Historic Home Wallpaper Installation — Atlanta, GA

Wallpaper for Historic Georgia Homes

Atlanta's northern suburbs are filled with extraordinary historic housing stock — antebellum cottages in Roswell, craftsman bungalows in Sandy Springs, Queen Anne Victorians in Marietta. These homes deserve a different approach than a modern drywall installation, and we've built our expertise around exactly that.

Older walls present unique challenges: horsehair plaster that requires stabilization, original lath systems that flex seasonally, and surfaces that hold moisture differently than modern construction. Rushing any step of the prep process on an old home is how installations fail — and how historic fabric gets damaged.

Schedule a Historic Home Consultation

Working With Older Plaster Walls

The most common challenge in historic homes is plaster. Traditional three-coat plaster — scratch, brown, and finish — is beautiful but requires careful preparation before wallpapering:

• Assessment: We tap-test for voids, cracks, and loose sections before anything else
• Stabilization: Hairline cracks are filled; larger damage is stabilized with appropriate fillers before skim coating
• Sizing: Historic plaster is highly absorbent — we apply sizing or diluted primer to control paste absorption and ensure proper adhesion
• Moisture testing: Plaster can hold moisture; we test before proceeding
• Skim coating: Surfaces are leveled to achieve an acceptably smooth substrate without destroying original plaster depth

Preservation Mindset

We approach historic home work with a preservation mindset. That means:

• Using reversible adhesives where historically appropriate
• Selecting wallcoverings with weight and texture appropriate for the architectural period
• Avoiding excessive moisture application that could damage original plaster or lath
• Recommending against certain installation types when the substrate isn't suitable
• Documenting existing conditions before and after as a service to homeowners

Period-Appropriate Wallcovering Options

We help historic homeowners select wallcoverings appropriate to their home's period and character:

• Victorian (1837–1901): Floral trails, deep-toned damasks, paisley patterns, and bold geometrics
• Craftsman/Arts & Crafts (1900–1930): Earth-toned nature motifs, simple repeating patterns, ingrain textures
• Colonial Revival (1880–1950): Classic stripes, toile, and muted botanical prints
• Mid-Century (1945–1970): Abstract geometrics, atomic prints, grasscloth, and natural textures

We work closely with interior designers and historic preservation consultants when period accuracy is a priority.

Our Historic Home Installation Process

1. Pre-Installation Inspection: Full wall assessment — plaster condition, moisture, existing finishes
2. Documentation: We note existing conditions so you have a record
3. Plaster Stabilization: Fill, consolidate, and skim as required
4. Sizing/Priming: Control absorption with appropriate prep products
5. Trial Strip: We always hang a test strip and let it dry before proceeding
6. Full Installation: Careful, methodical, with extra attention to period-appropriate seam treatment
7. Final Review: Walkthrough and care briefing specific to your material

Historic Home Wallpaper FAQ