Wall papering

Before papering make sure everything is to hand. You will need the correct amount of rolls to cover the walls that have the same batch numbers, and it is always prudent to ask for a couple of rolls with the same batch number to be put aside for you just in case you don’t have enough; sometimes mistakes happen that will leave you short.

You will need a step ladder, pasting table, pasting bucket and pasting brush of seven inches long made of bristle, a proper paper scissors, a tape measure, a pencil, a sharp Stanley knife, a plumb bob or spirit level to mark your vertical lines to paste to, and an eight inch smoothing brush to take out the bubbles.
Size the walls first and let dry so the paper can slip into place while you are papering. Mark your first line half an inch shorter than the width of the paper from one corner where you will be starting. Then set your sturdy pasting table up near to where you will be working and put a roll of paper onto it.
Mix up the correct amount of paste; granulated self mix paste is best to just add the right amount of water and stir for it to be ready in a few minutes. Tie a string across the top of your pasting bucket and lay the pasting brush on the string to keep it from sinking into the paste.
Measure the wall from top to bottom and add an inch for the overlap to be cut to size.
Non patterned papers can just be cut and pasted, but with patterned papers you will have to match the patterns at the top and bottom on your board and cut them so that when they are pasted they match up.
If you find it difficult on the board then cut the first one to size and lay it out on the floor and then roll out the next one beside it and match the tops then cut to size using the first one as a guide.

Do the same for the next piece of paper then put all three on the pasting table so the paste side is up ready for pasting.
If the edges roll up then roll them up the opposite way to put a reverse spring into them.
Put all three up to the left hand corner of the pasting table and overlap by an inch. The first piece to be pasted is pushed to the other corner and pasted. Try to keep the table clear of paste so the front of the paper remains dry.
Use an apron with a wide pocket to put your scissors and smoothing brush in so they are ready to hand while you are pasting.
Paste the first sheet of paper and concertina fold it in manageable amounts for you to hold when you put it up to the top of the wall.
When the whole piece has been folded, lay it on the floor to soak for the specified amount of time. If it doesn’t say on the label how long to soak it then ask where you bought it from to find out.
If doing three at a time is too much for you then just paste one at a time making sure the paste only goes on the paper and not the board. By laying the edge of the paper to the edge of the board and pasting one side first then pull the paper to the other side of the board to paste all of the paper then lay your brush on the string on your bucket and fold all the paper making sure to keep the wet side to the wet side and the front of the paper dry.
Lining and woodchip papers are the easiest while vinyls and embossed papers take the most effort; make sure you don’t stretch the paper or try to push it too far when lining up the patterns. It should slip easily on the wall to match up using your smoothing brush to smooth out as you go down the wall.
If you haven’t sized the wall first then you will find it hard to move the paper around to match it up with the previous piece.
The first piece goes down your vertical line that is measured out from the corner where you will start by a half an inch shorter than the paper so that the extra half an inch goes around the joining wall where you will finish.
On long walls it is best to start in the middle as sometimes the paper bends slightly and this will give you the best chance of covering the wall without any gaps. It is for this reason that it is important to hang the first piece perfectly vertically on your vertical pencil line found by using the plumb bob or spirit level so that all the other pieces drop straight and there is no bending at the bottom because your paper has moved out of the vertical.
All this sounds like a lot of work but after the first few pieces are put on it should all come together and flow easily.
Mark the top and bottom of the paper overlapping by dragging the blunt end of the scissors across the edge to make a line to cut.

Wipe ceilings and skirting boards of all paste as you go.
I usually do three pieces of paper at a time making sure to brush out all bubbles as the paper is going on then clearing up and wiping any paste off.
Paste around windows and doors as you go and don’t leave until the end. Match up each piece leaving an inch for the ends to be cut off and paste the corners.
Take your time, it is not hard to figure out before you cut and paste. The only hard parts are the ends of the tops of windows. These need to be matched up, with an overlap then pasted with the top edge put under the piece that hangs down from the ceiling which will be cut short with the Stanley knife. If it is a vinyl paper then you will need to use a vinyl glue for sticking vinyl to vinyl.
If the paper is not soaked for long enough, or for too long it may not match up so use a clock or watch to time each piece while it is soaking so they all soak for the same amount of time.
Ready pasted papers are a pain and are best left alone but if you do use them then have the water bath close to the wall and do only one piece at a time making sure all of the paste is wet by lifting and dropping the paper in the water as you are taking it out of the bath prior to hanging.

Some embossed papers will need to be soaked for eight to ten minutes or more each before hanging so take this into consideration when choosing a paper for your walls.
Lining paper can be hung horizontally as a backing paper to even out rough walls.
Woodchip paper is the easiest to hang and can be feather edged prior to painting.
Keep things clear and organised as you go to make it all go smoothly.
If you find after you have finished that the paper has two different shades then you have used the wrong batch numbers.
Sponge down vinyl papers as you go to remove all paste otherwise it will mark the surface.
Always look back along your pasting to make sure the paste covers all of the paper, any bits missed will cause bubbles after it has dried.
Wallpapering is a skill that takes a lot of practice. Decorators spend years leaning how to do it properly; so if you’re not sure you can do it right then call in a professional.
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