Guide to hanging wallpaper

Forget outsourcing. Here's our guide so you can hang wallpaper like a professional

Wallpaper has the ability to transform a space. It can add depth, make rooms appear more cosy and can produce an impactful effect that paint can’t achieve. Plus, the end results last up to three times longer than paint.

Stamping your own style on a room has fantastic end results. In order to achieve this, the wallpaper needs to be hung properly. We’ve pulled together these fail-safe recommendations to ensure you’re left with smooth walls.

1.     Stripping – Before you hang your new wallpaper, you need to ensure that your walls are fully stripped of any existing wallpaper, paste and other decoration residue, and also make sure that any holes are filled.

2.     Preparation – Tap your walls in various places to hear what you’re working with. If your wall sounds hollow, you will have dry walls. This means you shouldn’t add too much water to the wall when removing wallpaper/paste/residue. If you have a hard plaster wall, prolonged soaking won’t damage it.

3.     Sockets – Remove all socket covers before starting and take care to turn off the power before starting.

4.     Where to begin? – The key to starting hanging wallpaper is to begin in the most inconspicuous part of the room, i.e. in the corner of the room, behind a door or large piece of furniture.

5.     Cutting – Measure the height of your wall and add four inches before you cut the first strip. This allows you to have an extra two inches at the top and bottom for trimming. Use a sharp knife/blade to cut and always try to cut in one smooth movement. If you’re hanging patterned wallpaper, you need to make account for this when cutting, so that your wallpaper matches up both horizontally and vertically.

6.     Pasting – We would recommend using the paste-the-wall method, which is easier than applying the paste to the wallpaper and has the added benefit of being less messy. After mixing your paste, apply it to the wall evenly, across an area just larger than one strip at a time.

7.     Hanging – The most crucial step is ensuring the first strip is hung straight and level, as this will impact the rest of the room. Start in your least conspicuous spot and create a slight overhang on the ceiling and adjoining wall. You can manoeuvre the strip in to place once it’s on the wall.

8.     Smoothing – Use a wallpaper smoothing tool to even it out and dispel any air pockets.  Work diagonally from the centre outwards.

9.     Washing – Wash any excess paste off with a damp sponge and clean water.

10.  Trimming – Use a sharp wallpaper trimming knife to remove the excess paper along the ceiling and skirting board. Make cuts in a single smooth movement.

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