When wallpapering a room the ceiling is usually the first area to focus on. Starting at a wall with a window, move from the window across the room with subsequent lengths.
How To Hang Wallpaper
The first thing you have to be sure of when wallpapering a room is how many rolls of wallpaper you will need. You should measure the walls from ceiling to floor or skirting board then measure the circumference of the room, look at the measurements of the wallpaper you've selected then you can work out how many roll's you need to buy.
You should make sure the wall surface is as smooth as possible before starting hanging the paper you should make sure there is no old paper still on the wall, and any little holes should be filled with polyfilla before starting. You can use lining paper to achieve the smoothest finish, lining paper can be hung either horizontally or vertically.
Before hanging the lining paper, use a spirit level to align the paper by making a mark across the level. Now open out each fold as you apply the paper to the wall. After the paper is stuck to the wall, smooth out the length of the wall to reduce any bubbles or uneven textures with a paper hangers brush, applying more paste if required. Continue this method for the entire room, ready for the wallpaper to be applied.
Once your lining paper is fitted you should start by measuring the length of your wall and cutting your wallpaper to the right length leaving about 1cm over each end to allow for some wiggle room.
If the wallpaper you're using is patterned wallpaper then you should make sure each piece you apply is hanging the right way round. If the wallpaper has a continuous pattern then you need to make sure each piece you cut is cut so it lines up exactly with the pattern from the previous piece you hung.
Now that the lengths of wallpaper have been measured and cut they are ready for pasting. The paste will need to be mixed for the desired thickness of the job. When selecting wallpaper paste look out to see if it contains fungicides, as fungicides are necessary to hang vinyl and washable wallpapers.
When you're ready to start hanging your wallpaper you should place your first piece of paper on your pasting table and apply the paste using a pasting brush, careful not to apply too much paste and try and apply it as close to the edge as possible.
To avoid any unsightly blistering it is best to make sure that the paste is applied evenly and covers the entirety of the back of the paper. If blisters start to appear after the wallpaper has been hung it is best to remove the lengths effected.
Once the paste has been applied it needs to be folded in a corsetina style letting the paste soak into the paper for a couple of minutes. Soaking the paper allows any moisture of the paste to expand and reduces the appearance of bubbles and blistering. You should be sure not to get any paste on the front of the wallpaper and if you do it should be wiped off immediately to prevent it spoiling the final finish.
You are now ready to hang the wallpaper. Mark a long pencil line using a spirit level and use the marking to line up the lengths of wallpaper. Try to avoid placing the paper over the mark (instead place it parallel to the lines). To apply the wallpaper unfold the top part of the length and stick the paper loosely to the top of the wall. Position the paper roughly five centimetres over the top of the wall and push the wallpaper into place. Once the wallpaper is hung, use a paper hangers brush to smooth out any bumps using the herringbone method. Unfold the bottom five centimetres and apply the other half of the wallpaper to the wall, smoothing out any further bumps.
Now the wallpaper is in position, use wallpaper scissors or a small blade to cut off any excess. Finally stick down the edges of the lengths and remove any surplus paste with a damp sponge.
To apply wallpaper around corners, first you need to measure the distance from the last length of wallpaper applied to the corner required. Next, cut a length of paper downwards to the width measured earlier adding an inch of overlap onto the measurement to make an overlap which will fit the corner. Bear in mind that if the wall is unevenly plastered then an excess overlap may be needed to compensate. Apply paste to the back of the wallpaper, taking care to apply the paste evenly into the corner. The excess length from the previous cut should be pasted from the corner as this will make the join less prominent. From here you can carry on applying the wallpaper to the rest of the room.
When you are applying wallpaper over a socket or light switch you should ensure your electric is disconnected first of all. Once you are safe to start you should hang the piece of wallpaper as you would normally and when you reach the socket place it over it lightly cut a hole in the middle cut diagnal lines in the paper across the length of the socket. You should then smooth the paper to the wall and flush to the socket you can then cut off the excess with a sharp blade.
Using Pre Pasted Wallpaper
If you are particularly inexperienced or pushed for time, pre pasted wallpaper may apply to you. Cut the wallpaper and prepare it into a loose roll. Then, instead of brushing on paste, take the paper and allow it to soak in a trough or basin of water for roughly a minute (directions will be included on the packaging as times can vary across different branded products). After a minute or so the water will have reacted with the glue and will be ready to be removed. Take care to remove the rolls slowly so that any surplus water can run into the trough instead of being absorbed by the paper. Apply the paper as usual and then wipe down the surface with a clean, dry sponge to soak up any excess water.