The "Hanger Games."

Well, to tell the truth, hanging a nautical chart mural is no game! 

When we work with our clients to create a memorable nautical chart mural for their home or office, the last step in the process is really the most important one – making sure the mural is hung properly.

This is not a do-it-yourself-project!  You really do need a paperhanger with exceptional skills.

We try to stack the deck in favor of the paperhanger.  We intentionally add a couple of inches to height and width for each mural to give the paperhanger some leeway in making sure it fits on the wall; what we call the “fudge factor.”

But what we absolutely have to have from our paperhangers is incredible accuracy in matching the panels.  Each chart mural has latitude lines that have to be spot on when the panels are overlapped.  And because most of our murals are in bathrooms, or other high-moisture environments, we allow for a one-inch overlap between panels to keep the moisture from getting behind the paper.

So you can see, not just any paperhanger will do when it comes to hanging our murals.  However, our clients are responsible for finding the best paperhangers to complete the job.

So what do you need to look for in a paperhanger?  Here is our criteria:

1.      If possible, find a paperhanger who has experience in commercial installations.  Those who have done commercial jobs usually deal with larger panels, and ours may run up to 53 inches wide.  Standard wallpaper rolls are 21 inches wide, in a repeating pattern.  Matching a repeating pattern is much easier than matching a seam of a non-repeating image in a nautical chart mural.  Thus, if possible, a commercial wallpaper installer may have the experience you need in hanging our mural.

2.      Find a paperhanger who is willing to work with you.  Your input should be welcomed; after all it is YOUR mural! 

3.      A paperhanger willing to follow instructions is a must.  We have special instructions for hanging DreamScape, the wallcovering onto which your mural is printed.  If your paperhanger doesn’t wish to read nor follow the instructions, please look for someone else. 

4.      Don’t be afraid to change horses in the middle of the stream!  If, for some reason, your paperhanger looks at your mural and has reservations about his/her ability to hang the paper, thank them nicely for coming out, and hire another paperhanger – even if you are behind schedule.  No hurried deadline is more important than a job well done – by a paperhanger with the ability to meet your expectations.

Lastly, don’t cut corners on price.  It may cost a bit more to get the experience you need to hang your mural, but you won’t regret paying it after the mural is successfully in place.