The ultimate guide to wallpaper

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WALLPAPER Everything you need to know about choosing,

buying and hanging your wallpaper

Image courtesy of Sanderson

Brought to you by

DAVIES WALLPAPERS LTD

www.DaviesWallpapers.com

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THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WALLPAPER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT DAVIES WALLPAPERS ........................................................................................... 3

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 3

WHY WALLPAPER? ................................................................................................................. 4

CHOOSING A WALLCOVERING ....................................................................................... 11

HOW MANY ROLLS DO YOU NEED? ............................................................................. 14

PREPARING YOUR WALLS FOR PAPERING .............................................................. 16

TOOLS FOR THE JOB ........................................................................................................... 17

CHOOSING THE RIGHT WALLPAPER PASTE ........................................................... 20

HOW TO HANG WALLPAPER .......................................................................................... 22

FIXING COMMON WALLPAPER PROBLEMS ............................................................. 25

CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................................... 28


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About Davies Wallpapers Founded in 1918, Davies Wallpapers remains a family-‐run business, supplying the finest wallpapers to clients all over the world.

We have strong working relationships with some of the world’s top manufacturers and carry designs from Sanderson, Lincrusta, Morris & Co, William Morris, Kuboaa, Coleman Bros, Brian Yates and many more, from the traditional to the cutting edge.

In addition to our wallpaper, we also offer a wide range of homeware and furniture, including white goods, ornaments, vases, mirrors, tables and sofas, plus the sundries and tools needed to make decorating your home easy, all at our shop at 60 Beaufort Street, Brynmawr, Gwent, NP23 4AE.

Having supplied wallpaper to a highly eclectic selection of clients over the years, we emphasise a highly personal service and will be happy to guide you if you are unsure which products are right for you.

Or if you can’t get to our shop then why not browse our website at www.DaviesWallpapers.com to browse our wide (and constantly expanding) range of products…

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Introduction Decorating your home is a deeply personal process, so it’s natural to want every detail to be perfect. But how much attention does the average home decorator pay to their wallpaper?

Many people assume that wallpaper is simply functional – a convenient way of decorating the wall, but little else. However, wallpaper has evolved considerably over the years, and now offers an unprecedented range of possibilities for creating a truly unique look and feel for your home, whether your tastes run more towards cutting-‐edge modern designs, or classy, vintage looks.

I decided to write this guide so that anyone in the process of decorating their home would have easy access to everything they need to know in order to decide whether wallpaper is right for their home and, if so, how to identify their perfect pattern and integrate it with the rest of their décor.

Let’s begin by looking at some of the most notable advantages wallpaper offers the home decorator…

Why Wallpaper? Put simply, wallpaper offers the home decorator a range of styles, feels and looks that even the highest quality paint will struggle to match. With such a wide variety of different styles available, from simple, budget-‐conscious designs to up-‐market, bespoke ones, it’s one of the easiest and most straightforward ways of creating a truly individual look for your rooms.

This versatility also means it can be used in a wide variety of contexts, to suit most rooms throughout your home, which can be massively helpful when you’re looking for a common thread to run throughout your rooms’ appearance. Not only that, but it’s easy to find a look that suits your individual personality, whether that involves a simple, subdued pattern, or something more bold and striking. Also, unlike paint, certain wallpapers actually have insulating properties, making them a great investment if you are concerned about the cold in your home (if you have elderly relatives who live with you, for example).


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WHAT STATE ARE YOUR WALLS IN?

Another major advantage is that wallpaper can cover a multitude of sins that paint can’t, which can make all the difference if you have damaged walls that will be expensive to repair. This is a very useful option if you have a woodchip wall from the 70s or 80s that will prove troublesome to remove, but it can be used to make any wall that’s uneven or pitted with holes look like new again. This can be accomplished with either a warmaline wallpaper, which is also an effective insulator, or with a blown wallpaper, which is a thicker design with a deeper pattern than a regular vinyl wallpaper and is therefore very effective at covering up damage.

This can be an extremely cost-‐effective option if you’re refurbishing an old house, as it means you won’t have to co-‐ordinate multiple contractors to make damaged walls fit for purpose again, or spend a lot of money on them, as these wallpapers are not actually particularly expensive. Some of them are coloured, but some of them are just plain white, so you can paint them to suit the rest of your décor, which will add warmth to the room.

When decorating your home, you should never have to sacrifice attractiveness for functionality!

DECIDE WHAT SORT OF LOOK YOU WANT FOR YOUR ROOMS

This first step is absolutely essential. Don’t purchase anything for the interior of your home without sitting down and having a think about what sort of overall look you wish to achieve.

For example, if you have quite a poorly lit room, then a rich, dark pattern would probably make the room look gloomy, whereas if you tried the same pattern in a smaller room with better light, it might help create a warm, cosy feel.

As a general rule, bolder patterns are best suited to larger rooms, as they often look too busy in small rooms. On the other hand, a lighter pattern in a smaller room can create a greater sense of space. Also, in bigger rooms, finely detailed patterns generally don’t work so well, as the details tend to get lost, making it harder to appreciate them. If managing the perceived size of a room is a concern for you, then striped patterns can be incredibly effective, as vertical stripes can have a slimming effect, while horizontal ones have a lengthening effect (just the same as with our clothes!). By playing tricks on the eye in this way, you can really enhance the overall look and feel of a room.


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It’s all a question of complementing the light and shape of the room in order to capture the right feel.

