Hang J. Josephson Commercial Vinyl Wallcovering Tips N Tricks - Spencer Colgan 

Cheers Spencer love the Tips N Tricks

Good stuff. Yeah, the old timers use the single edge blade. Their fingers are so callused and hard and strong that it's not a problem. Also, the old timers use a six foot straight edge. One hand holding it in place on top. Knee keeping it in place below. A lot of installers will tape their ceilings so they don't glue get on the ceiling and have to hit with a sponge, which will always leave a smudge on a freshly painted ceiling. The best installer I ever saw was so good he would free hand his ceiling line cuts. It was crazy haha. Anyway, thanks.

I hung that exact same vinyl in a Hyundai dealerships offices! Fortunately, for me they all had dropped T-bar ceilings, so I took off the wall track. Hung the sheets plumb. Cut the seams with my 4’ aluminum wallpaper edge trim guide. Re-installed the track and trimmed the top edge….😉

I learned from an old timer, whom learned from his dad and I learned to use a single edge blade with a six foot straight edge, at first it was difficult but now I’m so used to it that I prefer that method. Although I always use a laser level to keep my sheet plumb.

I am in the process of establishing the first wall covering production line in the Middle East.

Merci

Use a 6 foot magnesium straight edge and single edge blade for best seam. That's the way commercial installers work. You build up a callous real quick you can also use a double cutter. We don't use snap of blade knives except in extra reach scenarios. Being able to use a single edge blade handily and safely (cuts are extremely rare) is hallmark of a good installer. Why not use a snap off blade? Because it bevels the cut and you don't have control you do with a single edge blade, take a pencil write your name now take that pencil and hold it further up like a snap off knife and write your name. All good commercial installers use a lightweight magnesium straight edge and hold the blade flat against it you can feel the wall as you cut and don't split the drywall. No good installers freecut seams because your gonna slightly angle the blade giving you a more visible beveled seam. Commercial vinyl is always wrapped around inside corners where possible to avoid visible seams at corner. There's tricks to doing this correctly (heat gun, corner roller) plumb will be achieved with next sheet. There's a reason pros do it the way we do, however "many way to skin a cat". There's definitely different methods to installing commercial 54" than residential installations. Get a magnesium straight edge, and a stabilla level and throw away your snap of blade knife for a week, you'll improve your skills. Another tip, if you have to split a sheet at corner trim your overlap to 1/8" using plastic smoother (don't slide it) then peel it back a few inches install next piece smooth and flat (never pull, tug or twist type 11 vinyl) and trim of excess with a metal 10" broad knife being careful to keep that blade flat so you don't have that beveled seam then lift of the edge and lay the preceding piece with overlap underneath. This will avoid cutting thru your overlap which will split. We also use this method on residential papers when splitting corners. At the end of the day 54" type 11 vinyl is not a DIY project. Those commercial installers typically hang a 100 yards or more a day compared to 30 yards in residential, we paste the sheets on a canvas drop taped to hard floor using a 6'-8' extension pole, not worth busting out the 54 "pasting machine on small residential installs. On non woven fabric back vinyls you can also paste the wall which helps with seams not splitting as it dries, cause yeah that stuff can expand as it absorbs the paste. After 40 years I always learn something new particular with so many different and new materials. Keep up the good work Spencer 👍

Hi Spencer - Can you hang this type of wallcovering in window recesses and around corners?

Spencer, would you be interested in consulting with my company in Chattanooga TN?

They sell special knives for the double cuts that don’t cut through the drywall

𝓟Ř𝔬𝓂𝔬𝐒ϻ 🎶