How to hang wallpaper

 

Warner House wallpaper is a premium quality wallcovering that is easy to hang. It has excellent light fastness, is spongeable, hung by pasting the wall and is peelable for when you are eventually ready to redecorate.  

 

It is produced to order in the exact quantity of rolls that you require. 

 

Whether you’re decorating a single feature wall or a whole room, wallpaper can instantly transform an interior setting. Hanging wallpaper isn’t the laborious task that it used to be, with modern paste the wall techniques speeding up the entire process. Warner House wallpaper is manufactured using a special backing paper that does not expand when wet, so unlike traditional wallpaper, you do not need to soak it before hanging. Instead, you can simply apply the paste directly to the wall.  

 

If you are yet to purchase your wallpaper, make sure you use our wallpaper calculator to ensure you are ordering enough. To use our wallpaper calculator, click onto the desired wallpaper design and you will see a link named ‘how many rolls do I need’ above the quantity box. Our wallpaper calculators take into account the individual pattern repeat and width of the wallpaper, so the number of rolls needed will change from one wallpaper to another. 

 

 

Tools 

 

Before you start your wallpaper project, it’s important to have the right tools to hand to help you achieve a perfect finish.  

 

-Sharp DIY knife and cutting guide, and suitable wallpaper scissors 

-Ready mixed paste the wall adhesive

-Roller and tray and paint brush  

-Spirit level or plumb line 

-Wallpapering brush 

-Clean, damp sponge

-Tape measure and pencil 

 

 

Preparing the wall 

 

1. Make sure that the wall you are applying to is smooth and free from imperfections. Remove any traces of dirt, old wallpaper and loose paint, using detergent or sugar soap to clean it.  
2. Check that all walls are a uniform pale colour. This allows you to be sure that no colour or surface contrast appears through the paper. 
3. If there are irregularities or holes in your wall, use filler to fill these in and sand over to create a smooth finish. Ensure that painted wall surfaces are roughened with fine sandpaper too.  
4. If walls are newly plastered, you will firstly need to prime them to avoid the wallpaper paste from being absorbed when applied. You can use a diluted wallpaper adhesive or primer to do this, simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Allow this to dry fully before hanging. 
5. To achieve the best possible finish, we would always recommend lining your walls first with lining paper. Hang this horizontally and allow to fully dry before moving on to hanging your wallpaper
6. Wallpaper should never be hung on a wall with a history of damp. Ensure that any problems with damp are resolved before hanging any wallpaper. 

 

Planning where to start 

 

1. Consider a start point by thinking about notable features in the room, for example a fireplace or the feature wall. Work out the middle of the feature wall from left to right and aim for this point to be in the middle of a length, this will ensure that the design will be nicely centred from left to right. Another point that is good to check is if your chosen start point on any wall will result in very small strips going into the corners – this doesn’t matter in itself however it can be more difficult to make a neat job if you have strips less than 2-3cm.  
2. Carefully consider the design layout and see if there is a prominent motif or design area that will be best centred or not cut through at the top. Planning this now will make all the difference to your finished job. How you cut the first length will set the positioning for the entire project. Might you want a full design repeat at the top for example or in the middle of the chimney breast? 

 

 

Hanging wallpaper 

 