There’s no right or wrong, but do remember to consider the nature of your home when making your decision, as you do not want to start aiming for a look that will clash with the fundamental feel of your building. If you live in an old Victorian house, for example, it is possible to create a more modern look for such buildings, but it has to be done carefully if the house’s distinctive character is to be maintained.

The same approach should be taken when moving from room to room in your house. Although there’s no need for every room to have exactly the same look and feel, there shouldn’t be a jarring transition when you move from one room to another. For instance, it will feel odd if you move from a kitchen that’s been decorated with an ultra-‐slick, modern feel to a living room that’s been decorated with soft, dark colours and antique furniture. You don’t need to decorate each room in exactly the same way, but there should be one or two unifying elements, whether that involves colours or patterns, that they all have in common.

HOW OFTEN ARE YOU PLANNING ON REDECORATING?

Some people enjoy keeping abreast of the latest trendy looks and styles and will have no problem regularly redecorating their home to stay fashionable, or just because they enjoy a change. This can certainly be fun if you have the time, money and energy for it, but some people would rather choose a style and stick with it for years (even for the whole period they stay in their home in some cases). If this sounds like you, it’s almost always a good idea to go for a classic design that’ll never look dated.

If you’re planning on doing this, it’s advisable to invest a little more in your wallpaper if possible. High-‐quality wallpapers can be incredibly durable, so the initial investment will more than pay for itself over the years as you won’t have to replace or repair it at any point.

For example, Lincrusta wallpaper is a particular favourite of mine that we’ve had in certain properties for over 40 years! It’s expensive, at around £150 per roll, but its quality and durability more than justifies the cost. In fact, it actually gets harder as it ages, being similar in nature to putty, which has made it a popular choice in pubs and hotels over the years, although it is especially well-‐suited to Victorian and Georgian houses as well (it can even be made in an incredibly convincing wood panelling style). As a bonus, it can be painted over, so it’s easy to revamp the look of a room for relatively little cost and effort, should you wish to further down the line.


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Bear in mind that classic, straightforward styles don’t necessarily have to tie you down to one particular look for a room. If you do want to revamp a room later on, it’s relatively easy to do so by changing other aspects of the décor, such as the furniture or curtains, as these designs are incredibly versatile and can easily be treated as a ‘blank canvas’ that you use to create a truly unique environment.

For example, you could opt for a very light, neutral colour on your walls, but then use bold vibrant colours for your curtains, rugs and furniture. You can also be creative with colours; if you have opted for a blue-‐green wallpaper and you complement it with lots of blue accessories, then suddenly your walls will seem far more blue than green. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

DO YOU WANT TO WALLPAPER THE ENTIRE ROOM, OR JUST A FEATURE WALL?

Many people are intrigued by the possibilities offered by wallpaper, but decide they don’t want to necessarily wallpaper the entire room, whether that’s for monetary or aesthetic reasons. For example, in a child’s bedroom, you might create a wallpaper mural for the wall behind their bed, but paint the rest of the room. The same approach could be taken in a living room, where you wallpaper the wall behind the mantelpiece, but paint the rest.

There are several advantages to this. First of all, it can greatly reduce your costs, as you won’t need as many rolls of paper, allowing you to invest in something a little more upmarket while still staying comfortably within your budget. Secondly, it can help drawn attention to a wall you wish to accentuate. For example, one particularly effective approach in living rooms is to use quite a bold, striking pattern for the feature wall (typically the fireplace wall), but paint the other three walls in contrasting colours.

The result is a unique look that doesn’t necessarily cost a fortune to implement – a true win-‐win!

WHAT IF PRICE IS A SERIOUS CONCERN?

Of course, most of us have to work to a budget when it comes to decorating our homes, so at some point the issue of price will have to be considered.

When it comes to wallpaper, I’d always advise you to buy the best you can afford. In fact, I’d always recommend paint before I recommend cheap wallpaper. With cheap wallpaper, it’s unlikely that you’ll find a look you’re truly happy with and it’s more than likely that it will start looking shabby very quickly, to the extent you may even need to replace it altogether. As a result, a short-‐term saving can turn into a long-‐term expense.


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DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN OR PETS?

One area where paint does have a significant advantage over wallpaper is if there are children or pets in the house that are prone to damaging things. If a child draws on a painted wall the damage can just be painted over, but if they do the same thing to wallpaper, the only option will be to replace it.

Fortunately, this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your wallpaper of choice in your home. For example, for older houses with rails on the walls, you could paint the bottom half, but wallpaper the top, out of reach of children and pets, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds!

If you live in a more modern house but this idea still appeals, it’s possible to mount rails on your walls, but one fun alternative is to paint a blackboard on your wall using blackboard paint (or even magnetic blackboard paint!) and frame it using an old picture frame. If you have children who are prone to drawing on the walls, then having a designated area for it that can be quickly and easily wiped down is a great way of protecting the rest of the house from damage. You could even do the same thing in your kitchen and have an area to note down shopping lists and the like.

Alternatively, if you would still prefer to wallpaper the whole wall, opt for a vinyl wallpaper, as these are very durable and can be wiped or scrubbed down if they become marked. Consult your manufacturer if you are in any doubt.

SHOULD YOU TRY PUTTING UP YOUR WALLPAPER YOURSELF?

As we mentioned earlier, the invention of paste-‐on wallpaper has made it easier than ever to put up their own wallpaper, but you shouldn’t feel obligated to do so, for several reasons.

