a rope with a piece of lead to it. Take a pencil and use it to draw some marks on the wall right next to the plumb line. Divided along the line from top to bottom. You can use these as reference frames when papering the first strip of wallpaper. Next, walk up your steps with the first strip and carefully lower it. Place the strip tightly against the plumb line and rub from top to bottom and centre to side.
After your first strip of wallpaper with a plumb line
After you have placed your first strip of wallpaper using a plumb line, trim the top edge. After this, you don’t actually need the plumb line to wallpaper anymore. Assuming your first strip is now perfectly vertical on the wall, you can use this as a starting point for all the strips that follow. To ensure that each strip fits seamlessly, always apply it about 1 millimetre apart. When you smooth the wallpaper with a rubbing brush, it expands automatically. As a result, the strips will come together perfectly.
