What Professional Wallpaper Service Looks Like From Start to Finish
Wallpaper is one of those jobs that looks simple on a tutorial video and falls apart the second it hits a real wall. Bubbles, crooked seams, torn corners, patterns that drift out of alignment halfway across the room. And removal is worse: gouged drywall, adhesive residue that won't sand out, and patches that show through the next finish. Both directions require more patience than most homeowners expect.
Port City Painting handles wallpaper installation and wallpaper removal for residential clients across Saint John. New wallpaper in living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, bathrooms, and accent walls. Full-room removal of outdated paper before a fresh paint job. And the combination projects where old paper comes off one wall and new paper goes up on another. Whatever the scope, the walls underneath get treated properly before anything else happens.
The difference between wallpaper that lasts and wallpaper that peels at the seams within a year is the wall condition going in. Smooth, clean, properly primed walls accept adhesive evenly and hold paper flat. Rough, dusty, or unprimed walls create weak spots that fail under humidity and temperature changes. We spend time on the wall before we spend time on the paper, and that sequence is the reason the result holds.
The Wallpaper Services We Provide in Your Home
Wallpaper projects vary widely depending on whether paper is going up, coming down, or both. Here is what our service covers and how we handle each type of job.
Full-Room Wallpaper Installation
Walls measured, paper quantities calculated with waste accounted for, surfaces prepped with appropriate primer, and paper hung with careful seam alignment and pattern matching. We work one wall at a time, checking alignment as we go so drift doesn't compound across the room.
Accent Wall Installation
A single papered wall can anchor an entire room. Accent walls demand precise placement because every edge is a transition point between paper and paint. We plan the starting point around focal features like fireplaces, headboards, or windows so the pattern reads intentionally, not like it ran out of wall.
Wallpaper Removal
Scoring, steaming, stripping, and cleaning the adhesive residue underneath. Different wallpaper types (vinyl, fabric-backed, traditional paste, peel-and-stick) require different removal approaches. We identify the type before starting so the walls come out clean rather than damaged. Skim coating or sanding follows if the surface underneath needs repair before painting or re-papering.
Removal and Repaint
The most common combination project: old wallpaper stripped, walls repaired and primed, then painted to a clean finish. The wall condition after removal determines how much repair is needed. Some walls come out smooth. Others need skim coating, patching, or sanding before they're ready for paint. We scope the repair during the estimate so the cost is clear upfront.
Removal and New Paper
Old paper off, walls prepped and primed for the new adhesive, and new paper installed. Going from old wallpaper to new wallpaper requires more wall prep than most people expect, because the old adhesive and any surface damage need to be addressed completely before new paper goes up.
Bathroom and High-Humidity Rooms
Bathrooms, laundry rooms, and kitchens near the sink all present moisture challenges for wallpaper. We use moisture-appropriate primers and adhesives, and we recommend paper types suited to humidity. Not every wallpaper product belongs in a bathroom, and we'll tell you during the consult which ones hold up and which ones don't.
PICTURING NEW WALLPAPER BUT NOT SURE WHERE TO START? LET'S LOOK AT THE ROOM TOGETHER. free, in person, no pressure.
Our Story
The Crew That Hangs Paper the Way It Should Be Hung
Wallpaper is the most detail-intensive service we offer. A pattern that's off by a quarter inch at the ceiling is off by a full inch at the floor. A bubble left in a wet sheet becomes a permanent flaw once the adhesive sets. The margin for error is smaller than on any other surface in the house.
Port City Painting is owned by Veronika Latrille, who started the company in 2025 with an attention to detail that shows most clearly in work like this. She handles every wallpaper estimate herself, measures the room, evaluates the wall condition, and discusses pattern placement so you know exactly how the finished room will look before any adhesive is mixed.
Her sister Madelina brings close to six years of professional experience and the kind of steady hand that wallpaper demands. Aligning repeating patterns across multiple sheets on a long wall, wrapping inside corners without tearing, trimming cleanly around outlets and switches. The crew stays small and focused because wallpaper work doesn't benefit from extra bodies in the room. It benefits from the right hands doing the work carefully.
What Sets Our Wallpaper Service in Saint John Apart
9 years
industry experience
3 year
warranty
Zero
Subcontractors
-
Wall prep treated as its own phase, not a quick step before hanging
The wall surface determines whether wallpaper succeeds or fails. We clean, repair, sand, and prime every wall before paper or adhesive touches it. Skipping this step is the single most common reason wallpaper bubbles, lifts, or peels at the seams. We don't skip it.
-
Pattern alignment checked continuously, not corrected after the fact
Repeating patterns drift when alignment isn't verified sheet by sheet. We check pattern registration at the ceiling, at the midpoint, and at the floor on every single sheet. If something shifts, we catch it immediately rather than discovering it three sheets later when the fix means starting over.
-
Free design consult for the room, not just the paper
Choosing wallpaper involves the room's lighting, the furniture placement, the adjacent wall colours, and the pattern scale relative to the wall size. Every wallpaper estimate includes a free 1-hour consult with Veronika to walk through options, discuss placement, and make sure the paper you've chosen is going to work in the actual room, not just on a sample swatch.
-
Clean removal that protects the wall underneath
Wallpaper removal is only half the job. The other half is what the wall looks like after. We remove paper methodically, clean every trace of adhesive, and repair the surface so it's ready for paint or new paper without visible damage from the stripping process.