First of all, putting up wallpaper can be incredibly time-‐consuming, especially if you’re planning on wallpapering larger rooms, or even your whole house. If you’re refurbishing your whole house, you will almost certainly have other projects to co-‐ordinate (no to mention jobs and children!), in which case it may prove difficult to give the job the attention it requires. In scenarios like this, it would be prudent to engage the services of professional decorators in order to ensure the job is not only done quickly, but done well.

This is especially important if you have invested money in a high-‐quality wallpaper, as making mistakes and having to start again will prove costly, so the cost of hiring a decorator becomes a secondary concern. They will already be experienced at putting up wallpaper and will come equipped with all the appropriate equipment (the right scissors and a dedicated pasting table, for example).


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However, bear in mind that modern wallpaper is far more durable than it used to be. I’ve actually seem some high-‐quality wallpapers pasted onto walls, then taken down and repasted in a new position without ripping (and in some cases even put through washing machines beforehand!), something that wouldn’t have been possible with older wallpapers. I’ve paid personal visits to manufacturing plants and had many chances to test the strength of newer designs first-‐hand, and the overall improvement in quality is genuinely staggering. In this regard, these new designs are far more beginner-‐friendly than older, more fragile ones – another good reason to invest in a quality wallpaper.

In the end, I’d advise you to be honest about your own level of skill when it comes to wallpapering when making your decision. Remember, it’s far better to pay a little extra and get a job right the first time than to get trapped in a cycle of costly mistakes…

INTEGRATING YOUR WALLPAPER WITH THE REST OF YOUR DÉCOR

One major advantage of the rapid improvement in wallpaper manufacturing in recent years is that many manufacturers have begun to expand and explore other aspects of home decorating. This makes integrating your wallpaper with the rest of your décor far easier, as it takes much of the guess-‐work out of co-‐ordinating colours and patterns.

Originally, if you ordered, say, your curtains from one manufacturer, your cushions from another and your wallpaper from another still, you’d have no guarantee that they’d necessarily be a perfect match, no matter how close they looked in the catalogues or sample books, even if you were opting for simple, neutral colours. You may even have had to resort to order a custom fabric to ensure consistency, which could make things extremely time-‐consuming and expensive.

On the other hand, if you are able to order everything from one manufacturer, not only will you know that they’ve all been designed with the exact colour you ordered, you’ll also enjoy the assurance that everything will have been created to the same professional standards. It’ll also mean you’ll be able to have everything delivered at once, which can be a huge advantage if you’re working to a tight schedule.

WHERE SHOULD YOU BUY YOUR WALLPAPER?

You may assume that the obvious place to purchase your wallpaper would be a high-‐street wallpaper retailer, but this is not always the best option.

The major disadvantage of visiting an actual wallpaper retailer is that you will be limited to what they have in stock and what they have in their sample book. Furthermore, it can be a nuisance if one or more people are involved in the final decision, but are unable to be there at the same time, as this may mean you’ll need to make multiple trips before coming to a decision (potentially a long way in certain cases, given the recent closure of many high-‐street shops at the time of writing).


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There can also be problems if a high-‐street seller is out of a particular roll and needs to order more for you. Not only will this hold up your decorating plans, you may even find that the next roll doesn’t actually match your existing supply! There are often subtle differences in colour between different batches of wallpaper, even if the catalogue says they are the same colour – you may well find that once your wallpaper is actually on the wall, that one roll is actually ever so slightly darker or lighter than the others. While this probably wouldn’t be an issue if they were used on different walls, it’s far too easy to put them next to each other without realising the subtle difference, meaning you’ll have to take them down and rearrange them. The only way to be 100% sure of avoiding this is to make sure your rolls of wallpaper are all taken from the same batch.

Buying your wallpaper online does away with these problems, as you can compare and contrast different designs at your leisure and then order them when you are ready. You’ll enjoy a much wider range to choose from than even the largest high-‐street shop can provide (including designs that may be difficult to source in your country) and, given the wide range of home decorating supplies and sundries manufacturers are offering nowadays, you’ll be able to arrange everything you need with one order, as we discussed in the previous section.


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Choosing A Wallcovering There are many different types of wallcoverings available and having an understanding of what each one will help you choose the right one for your particular application.

Lining Paper Lining paper is available in different thicknesses -‐ it is a plain paper designed to cover poor surfaces before painting or papering. It’s sometimes sold in roll lengths that are twice the normal length to help reduce waste. The heavier and thicker the paper is the less likely it is to tear or break when you’re trying to hang it.

Paste: Use cold water, regular or all-‐purpose.

Woodchip Woodchip consists of 2 layers of paper with a sprinkling of woodchips in between. It’s designed to be painted with emulsion. Woodchip is most commonly used to cover up uneven walls.

It can feel rough to the touch so it’s best not used in areas where it’s likely to be rubbed against such as narrow hallways, stairs or children’s bedrooms.

Paste: Use heavy-‐duty, cold water, all-‐purpose or ready-‐mixed.

Standard Wallpaper A single layer of paper with a pattern printed on the surface. The quality can vary greatly with price and cheap papers will be thinner and harder to hang because they are likely to tear easily, particularly when they are damp with paste. These papers aren’t always washable – if not then it wouldn’t be suitable for a bathroom or kitchen.

Paste: Use cold water, regular, all-‐purpose or ready-‐mixed.

Duplex Paper A wallpaper which often has a relief surface and is backed by a second layer of paper – they are bonded together to form a single sheet. The resulting wallpaper is strong and easier to hang than other types of paper. It also holds the relief pattern particularly well.


