How to hang wallpaper

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Things to think about when hanging wallpaper

If painting the ceiling and woodwork, do this first. It is easier to wipe paste off painted surfaces than paint off wallpaper surfaces.
To work out how much wallpaper you need, divide your wall area by the area of one roll, which should be on the packaging.
SQUARE METRES / SINGLE ROLL AREA = HOW MUCH YOU NEED
Add 10% for cutting waste (15% for large repeat-pattern papers). Most rolls are around 50cm x 10m in length, which equates to 5 square metres.
Check the wallpaper manufacturer's label to see if you will need wallpaper paste to hang the paper. If it is ready-pasted, you only require a wallpaper trough. In some cases you may not need either item as the wallpaper can be self-adhesive off the roll.
Fill holes in walls with all-purpose filler. When dry, sand smooth, and sand the remaining wall surfaces to remove any rough areas.
The starting point is important to establish a balanced pattern. Start near a corner, or, for large pattern papers, centralise the pattern on a chimney breast or centre of a feature wall, for example.
Wallpaper can be applied to any sound, flat wall surface, but some manufacturers may specify lining the wall with lining paper first. Apply as wallpaper, but with no pattern to match!
You should not wallpaper over another wallpaper unless it is stuck down perfectly. Some wallpapers are peelable, allowing you to peel the top layer off, leaving the backing layer to act as a lining paper for the new wallpaper. Again, this is only an option if it is firmly stuck down. Any old, peeling wallpaper surface should be removed before repapering by using a wallpaper stripper.
An application of dilute PVA or size (dilute wallpaper paste) to the wall before papering seals the surface and allows you to manoeuvre lengths across the surface more easily.
Most common problems are encountered at corners, as most are not precisely 'square' and therefore the wallpaper may crease or be thrown off vertical if you try to round the corner with one length of paper. Follow the guidelines shown here to overcome this problem.
Windows should be treated like a collection of corners. In most cases, where window recesses are shallow, it is possible to bend paper lengths around corners without creasing it, but in this leaflet it also shows how to deal with corners while keeping patterns level.
Use overlap adhesive anywhere where paper overlaps.

Step by step guide to hanging wallpaper

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Step 1: Paint the wall surface with 5:1 PVA solution (five parts water to one part PVA) and allow it to dry.

Step 2: At the starting point, use a spirit level and pencil to draw a precisely vertical line on the wall surface.

Step 3: Measure height requirement for first length and add 20cm to this figure. Mark length on paper and cut off.

Step 4: Mix wallpaper paste in a bucket as directed for paste-the-paper or paste-the-wall wallpaper.

Step 5: Apply paste to wallpaper ensuring even coverage. For ready-pasted paper, roll up the length and soak in water.

Step 6: Loosely fold the length of pasted paper into a concertina, as shown. Allow the paper to bend, but not crease.

Step 7: Let paste soak into paper. Normally around five minutes will do, but follow manufacturers' guidelines.

Step 8: Move the wallpaper off the pasting table and wipe excess paste off the table using a clean damp sponge.

Step 9: Unfold the pasted length and offer it up to the pencil line. Position any large patterns to show the main design to best effect.

Step 10: Smooth and align paper with pencil guideline. Brush from centre of length out towards the edges and from top of length to bottom.

Step 11: At the top of the wall, crease the paper into the junction at the wall and ceiling. With the paper sharply creased, trim along the crease at the junction using a craft knife. Or, pull the paper back and cut with scissors.

Step 12: Remove any excess paste from the paper, ceiling and wall surface, with a clean damp sponge. Repeat step 11 at skirting board level to ensure a neatly trimmed edge along the top of the skirting board. Again, sponge away excess paste.

Step 13: Measure further lengths by matching the pattern dry next to the previous length. In this way you will minimise any offcut wastage.

Step 14: Cut, paste and add further lengths, taking care to match pattern at eye level. Tightly butt join lengths. Regularly sponge off excess paste.

Step 15: At a door, allow paper to flop over corner of architrave. Cut to corner of architrave at wall surface level.

Step 16: Crease the paper along both edges of the architrave. Trim in the usual way using a craft knife or scissors.

Step 17: At a socket or switch, first turn off the mains electrical supply at the consumer unit. Then loosen screws and plate.

Step 18: Flop paper over fitting. From centre of fitting, make four cuts towards corners, but stop each cut 2-4mm from corner.

Step 19: Trim off flaps and manoeuvre fitting through hole. Loosen retaining screws a little more if this helps.

Step 20: Smooth paper. Do not allow paste behind fitting. Use a dry cloth to remove excess paste. Retighten screws.

Step 21: When you reach objects such as radiators, allow lengths to flop loosely over the corner of the radiator.

Step 22: Trim back the paper but leave at least a 10cm excess overlapping the front and side of the radiator.

Step 23: Use a radiator roller to push the paper behind the radiator, carefully smoothing it down without creases.

Step 24: At external corners fold paper around corner and pattern match a new length over top of first.

Step 25: Maintain vertical with a spirit level. Slice through both sheets with a craft knife against a steel rule for a firm edge.

Step 26: Carefully pull back the overlap and remove the two strips of excess paper left as a result of the cut.

Step 27: Smooth the paper back in place with a sponge to create a neat butt join along both straight trimmed edges.

Step 28: At an internal corner, allow length to fold around the corner, then trim back to 1cm from the corner along length.

Step 29: Crease trimmed length into corner. Use spirit level to ensure you start the next wall maintaining vertical.

Step 30: Use overlap adhesive along corner. Remove excess with a clean sponge. Continue papering to finish the room.

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The expert practical advice contained in this leaflet assists you in carrying out your home improvement projects both safely and successfully.
If in doubt take professional advice and always follow manufacturers' instructions.