How a Wallpaper Project Runs With Our Crew
Wallpaper projects require a specific sequence whether paper is going up, coming down, or both. Here is how we manage each phase so the walls and the finished result are handled correctly from the first measurement to the last trimmed edge.
In-Room Estimate and Measurement
Veronika measures the room, checks the wall condition, notes obstacles (windows, doors, outlets, corners), and writes a detailed estimate covering material quantities, wall prep, and the installation or removal scope. You'll know what the project involves before you commit.
Free Design Consult
One hour in the room with Veronika. If you've already chosen a paper, she'll discuss pattern placement, starting points, and how it will read on your walls. If you're still deciding, she'll help narrow the options based on the room's light, scale, and existing finishes.
Wall Preparation
For installation: walls cleaned, patched, sanded smooth, and primed with a wallpaper-specific primer that allows future removal without destroying the drywall. For removal: paper scored, steamed, stripped, adhesive cleaned, and the surface repaired and prepped for whatever comes next.
Wallpaper Installation
Paper cut with pattern matching accounted for, adhesive applied evenly, sheets hung with continuous alignment checks, seams rolled smooth, and edges trimmed cleanly at the ceiling, floor, and around every obstacle. Air bubbles worked out while the adhesive is still workable.
Detail Trimming and Cleanup
Outlet covers removed beforehand and reinstalled after. Window and door trim edges cut precisely. Excess adhesive wiped before it dries. The room left clean, with no scraps, no residue on trim, and no adhesive on your floors.
Final Walkthrough
Every seam, every corner, every trim line inspected with you. Pattern alignment checked across the full wall. Any imperfections addressed before the adhesive fully cures. Sign-off when the room looks right.
The Satisfaction Guarantee Behind Every Wallpaper Project
Wallpaper is permanent in a way that paint is not. Once the adhesive cures, the seams, the alignment, and the wall prep underneath are locked in. The standard for a wallpaper job is that every seam sits flat, every pattern lines up, and the finished wall looks intentional from every angle. If the walkthrough reveals a seam that's lifting, a pattern that drifted, or an edge that isn't clean, we address it before we leave. No sign-off until the room meets the standard you expected when you booked the project.
Backed by $2M in liability insurance.
Common Wallpaper Problems We Solve for Saint John Homeowners
Most wallpaper calls come from homeowners who either want outdated paper gone or tried hanging paper themselves and hit a wall, figuratively. These are the issues we hear most and how we handle each one.
"There's old wallpaper in every room and I want it all gone before we paint"
Whole-house wallpaper removal is one of our most common projects. Each room gets assessed individually because the paper type, the adhesive, and the wall condition underneath can vary from room to room. We strip, clean, repair, and prime every surface so it's ready for a clean paint finish.
"I tried removing the wallpaper myself and damaged the drywall underneath"
DIY removal without the right technique often tears the paper face of the drywall, leaving rough patches and gouges. We skim coat or patch the damaged areas, sand smooth, and prime so the wall is ready for paint or new paper. The repair work is part of the estimate, not a surprise addition.
"I hung wallpaper myself and the seams are lifting and the pattern doesn't line up"
Seam failure usually means the adhesive wasn't applied evenly or the sheets weren't butted tightly during installation. Pattern drift means alignment wasn't checked sheet by sheet. Depending on the extent of the problem, we can re-adhere lifting seams or, if the misalignment is too visible, remove and rehang the affected sections properly.
"I want wallpaper in my bathroom but I've been told it won't hold up"
Standard paste and standard paper can fail in high-humidity rooms. Vinyl-coated or solid vinyl wallpaper with a moisture-resistant adhesive and a proper primer underneath holds up well in bathrooms. We recommend specific products for wet rooms during the consult and steer you away from the ones that won't last.
"I love a wallpaper I found online but I'm not sure it will look right in my room"
Scale, pattern repeat, lighting, and wall size all affect how a wallpaper reads in an actual room versus a product photo. The design consult is built for exactly this question. Veronika can help you evaluate whether the paper you've chosen will work at full scale, or whether a different pattern, colourway, or placement would serve the room better.
Hear What Your Neighbours are Saying
The Wallpaper Products and Adhesives We Work With
Wallpaper products range from delicate grasscloths to heavy vinyl, and each type requires its own adhesive, primer, and hanging technique. Choosing the wrong combination for the room or the wall surface leads to bubbling, peeling, or staining through the paper.
We work with a range of professional-grade wallpaper products and match the adhesive system to the paper weight, the wall surface, and the room's humidity level. Clay-based adhesives for standard residential paper. Heavy-duty pastes for vinyl and fabric-backed products. Wallpaper-specific primers that seal the drywall, provide a consistent bonding surface, and allow clean future removal without tearing the paper face off the wall.
During your estimate, we talk through the product compatibility for your project: whether your chosen paper matches the room conditions, which adhesive system suits the weight and the material, and what primer goes on the wall to ensure the installation holds long-term and comes off cleanly whenever you're ready for a change.
Answers to Common Wallpaper Questions
Wallpaper projects raise questions about durability, removal, room suitability, and the installation process itself. Here are honest answers to the ones Saint John homeowners ask most.
Book a free wallpaper estimate.
We'll walk the space, give you a real number, and include a full colour consult at no charge.