Novamura This is a foamed polyethylene wallpaper that feels like fabric and often has a relief pattern – it springs back if you press it gently and can be wiped clean. It’s very easy to hang compared with other relief wallpapers – paste the wall, not the paper.



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Relief Wallcoverings This is a heavy paper which is embossed with a pattern during the manufacturing process – can be coloured or plain ready for painting. This wallpaper is very good for covering uneven walls and ceilings – Anaglypta is the most well known brand though others are available.

Paste: Use cold water, ready-‐mixed or all-‐purpose.

Lincrusta High Relief Wallcoverings This is made with a hard putty-‐like substance and has a heavy paper backing. It’s available in designs that imitate wood panelling as well as more ornate patterns. Lincrusta is a specialist wallcovering so it’s recommended to employ a specialist installer, but it’s a wallpaper that will last a life time!

Paste: Use Lincrusta specialist glue only.

Vinyl Made with a PVC layer that’s bonded to a backing paper. Often vinyls have a patterned or textured surface and are very durable making them ideal for kitchens and bathrooms.

Paste: Use vinyl adhesive, ready-‐mixed (with fungicide) or all-‐purpose (with fungicide).

Hessian Hessian wallpaper is available either as a roll of un-‐backed hessian or bonded to a stout backing paper – this helps prevent the hessian from sagging once it has been hung. You can get dyed hessian although the colour range is usually limited. This is ideal for hiding small cracks in your wall’s surface and it is hung just like normal wallpaper. If you have chosen the hessian without the backing the you will need to paste the wall instead of the paper. Bear in mind that because of the nature of this every join will show however carefully you hang!


Silk Wall Covering This is manufactured by bonding 100% silk to a fine backing paper – again, this is a non-‐matching material so joins will show. It’s also expensive and delicate so definitely not suitable for walls that are likely to be knocked or scuffed.


Japanese Grasscloth Made with real grasses that are bonded onto a fine backing and also stitched for added strength. This is another non-‐matching material so your joins will show. It’s also expensive so is best saved for decorative effect or feature walls. Paste the wall, not the paper.



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Cork Wallcoverings There is a fine veneer of cork overlayed on a plain or painted backing paper. The holes in the cork allow the colour to show through for contrast. Another expensive material so ideal when used as a feature in a room. Paste the wall, not the paper.


Metallic Coverings Made with foil which has been bonded to a backing paper. There are many fine textures and colours available but it’s vital the surface is extremely smooth as any minor lumps and bumps will show! Paste the wall, not the paper, and make sure you don’t get paste on the decorative side.

Paste: Use heavy-‐duty, ready-‐mixed (with fungicide) or all-‐purpose (with fungicide).

Flocks Velvet pile is bonded to a backing paper – a wide range of designs and colours is available and it is one of the more expensive types of wallpaper. Take care not to get paste on the decorative side of the paper.


Anaglypta Textured Wallpaper


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How Many Rolls Do You Need? When you are buying your wallpaper, the number of rolls you’ll need will depend on the pattern repeat. The bigger the repeat the more rolls you will need, whereas for wallpapers with a random match you won’t need to allow for this. It’s worth noting that if you are trying to reduce costs then always try and opt for a small repeat or random match wallpaper.

If, however, you have chosen a paper with a large pattern repeat then it’s likely you will get one less full length out of each roll so always buy an extra roll or two just in case. Most stores will allow you to return unopened rolls but it might be best to check beforehand to be sure.

Handy Hint: Always open 2 rolls when you start papering and then you can use lengths from alternating rolls to help reduce waste.

Always ensure your rolls all have the same batch number to avoid colour variations between rolls. If for some reason you have to accept rolls with different batches then try and use the odd rolls in areas where any difference will be less noticeable, such as behind doors, in corners or behind furniture.

Even if your batch numbers are all the same it’s still worth checking by opening the rolls and laying them side by side in a good light – if there is any slight difference you can decide which to use side by side if necessary.

Most British wallpaper manufacturers produce wallpaper on fully trimmed rolls 10m long and 52cm wide, but bear in mind that these dimensions can vary by 5% depending on the manufacturer. If you have chosen wallpaper that conforms to these dimensions then use the chart overleaf to calculate how many rolls you will need, or alternatively you can use our easy online wallpaper calculator.

Measuring your room Use a steel tape to measure the wall height from the top of the skirting board to the picture rail, coving or ceiling. When measuring the perimeter of the room be sure to include doors and windows as the extra paper will be needed for trimming at the top and bottom of each length. Only exclude a window or door if is takes up a significant part of the wall such as French or patio doors or a picture window.

To paper the ceiling measure the perimeter of the room and use the chart to calculate the rolls required.


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If you’re papering the ceiling in a corridor or hallway make sure to measure the width at various points down its length to make sure it doesn’t vary in width. If it does, make a note of the widest measurement. Take the width of the corridor and divide it by the width of a roll to find out how many widths you’ll need; next take the length of the corridor and divide this by the length of the roll to find out how many lengths.

width of corridor x length of corridor = number of rolls width of roll length of roll

Handy Hint: If you have a leftover roll of wallpaper you can use it to get a quick estimate of your roll requirement. Measure the height of the wall and work out how many drops you will get from one roll of wallpaper. Then take your roll of paper and use it as a ‘yard stick’ to work your way around the walls (including windows and doors) to see how many widths are needed.

Number of widths = Number of rolls Number of drops

How Many Rolls For A Ceiling?

