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Wallpaper first or flooring


mks

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I have a quick question...should wallpaper be installed first before the hardwood flooring or is it the other way around? My guidebook, "The ABC's of Dollhouse Finishing" says to install the flooring first, but I also read somewhere else that the wallpaper should go in first.

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I put together as much as possible before gluing the structure. Then, once it's together, I trim it all. For my houses that I bought already glued, I am thinking flooring first, protect it with painters tape and paper and then wallpaper. It will be interesting to see the responses from those who are old hands at constructing first, then decorating.

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If you are scribing and staining the floor pieces, you'll want to do them first. I've done it both ways. Right now I've got the floor papers cut to size for the floors of the White Rose (half scale) but will not glue them in until almost last. My Spring Fling floor is scribed and stained, so it was first. The big Tennyson is still waiting on a floor decision from me but wall paper and ceiling papers are installed. I've kind of come to the conclusion that if I'm doing a wood floor I don't mind doing it first because small mistakes can be easily fixed, but if it's floor papers, etc. then it's last, followed by baseboards. :)

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I also worked from the top down. When I glued on the celings, some past got onto the bare walls, When I pasted on the wallpaper, some paste got onto the bare floors. Then, when I glued down the floors, everytihng was set. I have only done one house, but I think the next time, I would love the have the walls and the ceilings already done before building the house. I think there are several ways to do it.

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Y'all have eased MY mind some-my floors are last and I think it is best in my case,too. My house is still in kind of exploded form-not all permanently glued together,but ceilings done and the wall treatments will be completed before I glue it all together. I've tiled the 1st floor,but on a template insert-just personal preferrance. I'm painting a pattern on the second floor,so it will go on last before the roof.

As for you Marilyn,I hope we haven't further confused you,but it seems to all depend on your particular floor choice,I guess! Good luck and let us know how it goes! :)

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I like doing wallpaper before floors but if you're planning to use baseboards, it doesn't matter that much. If you're not going to use baseboards then doing the wallpaper first gives you a better chance at having a nice transition where it meets the floor.

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I always choose depending on how I am finishing my dollhouse. If I am going to apply a flooring cover, I apply wallpaper first. If I plan on finishing the dollhouses original floors with no cover, I apply the wallpaper after.

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I have done floors first when they need a lot of work and I know I won't be able to get my hands into the finished room to work on them.
I am just a messy painter so I have to paint ceilings before I assemble or I will be sure to mess up the wallpaper. I also agree that molding covers a multitude of sins. I have wallpapered walls before assembling but that sometimes results in mismatched walls ( for me). I guess you have to go by what the house looks like, shapes of the rooms, space available to work in etc. :)

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A trick for wallpapering pre-assembly is to line up your walls and dropmatch your paper, allowing 1/4"-1/2" overlap at the sides. Once the paper's on and thoroughly dry, fold the extra back towards the wall along the edge. You can cut your door and window openings before assembly; I usually go back and cut another 1/16" or so around the openings so I have bare wood to glue the framework to. When I assemble the shell I trim the paper to the back wall edge and paste the sidewall lap onto the back wall on each side, then trim it once it's thoroughly dry; it's not as noticeable as pasting the back wall laps to the side walls and having the white edge of the paper show. I far prefer to paper after the build, though.

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Holly, I've never dealt with RL or mini wallpaper,and I usually use solid color scrapbook papers in roombox projects. So when you used the term 'dropmatch' in another post before this,I had to look it up,as I had never heard that term before. After looking it up again tonight,I am pretty sure I get what you/they mean now-to get the repeating patterns in the paper to match up...? But,what would be your best definition of the term? I'm not dumb,but I just wonder if I am the only one who had to go look it up so I could finish reading the tutorial?Thanx for posting it,by the way!

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I have hung RL wallpaper, the LAST! time in a house built in 1906 with 10' ceilings downstairs and 9' up. Dropmatch means you match the patterns at the sides from the top and I remember we lapped the sides, so matched the adjacent pieces overlapped. Then when the excess top lap is trimmed the pattern still matches at the sides, even in the corners.

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I can't help but add my two cents here as well. I do it both ways, depending on the material. For example, the RGT Victorian Cottage has a simulated hardwood floor I made with skinny sticks. I had to sand, stain and seal this. If I had wallpapered first, I would have surely ruined the paper with all that sanding, staining and sealing. On the same build, The upstairs will have carpet. I will carpet last because I need access to the floor for as long as possible to make any electrical tape adjustments.

My advice is to think it through a couple of times how you will go about finishing a room. The goal would be not to damage any other surface with the installation of another. I wish you the best of luck on your build. Let us know when you post your photos, we always love to see each others' work!!!!!

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Molly that's exactly what I was thinking. I have built more RGT houses thank GL and they have different surfaces. I used the floors in the Victorian the way they were but clear acrylic coated them. I did the floors first before I assembled that house. I covered them with paper while I was working on the rest of the house so I wouldn't mess up the floors.

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