Wallpaper

There are a few jobs I can think of that, if I am turned away from the gates of heaven, I’m afraid I will be sentenced to perform. Plumber, mover, and high-rise window cleaner are some great examples. This weekend, I faced another one on that list—wallpaper hanger.

Having had some prior and less-than-optimum experiences, for weeks I had resisted Courtney’s subtle hints. It was long ago but I remember the frustration and time spent working to get it right only to be disappointed with the end result. Last weekend, my excuses ran out and I was conscripted with no options.

If you haven’t hung wallpaper in a while, it is basically a simple process of sticking rolls of paper to the wall using glue. Sounds easy—what could go wrong? Answer, pretty much everything. The first strip must be perpendicular to the floor which may not align with the corner from which you start. Then of course there is the pattern which you must match exactly while navigating door jams, trim, switches and all manners of other obstacles. Of course, it’s paper so it has to be smoothed removing the air bubbles, glue globs and various other hindrances to a smooth wall. Speaking of smooth walls, you smooth them prior to starting all this. Like I said, what could go wrong?

Wisely, to protect my fragile ego as it relates to this work, I put Courtney in charge. Having never faced the ugly truth of hanging wallpaper, she didn’t approach the project with my fear. She referenced the great purveyor of knowledge, Google, and we systematically followed the advice. It was not easy, it was not fun but it did turn out great.

I’m happy that we don’t have another wallpaper project on the horizon. That said, it wasn’t too bad and, for the first time in my wallpaper career, I’m kind of happy with the result.

Any opinions are those of Nathan Clakley and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.