1. Cut off the instruction label strip. 
2. Consider the layout advice above – now is the time to alter the start point on the first length. Once happy measure the height of the wall, adding around 6-10cm to the measurement to allow for trimming. Cut your first length and with a soft pencil lightly mark on the reverse the top and bottom positions of the join of the ceiling and the skirting, also noting which way up. You will need to know this position for laying out the subsequent lengths and cutting them to match. 
3. It’s a good idea to cut enough lengths in advance for each wall, making sure that you pay attention to pattern matching. This way you can move more quickly and take advantage of the wet paste adjacent to the previously hung length. 
4. Use a plumb line or spirit level and a pencil to mark a vertical straight line very lightly on the wall. Do this close to where the edge of your first strip will be placed, but ensure that the hanging of this first strip will not cover the pencil line as that way you can use it as a perfectly vertical guide for hanging the first length. Easiest method is if the line is within roughly 2-3cm of the edge of the first length that you’re hanging. Repeat this on each wall to keep the wallpaper vertical. 
5. Now apply the paste to the wall. For Warner House wallpaper, we would reccomend our premium ready mixed paste the wall wallpaper adhesive specially formulated for hanging Warner House wallcoverings. Apply with a roller and have a brush handy for edges and areas too small for the roller. 
6. Apply a thin, even layer of adhesive on the wall, covering an area several centimetres wider than the width of the wallpaper. Pasting an area wider enables you to paste the wall for the next length without getting too close to the last hung length. For each length it’s important that the whole area is covered with adhesive, without leaving any bare patches, as these cause blisters beneath the wallpaper. 
7. Roll the first length into a tube and start by applying at the top of the wall. Pay attention to your earlier marked vertical line and make sure the edge of the wallpaper is parallel to it. Move down the wall, lightly brushing the paper into place as you make your way to the skirting board.  
8. Brush both down and from the centre outwards so as to push any bubbles out to the seams to release the air. Keep the brush clean and carefully wipe any paste from the surface of the paper immediately with a damp sponge and clean water. Do not use any detergents or cleaning fluids. Trim the excess with scissors or a knife and trimming guide. When using a knife replace the blade frequently otherwise it can snag the wallpaper. Snap off blade knives are particularly good for wallpapering. 
9. If you do make a mistake at any point, never try to reposition a length on the wall and instead simply remove the length and start over, applying more adhesive if the first coat has dried. 
10. Continue with the next length, paste the wall and then start hanging the paper from the top, ensuring that the pattern matches and that there is no gap visible at the joints, while also ensuring that the strips do not at any point overlap. When you’re happy that the pattern lines up and the edges are flush, repeat the earlier steps of brushing down the paper and smoothing out from the centre. Finally trim the excess paper top and bottom. 
11. Continue this method until the wall is finished.  
12. If you are covering more than one wall you will need to wallpaper around the corner. For internal corners the best method is to cut the final length so that it is wide enough to continue 1.5cm around the corner onto the adjacent wall. Push the paper gently into the corner with the wallpaper brush – don’t worry about small horizontal creases in the 1.5cm strip that laps around the corner – just cut through the middle of them and smooth them down slightly overlapping itself. We will be covering most of this up with the next length on the new wall. 
13. The first length on the new wall will overlap on top of the 1.5cm. Take care with planning because most corners are not perfectly square. To check this lightly mark a vertical line just adjacent to the 1.5cm wrap around, so that you can judge the trueness of the corner. This will show you if it leans into the wall at the top or bottom. Knowing this will help you position the first length.  
14. Once you’re happy with the position mark a vertical line 2-3cms beyond the edge of the first length as you did before, and hang as previously, this time overlapping the wrap around. If necessary, trim vertically any excess into the corner with scissors and brush down over the overlap. Aim to cover as much of the overlap as possible and finally remove any paste with a damp sponge. 

  

Around sockets and switches

 

1. Start by ensuring that you switch your mains power off.
2. Loosen the socket or switch and pull it very slightly (approximately 1cm) away from the wall.
3. Hang your wallpaper as previously detailed, smoothing into place. When you reach the socket or switch allow the paper to hang over it and it will be visible protruding under the paper.
4. Lightly crease the corners of the switch or socket on the paper with fingertips so that you have a guide to cut to.
5. Take your wallpaper scissors and carefully push through the paper roughly in the middle of the switch or socket – and cut from the centre to one of the corners. Repeat this cutting method from the centre to the rest of the corners – revealing the switch or socket
6. You will have four triangles, one on each edge of the socket. You can now trim these triangles back, parallel with the edge of the socket, but so that 3 or 4 mms can betucked behind the socket. When dry, screw the socket back on.

 

 

Finally remember never to completely close off a room of newly-hung wallpaper, but leave to air and maintain a normal room temperature to ensure the wallpaper dries properly. The room and wall should be kept at a minimum of +18°c.