This is not a DYI install. Wait for the paper hanger.

I agree.....wait for the paper hanger but go ahead and install the toilet, etc. if you need a functioning bathroom. The toilet can easily be removed when the paper hanger shows.

If you are DIY competent, you could give it a shot. Especially if you have paper hanging experience. I don't find it difficult to hang...you just need to use specific measures to get the best result.

Use blanklining or blankstock. Mandatory. In large rooms I actually run it horizontal across the walls, which is how I was told to do it years ago. You don't want seams in the blanklining being aligned with the wall paper seams. It can be hung vertically...just watch the seam alignment.

After it's up, paste size the blanklining and let it completely dry. This will make the lining very absorbent, which helps when hanging the pulp paper. It prevents soak through and water marks, etc, in the patterned paper.

Careful with your seams. Pulp papers can expand more than others when wet, and obviously, shrink when they dry. That's where the lining paper helps too.

When hanging the patterned paper, to set and smooth it I use a bristle sweep. Rigid smoothers can burnish the pulp paper and possibly mar the ink pattern. They can smear any errant paste into the pores of the paper. So I use a bristle sweep. If you want to use a rigid smoother, use a scrap piece of paper held over the wall paper, and run your smoother over the scrap paper. That way the friction will occur between the smoother and the scrap paper instead of between the smoother and the patterned face of your pulp paper.

Oh, and do not use premixed paste. I won't get into the chemistry of how premixed pastes are processed, but the end result is that premixed pastes can possibly result in bleed-through staining months or years after the pulp paper is installed. Buy powdered starch and mix your own. I use potato starch. I use distilled water as well. Well water can have minerals and iron, city water can have it's own list of secret ingredients. So mix your own potato starch powder with distilled water.

So I guess I'd say if you have experience in hanging wall paper, you can hang pulp if you simply add a few methods and techniques to your bag of tricks.

Mongoct:

A lot of what you say I've read in an article by a Jim Parodi... he even has some youtube videos. It was his article that even made me think that it could be a DIY with some general wallpaper hanging expertise (that's my sister). Very helpful.

Now I have some additional questions for you, since you sound like you are knowledgeable:

This is going on new drywall. Do I prime the drywall prior to hanging the blankstock. If so, is Guardz good for this?

Does one use the potato starch for the blank-stock adhesive as well, or is regular pre-mixed paste ok? I understand about the bleed-through issue so I want to make sure I don't mess anything up if we decide to proceed.

When you say to 'paste-size the blankstock'... what product do you mean to use for that?

Thank you for your help and info.

Christophern and Annz: I hear what you are saying. I'm hesitant to try it but man I hate to wait 3 months for a little bit of wallpaper. The paper in our toilet alcove consists of 9 ft. wide x 6ft. high split out between 3 walls. It seems like a small enough area that we could attempt it there and if that sucked then I could wait for the powder room until the wallpaper guy is back online. This stuff is so gol-darn expensive, though.

Prime walls with Gardz? Yes. Size blanhstock? Arguable, personally, I would not,as it tends to defeat the purpose.
Expensive paper? Yes, another reason to wait for the pro.

So, Christophern: if I was to wait for the pro, would you say I should prime the bare drywall with Guardz before we set the toilet (we've got a wall-mount chain pull toilet for the MB)?

So, Christophern: if I was to wait for the pro, would you say I should prime the bare drywall with Guardz before we set the toilet (we've got a wall-mount chain pull toilet for the MB)?

absolutely, and take the u out of Gardz
If you cannot find Gardz( it is getting hard) ,Sherwin Williams has a similar product called Drywall Conditioner

It was actually an old Irish woman who taught me how to do pulp paper. She told me everything except about not using pre-mixed paste.

Prime, yes. DIY prime, yes.

I use potato starch for everything, even the blanklining. I suppose you could use premixed for the blanklining, just wash the paper off to remove any residue.

I size the blanklining with a dilute mix made from the same potato starch. As christophern wrote, it's not mandatory. It's simply how I was taught.

Christophern: thanks for the info. Gardz. I knew that.

Mongoct: When you say prime, yes... I take you mean the Gardz is considered primer. It seems to be but it's new to me so I'm trying like heck to made sure.

Your potato starch: do you just get some Bob's Red Mill potato starch and cook it up like Jim Parodi did in a youtube video, or do you use a potato starch wallpaper paste and if so, what is it called please?

Thanks you guys, I really do appreciate the help.

Here is a very good paste, no need to try and make you're own

Read up on the lining paper, you will find that "sizing" it is defeating the purpose

Here is a link that might be useful: paste

Well, after thinking about what you guys have said I decided to call my wallpaper store lady (been in the business 30+ years, etc). They're down in Milwaukee and she's sold a lot of and personally dealt with hanging this paper type paper and said she would never do the installing again.

She echoed the general sentiment here to wait for the wallpaper guy. She said I could use either the Gardz or an oil based primer as long as they said 'for use on new drywall' and it should be good until he can get there, at least in the rooms that won't be used for continued construction. In the room where the sawdust will continue to be a factor, she said to just hang the drywall and not finish the seams or prime or anything and then when all the mess is done, to vacuum it well and proceed with drywall seams and priming/wallpaper. (Grasscloth is going in that room, not the pulp type paper, if that matters)

The suggestion made here to leave the drywall out of the MBR was a good one except DH pointed out that if they don't bring the drywall in now while the framing is still open, they won't be able to get full sheets in there after the other drywall is hung. So, if the drywall has to be in there anyway, might as well screw it onto the wall instead of having it stacked for months.

That's what we're gonna do: wait. Thanks all.