How to wallpaper a room
You will need:
-
Pasting table
- Bucket
- Stepladder
- Paste
- Plumb line
- Paste brush
- Edge roller
- Stripping knife
- Smoothing brush
- Scissors
- Craft knife
- Tape measure and pencil
- Sponge
- Bulldog clips
- Long ruler
Time to complete job: A weekend to strip and a day to paper a medium-sized room.
Approximate budget: Rolls cost from £5 and a standard roll will cover a 10m (11yd) section.
For tips on getting the room ready before you start log on to the Painting and Decorating Association website.
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Step 1: Marking
Hold a roll of wallpaper against one corner of the longest wall in the room and make a mark about 25mm (1in) in from the end of the roll. Hold a plumb line at ceiling height so that it passes through the pencil mark and make several more marks along the line down the wall. Join up the marks with a long rule or the edge of a spirit level to make your starting line.
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Step 2: Measuring and cutting
Measure the distance from the ceiling to the top of the skirting board and add on another 100 mm (4in). Cut enough lengths of paper to this measurement to cover the first wall. If your paper has a large pattern, allow for wastage on the end of each length so that the pattern will match up exactly.
Tip: If your walls are newly plastered, they will absorb the paste very quickly and may stop your new paper sticking. Always coat the plaster with a dilute solution of wallpaper paste to 'size' or seal the surface before papering. -
Step 3: Pasting
Lay the first length of paper against the furthest edge of the pasting table and paste from the centre up to this edge, brushing diagonally outwards from the centre of the paper.
Pull the paper towards you, line up the paper with the nearest edge, and paste along this edge. This helps to keep the pasting table clean. Use bulldog clips on the two ends to keep the paper in place.
Tip: Mix up just enough paste to cover one wall at a time and never mix old and new paste. Always check the paste directions for the correct dilution. -
Step 4: More pasting
Brush paste onto two more lengths of paper to allow the first piece time to absorb some of the paste. Fold the pasted sides inwards so that the face side is kept clean and dry.
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Step 5: Hanging the paper
To hang the paper, press the top of the first length against the wall with a small 25-50mm (1-2in) overlap on the ceiling. Gently slide the paper until the outer edge is lined up with your starting line. Now brush out any air bubbles and creases with the smoothing brush.
Tip: Work the smoothing brush in even strokes from the centre of the paper to the edges. -
Step 6: Trimming
Trim the top and bottom edges of the paper with scissors. It helps to make a crease along the line to be cut by folding the paper over. Press down the edges with the edge roller and add a little more paste if the paper doesn't stick.
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Step 7: Corners and finishing
Work your way along the wall, trimming the paper and using the edge roller along the joints between lengths. If you spill any paste on the face of the paper, wipe it off straight away with a damp sponge to prevent it marking.
At the far corner, measure from the last full width to the corner and add about 15mm (0.6in). Cut a length of paper to this width, paste and press onto the wall, folding the small overlap piece around the corner. Cover this piece with the next length of paper.
Treat external corners in the same way as internal corners but allow about 30mm (1.2in) overlap to fold around the corner.
Tip: When you start on a new wall, always use a plumb line to check the first length of paper is exactly vertical.
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