Feet Metres

Distance round room (including doors and windows) 30-‐40 9-‐12

42-‐50 13-‐15

55-‐60 17-‐18

65-‐70 20-‐21

75-‐80 22-‐24

85-‐90 26-‐27

95-‐100 29-‐30

Number Of Rolls 2 3 4 6 7 9 10

How many rolls for the walls?

Wall Height

Distance round room (including doors and windows) 33ft 10m

39ft 12m

46ft 14m

52ft 16m

59ft 18m

66ft 20m

72ft 22m

79ft 24m

7’ – 7’6” 2.1 -‐ 2.3m 5 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

7’6” – 8’ 2.3 -‐ 2.4m 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11

8’ – 8’6” 2.4 -‐ 2.6m 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13

8’6” – 9’ 2.6 -‐ 2.7m 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13

9’ – 9’6” 2.7-‐ 2.9m 6 7 8 9 10 12 12 14


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Preparing Your Walls For Papering Before You Start Before you even start preparing your walls make sure you decorate the ceiling if this is part of the plan. Any paint or paste splashes that may end up on the walls will then come off with the old wallpaper.

The only time you shouldn’t do it this way round is if you plan on using a steam stripper on your walls, as the steam may damage your freshly decorated ceiling.

Preparing the Walls It’s vital that the surface your papering is prepared properly or you will not achieve the best results. Old wallcoverings should always be removed: soak them with a solution of warm water and washing up liquid or a proprietary stripping agent. When the old wallcoverings are soaked through scrape them off with a stripping knife.

Some wallpapers can, however, be a little difficult to remove. Painted woodchip, embossed and washable wallpapers, for instance, should be scored with a knife or a strong wire brush before soaking. Many wallpaper retailers and hire shops operate schemes to hire out steam wallpaper strippers which makes the job even easier.

Vinyl wallcoverings and peelable wallpapers are removed by

peeling away the patterned surface and then stripping the backing paper by soaking (if the backing paper is well stuck to the wall you can leave it as a base for new wallpaper). Fully dry-‐strippable wallpapers are completely removed in the same way.


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Make sure the walls are sound, clean and dry and fill all holes and cracks with a proprietary filler. ‘Size’ porous surfaces and recently plastered walls with a well-‐diluted paste solution made as instructed on the paste packet.

Thoroughly clean painted walls, particularly if gloss paint has been used, and make sure the surface is smooth. Then, to provide a good gripping surface rub them down with a course abrasive. Lining paper can be applied to create some absorbency.

Should You Use Lining Paper? Lining paper gives a uniformly absorbent surface for decorative wallpapers, but it is not usually necessary with most standard modern papers, unless the wall is in poor condition or has previously been painted with gloss paint.

A thick lining paper should be used with heavy wallpaper or special wallcoverings such as grasscloth, cork or hessian. It’s traditional to hang lining paper horizontally around the room, but this can mean dealing with very long strips of paper that are difficult to handle if you’re hanging them horizontally.

It’s therefore perfectly acceptable to hang your lining paper vertically as long as you make sure the seams won’t coincide with the seams of your wallpaper: decide where you first piece of wallpaper will go and instead of hanging a full width of lining paper just hang a half width. The seams will then occur half way across each length of wallpaper. Make sure you don’t overlap any of the joins as these raised areas will show through.

Likewise, don’t take lining paper onto an adjoining wall – trim it neatly so it fits into the corner. Wait at least 12 hours before hanging your wallpaper to ensure the lining paper is fully stuck and dry.


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Tools For The Job Starting with the right tools will make decorating much easier and will also give the best possible finish. Always use a stepladder to reach up walls -‐ you can’t use a normal ladder for this job. In addition to the tools listed below you may also need a steel tape for your measuring (they don’t stretch so are more accurate) and a metal straight-‐edge for when you are trimming. Always use a pencil for marking, never a pen.

The tools required may vary depending on the type of wallpaper you have chosen: eg a water trough is only needed if you are hanging pre-‐pasted wallpapers.

Keep some old towels or damp clothes to hand for cleaning paste from skirting boards and paintwork – always wipe as soon as possible so it doesn’t dry and become more difficult to remove.

Pasting Table A folding table, usually about 6ft long and 2ft wide, is the best type of table to use as it’s lightweight and can easily be moved around the room. You could improvise a pasting table by laying a flush door onto trestles or stools. A kitchen table will usually be too wide to be practical, as well as being too slippery to provide a firm base for pasting.

Paste Brush You should use a 5” or 6” brush (125mm or 150mm) to apply the paste to the paper or wall, depending on the type of wallpaper you have chosen. If you use an old paintbrush ensure it’s been thoroughly cleaned to make sure there are no paint particles left inside the bristles. Always wash well with warm water after using.

Plastic Bucket Any household bucket is fine, as long as it’s clean. Tie a piece of string between the anchor points of the handles so you can rest the brush on this when you’re not using it. It’s also handy for wiping off excess paste from the brush before applying to the paper or wall.

Water Trough You will need a water trough if you’ve chosen pre-‐pasted wallpaper – make sure it’s wider than the wallpaper!

Scissors The best scissors to use are specialist paperhangers scissors, with blades about 10 inches long (the longer the better). Stainless steel blades are the best as they won’t rust over time. As you’re using them make sure you wipe excess paste off the blades after each use – if the paste dries on the blades they will start to tear your paper instead of cutting it. If this happens just stand the scissors in hot water for a few minutes and wipe clean. Use these large scissors for all the main cutting and have a smaller pair of sharp scissors for the fine trimming.


