How do I Hang my Wallpaper? | Decorating Centre Online

Wallpapering is such an easy and inexpensive way in which you can freshen up and rejuvenate your home.

The correct wallpaper can make your room like a brand-new space as it can come in so many different styles, colours, textures and patterns. This means that you can change up your house in no time with the help of some new wallpaper.

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So, you’ve decided on your wallpaper, you know where you want to hang it, and you also know what other interior decorations you will need too.

However, now that you have gotten everything you need, hanging the wallpaper up in the room of your choice seems like a mammoth task.

Yet, hanging wallpaper can be a very easy task, if you have the correct tools as well as the correct guide to follow too!

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Below you will find a detailed and simple step-by-step guide on how to hang wallpaper, including a list on the variety of tools and accessories you will need to hang your wallpaper!

You will need:

· 2-6 tread stepladders

· Tape measures

· Wallpaper adhesive

· Wallpaper strippers and/or removers

· Stripping Knives

· Sponge

· Wallpaper pasting table

· Paintbrush for wallpaper adhesive

· Plumb Line

· Trimming knife

· Scissors

· Wallpaper hanging brush

· Drywall knife

· Sugar Soap

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Step 1: Strip the Previous Wallpaper

If you have wallpaper which has been previously pasted onto your walls, the first thing you must do before you start to hang your new wallpaper is to strip the wall of all the previous wallpaper.

There are approximately two ways in which you can strip wallpaper: chemically or naturally. Which way to strip your wallpaper is totally up to you.

Before you begin to strip your wallpaper, you must protect your furniture and/or other room accessories with dust sheets- either cloth or polythene.

You must ensure that all the wallpaper, as well as any residue from the adhesive or from the wallpaper itself is completely removed in order to ensure that your new wallpaper has a smooth and perfectly flat finish.

For more detailed information on how to strip your walls of wallpaper please check out our other two blog posts named below:

‘How to Strip Wallpaper’ and ‘How to Prepare a Room for Wallpaper Stripping’ go into detail about how to strip wallpaper from your walls.

Or you can even watch this handy little video on how to strip wallpaper below:

Step 2: Cleaning the Wall

Once you have fully removed all the previous wallpaper using the tips and tricks in the two other blog posts listed above, you must ensure that any residue paste left behind is removed too.

The best way to complete this step is to continue to soak patches of the wall- either using a chemical stripper, natural stripper, or an electric stream wallpaper stripper- and then remove it with a stripping knife.

This will ensure that there will be no bobbles or blebs underneath your new wallpaper, which means that it can be hung perfectly smoothly and precisely too.

Once this residue is completely removed, the wall must then be washed using hot soapy water and dried using a clean towel or a rag.

This is again to ensure that the wall which you are going to wallpaper is perfectly smooth prior to any application.

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Step 3: Measuring Up your Wall

1.) Measure it up

In order to figure out how much wallpaper you will need for your space is to measure the total perimeter of the room in metres- including the doors as well as the windows too- and total up the amounts

2.) Divide it up

After this, divide the size of the room by the width of the paper. This is on average 0.53m in length, however some wallpapers do differ slightly in their width and therefore it is essential that you check the rolls for the width beforehand.

3.) Multiply it up

The next step is to multiply the height of the room in meters by the number of widths which you will need in order to get the total length of wallpaper required.

4.) Divide it Again

Then, you must divide this by the length of the roll, which is usually 10.05m, however again like the point above, you must check the wallpaper roll for the specific length first.

5.) Buy a Little Extra

If you are unsure in any way, it is always best to by a little extra wallpaper in order to make sure you don’t run out and therefore have the same batch of wallpaper too.

Any unopened rolls can be refunded by us within 30 days of purchase.

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Step 4: Prepare your Wall for Wallpapering

In order to prepare your wall for wallpapering, you must ensure that all loose paint, plaster, old paper or cracks are perfectly smoothed off.

