How To Hang Wallpaper
Wallpaper can be a beautiful and stylish way to personalise your home. However, hanging and pasting is quite a skill, so to create the perfect finish here are some helpful guidelines.
2 minute read
- If your wall has some imperfections, or you are hanging embossed or expensive wallcoverings, you may want to put up some lining wallpaper first
- Lining paper is usually hung horizontally to avoid the joins between strips lining up with those of your decorative wallpaper
- Once the lining paper is hung, you should wait 12 hours for the paper to dry fully before applying paint or decorative paper
- Dry-hanging wallpaper, where paste is applied to the wall instead of the paper, is much quicker and easier to hang. If you’re using traditional paste-the-back wallpaper, you’ll need a pasting table
- Measure the wall from skirting to ceiling in several places, then add 10cm to the longest measurement to allow for trimming
- Measure and cut your first length of paper using wallpaper scissors. Line up the pattern and cut further strips. Number them as you work to show which order they should be hung in, and which end should be at the top
- Draw a line where you will start to hang paper. This should be on a wall without a door or window, if possible. Draw the line from ceiling to floor, the width of your paper minus 50mm away from a corner (so that you have 50mm of paper to go around the corner and make a smooth join)
- Prepare your wallpaper adhesive before pasting and always follow the manufacturer's instructions
- Apply the paste to either the wall or paper according to the type of paper you are using
- Carefully position the paper against the line you drew on the wall and smooth the paper from the centre to the edges with a paper hanging brush
- Make creases in the paper where it meets the ceiling and skirting. Pull the paper back away from the wall at the top and bottom and cut along the creases for a perfect fit
Continue hanging the rest of the sheets in the same way. Use a roller on each join to make seams less visible.
*How To articles are intended as advice only. Please refer to your completion documents for specific information on lease and covenant restrictions and maintenance of your home.*
