How to Hang Wallpaper

For painted or papered walls

If there’s already wallpaper on your walls, it must be properly removed first. While it is possible to wallpaper over an existing layer, the finish will never be as smooth.

1. Use an electric steamer and stripping knife to remove all existing wallcoverings and linings from the walls you are papering.
   
2. Hold the steamer onto the wall for 10 seconds at a time, from the bottom to the top, pulling and scraping wallpaper off as you go.
   
3. Once the paper has been removed, or if your walls are painted, clean the wall surface with sugar soap and wait until dry and smooth.
   
4. Fill in any wall cracks or imperfections with spackle, leave to dry and sand down.
   
5. If this is an old property or there is any sign of mould, this must be treated with a proprietary mould cure wash before going any further.

1. Carefully measure 20 inches out from one corner on a wall next to a ‘window wall’. Use a plumb line to draw a vertical line from the ceiling to the floor. Repeat this process for every wall that you are papering.
   DIY tip: As many walls are not perfectly straight, drawing the vertical line will avoid the wallpaper being hung slightly askew.
   
2. Measure the height of the wall in different places. Take the largest measurement and add a few inches to allow for pattern match and trimming.
   
3. On your wallpaper cutting table, place your wallpaper pattern side down and measure to the required length. Rule and cut the rolls of wallcovering so you have a straight line at the top.
   
4. Continue cutting wallpaper until you have all your required lengths. When cutting, you might find it helpful to place each length edge to edge with the previous length to ensure the patterns line up.

1. Carefully and slowly, slide the pasted wallpaper into position on the wall. The right-hand edge of the wallpaper should align with the vertical line you drew earlier. The other edge of the paper should overlap around the corner of the wall, by just under one inch. Make sure to leave excess at the top and bottom for trimming.
   
2. With a clean brush, smooth away any air bubbles, starting from the centre and squeezing out to the edge. Take care to ensure that you do not transfer paste from the wall onto the surface of the paper.

1. Don’t worry if there’s areas where slight overlapping is unavoidable. Simply use a vinyl overlap adhesive to assist in these tricky places.
   
2. Make sure you wipe away any surplus paste immediately. Any transfer of paste from the wall onto the surface of the paper could damage the finish. If this occurs, sponge away gently with clean water.
   
3. Ensure you hang each length of wallpaper in the correct direction. At the pasting stage, you might find it helpful to mark the back of the wallpaper with a ‘T’ at the top to avoid any mishaps!