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Trimming Knife A razor-‐sharp bladed knife is useful for cutting and trimming vinyl wall coverings. It’s also sometimes easier to trim pasted paper with a blade and straight-‐edge rather than with a scissors, especially if the paper is thin. It’s vital you keep the blade sharp for this, so make sure you have plenty of spare blades handy.

Plumb Line and Bob You will always need to mark a true vertical line on the wall before papering as very few walls are actually straight. The best way of doing this is by using a plumb line and bob. Most plumb lines are builders line with a small weight attached to the end but you can make your own with a metal nut or something small and heavy tied to the end. Try and avoid string if possible as it can tangle more easily than builders line.

Paperhanging Brush Your paperhanging brush is used to smooth out bubbles and creases in your newly hung wallpaper. It should be a large brush, ideally 7-‐10 inches wide to get the best results. Make sure you don’t use this for anything else and take care not to get paste in the bristles.

Cutting Guide This is an L-‐shaped piece of metal about 2ft long that you use to trim the wallpaper – just hold the guide against the skirting, coving or picture rail and trim with a very sharp knife. To trim at the correct length you just tuck the paper into the crease on the guide which is specially shaped to allow for a little extra on the length and so avoid nasty gaps in your wallpaper. The alternative is to fold the paper at the edge and trim with a scissors.

Seam Roller You can use a seam roller to press down the joins of the wallpaper. They are available with handles that attach on both sides or just the one – having the handle attach only on one side makes it easier to get into corners if needed. Don’t use a seam roller on textured or embossed wallpapers or you’ll spoil the finish.

Sponge You can use a clean damp sponge to wipe excess paste from the surface of vinyl and washable wallpapers.


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Choosing The Right Wallpaper Paste Always use the wallpaper paste recommended by the manufacturer of your chosen wallpaper – if there is no guidance on the roll then ask your retailer.

Generally, the heavier the wallpaper is the stronger the paste will need to be – these are full-‐bodied and thicker in consistency and contain more solid adhesive than water.

Some pastes can be mixed to different consistencies to suit the different wallpaper types and weights: follow the instructions on the packet and measure carefully, never guess proportions.

Most wallpapers will need to be left to soak after the paste has been applied. This is to allow the paper to absorb the paste and to allow the paper to expand – if you don’t leave it to expand it will do so after you’ve hung it causing problems with matching and potentially causing bubbles in the paper. Soaking time depends on the type of paper and paste being used but generally the heavier the paper the longer the soaking time. Vinyl papers don’t need to be soaked.

(image courtesy of Bartoline)


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TYPE OF PASTE DESCRIPTION COVERAGE Glue size For all bare surfaces before they are hung

with wallpaper: mix the crystals with cold water. Size improves the adhesive quality of the paste and also makes the surface more slippery and thus easier to slide your wallpaper into place. Some wallpaper pastes can be diluted and used as a size.

1 pack (approx. 5 litres) is usually enough for about 8 rolls

Cold water paste This is the traditional starch-‐based paste favoured by professionals as it tends to hold more firmly than cellular pastes. Suitable for all weights of wallpaper depending on the strength of the mix. Mix with cold water and stir well to avoid lumps. Can be used with glue size to help with slip and adhesion

4.5 litres is enough for 5-‐6 rolls of medium weight wallpaper

Regular paste Suitable for both lining papers and wallpapers these consist of cellulose flakes that are mixed into cold water. They are easy to mix and spread and don’t mark surfaces. This paste is not suitable for heavy papers as they absorb too much water and the paste won’t grip.

4.5 litres will be enough for 5-‐8 rolls

Heavy-‐duty paste

Suitable for high relief wallcoverings such as duplex, woodchip, corks, flocks, special effect wallcoverings (eg imitation wood paneling, tiling or brick). Will hold heavy materials. Mix with cold water.

4.5 litres will be enough for 4-‐6 rolls

Ready-‐mixed paste

Suitable for paper or fabric-‐backed vinyls, paper backed hessian, grasscloth, special wallcoverings, expanded polystyrene tiles, veneers and coving. Contains a fungicide, usually supplied in a tub. More expensive than powdered paste.

2.5kg pack is enough for 3-‐4 rolls

All-‐purpose paste

Suitable for all wallcoverings. Comes as a powder or flakes which is mixed in varying quantities of cold water depending on the wallpaper. Contains fungicide. More expensive than paste designed for a single type of wallpaper.

Water content varies between 4 and 7 litres per sachet, covering 2-‐10 rolls

Vinyl adhesive Suitable for vinyl wallcoverings. Contains fungicide to discourage mould growth – essential for vinyl wallpapers.

4.5 litres is enough for 4 rolls

Lincrusta adhesive

Suitable for Lincrusta wallcoverings and very heavy relief wallcoverings. Thick ready-‐mixed paste

1 litre will hang 1 roll, 2 litres 2-‐3 rolls


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How To Hang Wallpaper Where Should You Hang The First Strip Of Wallpaper? With plain or lightly patterned papers, start beside a window and work away from it round the room. Finish in the darkest corner of the room.

The central point of the room should always be the focal point for boldly patterned papers: therefore start with the chimney breast or other important feature.

How To Cut Your Lengths Of Wallpaper Before cutting the wallpaper make sure that all the rolls carry the same reference shade and batch numbers. Make absolutely sure that they match each other in colour by unwrapping the lengths -‐ remember to compare them against each other in a good light. If you have any doubts, don’t start using them and contact your dealer.

Carefully measure the length required (the height of the wall) and cut it from the roll allowing an extra 50mm top and bottom for final trimming.

With bold patterned wallpapers, cut the first length so that after final trimming the main pattern motif will be at the top of the wall. Before cutting more lengths remember to allow for the pattern to match up with the previous lengths. Always allow sufficient length for large designs.

Keep the remnants as they are often useful for small areas such as above doors and around windows.

How To Hang The Paper Straight Few walls are truly square or vertical. Before papering each wall, always mark a vertical pencil line against a plumb line (or long spirit level). You can make your own plumb line with a weight attached to fine string and sticking it to the wall with Sellotape. The line should be marked 12 mm less than the width of the paper from the corner of the room. Hang the first length of paper against this line to make sure it is vertical.

Pasting Your Wallpaper Use the type of paste recommended on the roll label. If no information is given, ask your retailer’s advice. For vinyls always use a paste containing fungicide.

Follow the manufacturer’s advice when mixing the paste to ensure it is of the correct consistency. Place the paper face down on the pasting/kitchen table, and, with the paste brush, brush the paste down the centre back of each length and work it out towards the edges.

The paste must evenly cover the paper up to the edges without marking the front. Then fold the pasted surfaces together, bottom to middle and top to middle. For very long lengths fold like a concertina. Write ‘top’ on the upper edge with pencil.


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To avoid bubbles on hanging, leave the pasted paper for a few minutes to absorb sufficient moisture to become supple. Follow the manufacturers instructions where given. If thick paper is being used you can paste two or three lengths at a time, but make sure that the first length pasted is hung first.

Hanging Your Wallpaper Check which is the top end of the length and carry the folded pasted paper over one arm to the wall.

Holding the top corners, open the top fold and stick the top half of the length on the wall. Then, allowing 50 mm at the ceiling line for trimming, slide the paper exactly into position. Smooth down the middle of the paper with the paperhangers’ brush, working out towards the edges removing the wrinkles and air bubbles as you go.

Open the bottom fold and continue to smooth the paper down leaving a similar trimming margin at the bottom of 50mm.

Run the back of the scissors along the angle of the ceiling and skirting to mark where the paper has to be trimmed. Gently pull the paper away from the wall, trim with the scissors and brush back down. With a damp sponge, wipe the excess paste from the skirting and ceiling.

Position the next length of paper on the wall beside the first and slide it precisely into position against the first piece so that the pattern matches at normal eye level.

If wrinkles appear, there are still air pockets under the paper. Gently peel the paper back then brush it down again. If wrinkles or bubbles persist, the paper has not had time to absorb sufficient moisture from the paste. Minor wrinkles will disappear on drying.

If necessary, using a seam roller, gently flatten joints between lengths about 20 minutes after hanging. Don’t roll embossed papers.

How To Wallpaper Around Corners Never hang a full width of paper around an inside corner, always hang the paper in two parts.

First, measure the distance from the edge of the last piece of wallpaper hung to the corner. Do this at several points between the ceiling and the skirting board to find the greatest distance.

Cut a narrow strip of wallpaper 12mm wider than this distance, paste and hang it as before with the extra 12mm overlapping on the next wall.

Take the spare width from the previous length and paste it. Don’t forget to measure its full width and mark a vertical line on the wall before hanging it.

Hang this length to the line overlapping the 12 mm carried around from the previous wall. Any slight pattern mismatch won’t show. It may be necessary to treat outside corners in the same way if they are not absolutely vertical.


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Light Switches & Electric Sockets etc Turn the electricity off at the mains -‐ remember you are using water! Smooth the paper down very gently over the fitting.

For square fittings pierce the paper at the centre of the fitting and make for diagonal cuts from the centre to approximately 25mm beyond each corner. Press the paper around the edge of the fitting, make a light pencil mark round the outline and trim away the surplus paper.

For round switches etc make a series of star shaped cuts, press down, mark and trim in the same way.

NB Take great care that there can be no electrical contact with metallic foil papers before you switch the mains back on.


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Fixing Common Wallpaper Problems Poor Colour Or Pattern Match If you find you are unable to match the pattern on the first 2 or 3 lengths then it may be because too much was trimmed from the edge of the paper during manufacture. Make sure you check the whole batch and take any rejects you find back to your retailer for an exchange.

Colour shade variations can occur in different production batches which is why you should always buy all your rolls at the same time and check they all have the same batch number. If you find rolls with the same batch number still have some variation then you can try and have them replaced by your supplier. If this isn’t possible then use these lengths in areas where they won’t show, such as behind furniture or in window reveals. Look at your room and assess where the light is poorest and use them there so that variations won’t be as obvious.

Persistent Bubbles In Your Wallpaper Small bubbles should disappear as the wallpaper dries, but sometimes you will have those that persist. These occur because the paper has expanded after hanging, usually the result of not having soaked it long enough or sometimes if you’ve applied new wallpaper over old.

You should always strip any old wallpaper before you hang your new paper as the moisture in the paste can cause the old paper to expand and result in bubbling.

To resolve the problem cut the bubbles with a razor blade and put new paste behind them using an artist’s paint brush. Press the wallpaper back into place and make sure you wipe away any excess paste to avoid staining. If a full length of wallpaper is badly affected by bubbles then you’re better off stripping the whole piece and hanging a new strip, making sure you allow enough time for the to wallpaper soak.

Your Wallpaper Won’t Slide There are several reasons this can happen: the wall is absorbing the water in the paste, the walls aren’t sized properly or the paste is drying out too quickly.