This is much like in Step 2 as the wallpaper will not hang smoothly if the wall underneath it is imperfect. This is because the imperfections will show through the newly hung wallpaper.

The wall must then be thoroughly cleaned with sugar soap after all the above steps have been completed.

However, if the previous wall has been painted with gloss, it is probably best to rub down the wall with sandpaper.

This is in order to create an abrasive surface in which the wallpaper can stick to, without sliding off a smooth gloss surface.

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Step 5: Cutting your Wallpaper Accurately

1.) Measure the height of your wall

This step might have already been completed in Step 3, however it is very necessary for this step in the process too.

Whatever the measurement of the height of your wall, always add 10cm to the height of your wall in order to allow for trimming.

Use wallpaper scissors during this step so that your new cut will be accurate and as smooth as it can be.

2.) Cut the second strip of wallpaper

For this step, you don’t have to measure the wallpaper as you can just use the first strip as a guide to cut your second strip.

It will be easier in the long run if you line up this second strip of wallpaper with your first strip of wallpaper- especially if you are hanging a patterned wallpaper- in order to cut an accurately matched up piece.

3.) Mix up your Adhesive paste

Following the instructions on your box of wallpaper adhesive, mix up your adhesive according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

For example, for our Solvite Extra Strong Wallpaper Adhesive, it mixes in only 20 seconds and even has added fungicides to prevent mould growth too.

This means that your adhesive can also be a wonderful mould preventative measure too, depending on the adhesive which you decided to choose.

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Step 6: Pasting the Wallpaper onto your Walls

Depending on the type of wallpaper which you have depends on how you will have to paste it and therefore hang it also.

1.) Paste-the-wall Wallpaper

For paste-the-wall wallpaper, the simplest way to hang this wallpaper is by simply pasting the wall as the name suggests.

Rather than using a pasting table- as will be detailed below- the adhesive is simply painted onto the wall rather than the wallpaper.

If you want, you can make this step quicker by pasting the wall with the adhesive using a paint roller rather than a paint brush.

This is because it will not only be a quicker way of completing this step, but it will also ensure a smoother fixture to the wall too.

Starting from the top corner of the wall, simply unroll the wallpaper from the top to the bottom of the wall, smoothing down the walls with a wallpaper brush as you go.

If you find that there are any blebs or bobbles in your wallpaper, you can use a drywall knife to smooth it out.

However, you must be gentle when completing this step, in order to prevent your wallpaper from ripping or tearing slightly.

When this is completed, trim any excess wallpaper from the bottom of the wall using a drywall knife and a trimming knife.

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2.) Paste-the-paper Wallpaper

For the traditional paste-the-paper wallpaper, it is much more difficult than the pate-the-wall wallpapers, however it is also a great way of hanging wallpaper too.

Check out the step-by-step guide below for handy tips and help hanging paste-the-paper wallpaper:

1.) Place the Wallpaper Strips Face Down on a Pasting Table- its as simple as that!

2.) Apply your adhesive to the back of the Wallpaper- Using a pasting brush, or a painting roller, apply the paste all over your wallpaper.

Ensure that every part of the wallpaper has some adhesive on it in order to prevent corners from falling off your wall.

3.) Paste from the inside outside- This is to prevent the collection of paste on the patterned surface which will be visible when it is pasted onto the wall. If this does happen, sponge it off straightaway.

4.) Allow the Adhesive to soak- This ‘soak time’ is the period it takes for the wallpaper to expand out to its maximum width once the adhesive has been applied.

This will be approximately 8-12 minutes- although it is sometimes specifically written on the label too.

5.) Fold the ends towards the middle- Folding your wallpaper into a concertina like this can prevent your adhesive from drying out whilst allowing it to sit for the appropriate time too.

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Step 7: Hanging the Wallpaper on your Walls

For this step, careful planning is a must. You must ask yourself some of the questions listed below for you to be able to hang your wallpaper in a neat and organised way.

