I ordered PVC wall covering (Décowalldesign style) for my hallway, and now I'm wondering if I can really do it myself or if it's better to call a pro. Online reviews say it's simple but I'm scared I'll mess it all up.
Alright, listen, after 15 years doing renos, I'm gonna tell you straight up: PVC isn't rocket science but it's a pain in the ass if you don't prep it right.
Your wall's gotta be spotless - clean, dry and smooth - or you're gonna get bubbles and it'll peel off in 6 months.
If your walls are in decent shape and you've got the patience to prep them properly, go for it, but if you gotta fill holes or there's mold, call someone in, it's not worth frustrating yourself over.
It's not complicated but you gotta be at least a little organized. The wall prep is the important part, it's gotta be clean and smooth or it'll bubble everywhere. If you have decent walls and you take your time to measure properly, you can do it no problem. I would've just taken a full day so I wouldn't stress, and having a friend help with the corners is really useful.
Personally, I'd say it's "easy" but with quotation marks. It's definitely not professional work, but there's one thing people often forget to mention: humidity. If your hallway has even a bit of condensation or moisture in the walls, the PVC is gonna shift, it'll come unstuck or it'll get wavy. I've seen that happen with friends who tried it without checking that first. So before you start, really make the effort to check that your walls aren't too damp. If you have any doubt at all, air it out well for a few days, like window open.
For the prep work, yeah it's really the basics. Your wall needs to be clean (dust, dirt), dry, and as smooth as possible. If there are bumps or spots sticking out, it's gonna show through the PVC. Remove the old coverings completely, fill in the holes with joint compound or plaster, sand it. Seems annoying but it's literally 70% of the job. Once that's done, the installation itself? It's really not complicated. You cut it to size, you apply the adhesive (usually it comes with it), you stick it starting from the top toward the bottom, you smooth it with a putty knife or a brush so you don't leave air pockets. Take your time, work on one section at a time, and you're good.
If you don't have too many imperfections on your walls and you can do the prep correctly, honestly you can do it yourself. It's just about being patient and careful during the prep work.
I put down PVC at my place last year and it's really way less stressful than you'd think.
The key thing is really the wall prep like I said before - it's gotta be spotless, no dust, and especially smooth. Once you've got that, it's just a matter of patience and following the manufacturer's instructions properly, like starting from the bottom, smoothing it out as you go to avoid bubbles.
If you're a bit handy, go for it, it only takes a few hours for a hallway.
With 21 years of work in metalwork I'm not really a specialist in wall PVC, but I can tell you it's pretty similar to a bunch of other jobs - the real pain isn't the installation, it's the prep work.
Your walls really gotta be perfect, clean and smooth, otherwise you're gonna have bubbles everywhere and you'll be pulling your hair out.
I watched some videos when my husband wanted to put similar stuff in our living room and honestly if you're patient and you take your time to prep properly, you can do it, but it's not a job where you can rush the prep stage - that's where most people mess up.
The thing that's really going to make the difference is the wall's moisture before you start. The others are right about prep, but they forget to mention: let your wall breathe for at least 48 hours after cleaning it. If you put PVC on a damp or just wet wall, you're gonna have problems like bubbles or peeling in a few months. Use a moisture meter if you've got one to check, or worst case just wait a few days after washing it down.
For the actual installation, it's really not complicated but tedious. You're gonna start from the straightest corner of your hallway, apply the glue or use whatever adhesive system it comes with (depends on the brand), and work your way forward while smoothing it out really well to avoid bubbles. One thing nobody mentions: use a plastic scraper or just a plastic card instead of something hard, otherwise you're gonna leave scratches on the PVC. Cutting around doors and stuff that sticks out is kinda annoying but not complicated either, just need a utility knife and a little patience.
Honestly you should be able to do it yourself if your walls are in decent shape. It's not rocket science. The biggest mistake is wanting to rush it - take your time with the prep and after that everything goes smooth.
Log into answer.
