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.
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.
I have a friend who did it in his apartment and it worked out great. The thing is really the wall prep like the person before said - it needs to be spotless clean, no dust, and if you have imperfections like little holes or bumps they're gonna show through the PVC. I kind of compare it to prepping a surface before putting a fish fillet on a plate, if you slack on the prep then all the work after that is compromised.
The actual installation isn't hardcore, you glue as you go, you press down hard so it doesn't bubble and you use a spatula or scraper to get the air bubbles out. The real challenge is when you get to the corners and edges - that's where you gotta be a bit careful and take your time. If your hallway has weird corners or tons of stuff on the walls (light switches, outlets, etc) it's gonna take you longer but it's still totally doable.
After that it's mostly about patience and not rushing. If you feel like you're not comfortable or your walls are really uneven, a pro will do it faster and without stress. But personally if you have some basic handy skills and time on your hands, go for it. I've already messed up tons of projects in the kitchen and anyway in hockey I learned that mistakes are part of the process, so no need to panic.
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.
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.
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.
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