1.) Do I need to line my walls with lining paper first?

Even if you have followed all the steps listed above, including Step 1: Strip the Previous Wallpaper as well as Step 2: Cleaning the Wall, yet your wall still carries some imperfections, it might be best to line your walls with lining paper first.

Lining paper ensures that your wall has less bumps ad imperfections which means that the final finished product of your patterned or decorative wallpaper will be smoother and better than hanging it without the aid of lining paper.

Much like the above steps, before you apply your lining paper, the wall must be as free from imperfections as it possibly an be and then you must ensure hat you clean it according to the points above too.

Lining paper is typically hung horizontally in order to avoid the joins between the strips lining up with your top decorative wallpaper.

However, if you are considering painting over your lining paper instead of wallpapering over it, the lining paper can be hung vertically instead.

After you have hung your lining paper, you must wait at least 12 hours before hanging your decorative wallpaper or painting over your lining paper.

This is to ensure that your lining paper is fully dry before the final product is completed.

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2.) Do I need to order my wallpaper hanging?

Yes.

Depending on the pattern of your wallpaper, you must firstly consider the order in which you are going to hang your paper.

For example, if you are working with botanical wallpaper, the composition of the space looks much better and balanced if you start at the window and work your way outwards.

This is to ensure that the botanical patterns don’t look as though they are enclosing the window, rather growing out from it.

This is also relevant to any other patterned wallpaper as well as chimney breasts too.

3.) Draw a vertical Line

Using a plumb line, you can draw a vertical line down your wall in order to give you a visual guide as to how straight your wallpaper is going to be.

This will be especially important if you have a large pattern on your wallpaper as it will avoid it looking diagonal across the wall.

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4.) Make sure your first piece of Wallpaper is positioned correctly

If you have folded your paper up according to the instructions above, unfold your paper at the top corner of the wall and press it up against it.

Allow approximately 10cm of paper to trim at the ceiling area.

Using either a papering brush or a drywall knife, smooth down any bobbles or blebs in your wallpaper.

5.) Trim the Excess pieces of Wallpaper

If you want to use scissors for this step, press your wallpaper into the corner of the wall until an indentation is made. Then follow the indentation line with your pair of scissors and try to cut as straight a line as you possibly can.

However, if you wish to use a drywall knife and a trimming knife, simply press the drywall knife between the edges of the wall and drag your trimming knife across its straight edge.

Ensure that you are gentle with this step as it can result in your wallpaper either ripping or bobbling along the edges.

6.) How do I add the additional strips of Wallpaper to my Wall?

Place your wallpaper next to your first piece as previously detailed above.

However, this time, ensure that you are creating a seamless joint matching the pattern as best as you can in the subsequent strip of wallpaper.

Paper this into the corner leaving an approximate 20mm overlap.

Do not try and work your wallpaper into the corners as they are more than often not perfectly square, and this will result in your wallpaper hanging crookedly.

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Step 8: Deal with any Issues and Problems

1.) Doors and Windows

Wallpapering around doors and windows can be easy if you know how to do it.

· All you must do is hang the covering from the top of the wall as you would normally and then smooth it as far down as you possibly can.

· Use scissors to make a diagonal cut to the corner of the door and then crease the waste away from your door frame.

· Roll Back the paper and trim off any of the waste.

2.) Light Switches

· For light switches, you must firstly turn off any electricity for that circuit at the mains.

· Hang the covering as normal and then make diagonal cuts from the centre at the corners. Leave some extra waste at the sides.

· Loosen the screws of the light switch covering and then brush the covering under the switch.

· Tighten the screws again.

· Let the paper dry and then turn on the electricity again.

3.) Excess Paste

If you have an excess paste which will spread out from the edges of the paper, take a damp sponge and wipe it away for your wallpaper to remain neat and tidy.

If you have any more questions or issues with hanging your wallpaper, just DM us on either Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for some individual consultation advice.

Or check our some more videos, like the one below: