WHAT IS WALLPAPER CASE OR RAPPORT?

You've already decided which wallpaper pattern you like best. It has been difficult to choose between so many options. You will have come across geometric patterns, floral designs, animals, celestial motifs and so on and so forth. Now you are ready to put up the wallpaper in your room. As a good wallpaperer, you have read the label of the wallpaper you have bought to get to know its characteristics. One of the main indications you can find is the size of what is called case or rapport. Don't panic! It is a piece of information that will help you to place the wallpaper correctly, respecting its pattern. The case or rapport indicates the distance in which the pattern of the drawing is repeated. The designs are intended to be repeated every few spaces. When the figures are spaced apart, this may be less noticeable. For example, there may be drawings in which stars and moons alternate with a certain distance between them. But when it is a geometric design or a drawing that is followed, the case or rapport becomes more important. It helps us to know how the paper has to be placed so as not to produce breaks in the pattern. If this reference is not taken into account when placing the paper, each strip that you have placed would be perfectly noticeable, causing an unsightly effect.

How the case or rapport works when hanging wallpaper

Now that you know what the concept of case or rapport is, you need to know how it affects you when you hang wallpaper. One of the first implications is the cutting of the strips from each roll. The first strip to be laid will have the same centimetres as the height of the wall.  From the second strip onwards, you must add the distance of the case or rapport to the measurement of the height of the wall. This means that for each roll you will have fewer strips, so you will need more units to cover a given surface.

Therefore, before cutting the paper, read the label carefully to see if you have to apply the case or rapport distance. If you don't, you will probably lose the whole roll as you won't be able to fit it properly.

The second implication of a wallpaper that has a case or rapport distance is its placement. As mentioned above, the strips we have prepared have an added distance. This will allow us the play we need to be able to follow the pattern without interruption.

We glue the strip of glued paper and start placing it from top to bottom, making it fit the pattern. We will have to do it carefully and make the necessary corrections so that it fits the case or rapport indicated. 

There will be an excess that must be removed. It is preferable to do this when the wallpaper is dry as you could unintentionally move it and lose all the work you have done. To cut it, you can use a cutter with the help of a ruler.

While it dries you can repeat the process with the following strips, repeating all the operations indicated. It is quite laborious and requires a lot of concentration. That is why it is necessary that you do it calmly and take your time. If everything has gone well, you will not notice any cuts or jumps of any kind. 

Aspects that you should take into account when matching your wallpaper

You can find different types of rapport in wallpapers. As we have already mentioned, you can find patterns with continuous figures and others in which they are spaced out and are easier to place.

Another distinction is made according to the direction of the pattern. Wallpaper can have a case or rapport that follows a horizontal line. Other types have an oblique pattern. Sometimes it is completely free-standing, so you can install it as you like. 

There is the possibility that the case or rapport may need to reverse the wallpaper strips alternately. In this case it requires an exercise in concentration not to get lost. In each strip the paper should be rotated 180 degrees so that the pattern is maintained.

 

In cases where the case or rapport is particularly difficult, it is advisable to have it installed by a professional. This way you will get professional results and avoid problems.