The wall will absorb water from the paste if it has been mixed with too much water. Always mix according to the instructions on the packet and don’t be tempted to add more water to make it go further. Lay the piece of wallpaper back on your pasting table, make up a fresh batch of thicker paste, and re-‐apply before attempting to re-‐hang.

If you think the reason for the lack of slip is that the wall hasn’t been sized properly then make sure you use a glue size on them as this creates better slip than paste.

The last option is that the glue is drying out too quickly – make sure you turn off the heating in the room or try opening a window.


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The Relief Pattern Is Flat This happens when you apply too much pressure to the wallpaper when you are smoothing it onto the wall and occurs most frequently at the seams. Don’t use a seam roller on relief wallpapers. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to ‘un-‐flatten’ most relief wallpapers though expanded vinyls will recover with time.

Shiny Patches on Matt Wallpaper If you have shiny patches on your matt wallpaper then it’s a result of it having been rubbed to hard when being hung, or over time. There’s little you can do to fix shiny patches but taking a ball of white bread and rubbing it over the area can help reduce the problem. Hint: you can also do this to clean non-‐washable wallpapers.

When hanging matt finish wallpapers try smoothing it with a dry sponge or dry nylon or lambs wool roller.

Staining at the Seams This happens when old size that was on the wall is reactivated by the water in the new wallpaper paste. Wiping with a clean cloth or rag can help to make them appear less obvious. To prevent this happening in future you should wash down your walls with hot water to remove any old size before preparing your walls for papering.

Gaps at the Seams If your wallpaper paste wasn’t strong enough to hold the paper it can shrink when it dries – this is why it’s vital you use the correct type of paste for your wallpaper.

You can try painting in the gap with watercolour if you can find a close enough colour match.

Seams Are Lifting This is a common problem when there hasn’t been enough paste applied to the edges of the wallpaper, and often happens with relief papers and vinyls. Lift the edge of the paper with a knife blade and use an artist’s paintbrush to apply more paste. If you have a vinyl with overlapping edges you can get specialist vinyl seam adhesive.

Before you hang more lengths make sure you apply your paste in sufficient quantities right to the edge of the paper.

Creases in the Paper This can happen when wallpaper has been hung on an uneven wall, but is more likely the result of being careless when hanging your wallpaper. They can be fixed in the same way as bubbles: tear down the crease (or cut it if it’s a vinyl paper), apply more paste if needed and smooth back down.

To avoid creases in future make sure you fill any cracks or indentations in the wall with filler, or re-‐skim before wallpapering.


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Brown Spots Showing Through The Wallpaper This can be caused by impurities in the plaster which are the result of using wire wool or a wire brush to prepare the walls. It can also be caused by fungus growth on the wall because of damp and/or cold conditions.

If the problem is severe you will have to strip the wallpaper and redecorate. When preparing the walls make sure you use abrasive paper instead of wire wool or a wire brush. Treat the wall with fungicide if damp is a problem and if you think cold is an issue you can line the wall with expanded polystyrene. If the area is likely to suffer from condensation use a wallpaper paste with fungicide.

Damp Patches on Wallpaper If, once the wallpaper has dried, you are still left with damp patches then there is either damp striking through the wall or condensation forming on a cold area.

If you ignore the problem it will end up staining your wallpaper so you’ll need to find the source of the damp and treat it. If you do this in a timely manner the damp on the wallpaper should then disappear without leaving any long term effects.

The Paper is Coming Away From The Wall There are 4 possible causes of this:

1. The paste wasn’t strong enough for the type of wallpaper 2. The wall wasn’t sized 3. The wallpaper has been hung on old distemper or gloss paint 4. Condensation is forming after the wall was prepared

If the problem is only affecting small areas of wallpaper then you can lift the area, apply new paste and press it back into place. If a whole length is affected it will have to be completely removed and replaced.

To prevent this happening in the future make sure you use the correct type of wallpaper paste mixed according to the instructions, prepare the walls thoroughly and eliminate any possible causes of condensation in your room.

How To Repair Damaged Wallpaper If your wallpaper has torn you can patch it using a piece of leftover wallpaper:

• Tear away the damaged wallpaper leaving only that which is firmly attached to the wall.

• Hold the new wallpaper over the damaged area and adjust it so that the pattern matches.

• Tear a piece from the new paper (don’t cut it) large enough to cover the damage and then tear away about 3mm all around the edge from the back of the paper.

• Paste the patch and lay it over the hole making sure the pattern matches. • Smooth it down, working from the centre of the patch towards the edges.


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Patching Vinyl Wallcovering You can’t tear vinyl wallpaper like you can standard wallpaper so the repairing technique is different.

• Cut a square of your replacement vinyl paper that’s bigger than the area you’re patching – again, if necessary make sure the pattern matches.

• Tape the square over the hole and using a metal edge and sharp blade cut a square shape through both layers of paper.

• Remove the damaged patch within the square and replace it with the new piece using vinyl paste.

Conclusion I hope this guide has proven interesting and informative and that you now have a much better idea of how you want to proceed with the decoration of your home.

In closing, let me just remind you to think carefully about the overall look and feel you want for your home, take the time to investigate your options and engage the services of a reputable supplier who’ll answer any questions you have and can help you co-‐ordinate the different aspects of your décor to ensure a great end result.

If you do so, the process of decorating your home will be incredibly enjoyable and will help make it truly yours!

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Date post:	06-Apr-2016
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The ultimate guide to wallpaper

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