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.
First of all, mark out guidelines on the ceiling to line up the lengths of wallpaper, making them run parallel with one wall and at right angles to the opposite walls. For best results the guideline should be within the wallpaper so that no lines remain visible on completion.
Be aware of any light fixtures in the room and make sure the electricity is turned off at the mains before commencing. It is more practical in the long run to remove any fittings before applying any wallpaper as the paper can be cut below the fitting instead of around it. Watch out for any excess paper near to wires as the water content of the paste can cause a potential hazard.
Once the guidelines have been marked, you will be ready to prepare the wallpaper. Apply the wallpaper with paste and fold the lengths in a concertina style and allow the paper to soak up the paste. When the paper is soaked, carry it draped over one arm to the starting mark of the guides on the ceiling. Keep the paper held up using a pole or broom handle then unfold the wallpaper and position it inline with your guides. Slide the paper into position and smooth out any bubbles evenly using a paper hangers brush. At each wall leave an overlap of just over a centimetre. The overlap will be covered later and will help to line up the walls. Continue using this method to cover the entire ceiling with further rolls of wallpaper.
Textured ceiling paper often requires a coat of paint following application. For best results use a vinyl matt or silk emulsion. Take care as some silk emulsions can cause a chemical reaction with certain types of wallpaper. If this is the case, use matt emulsion to form an undercoat first.
Applying Wallpaper to a Wall
The first step in decorating your walls is to estimate how many rolls of wallpaper are needed. Measure the walls and record the height and width to obtain the area. Wallpaper usually comes in rolls of four pieces although the length required will vary depending on the dimensions of the room. Also patterned wallpaper may vary as the paper will need to be cut to continue the pattern.
Before hanging the wallpaper, make sure there is no previous wallpaper remaining and fill any cracks or holes in the walls to maintain a smooth texture.
Lining paper can be used to achieve a good quality result, especially if the walls have previously received a coat of gloss or oil based paint. Lining paper can be hung either horizontally or vertically to line up the joins of the wallpaper.
Before hanging the lining paper, use a spirit level to align the paper by making a mark across the level. Using a similar method to covering the ceiling, soak the lining paper in paste and fold the paper in a concertina style. 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, applying more paste if required. Continue this method for the entire room, ready for the wallpaper to be applied.
Now measure the distance from the top to the bottom of the wall and mark out and cut the desired length from the roll. Leave an overhang of about half a centimetre and only cut one length at a time to maintain continuity.
If you are using patterned wallpaper make sure the pattern is facing the right way up. When using a bold design choose a focal point of the room, such as by a hearth or main wall of a room, and start from the centre of the wall. Cut the paper so that a whole motif is visible at the top of the wall. If you are using a more subdued pattern then start from the corner of a room in a less noticeable place.
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 paste look out to see if it contains fungicides, as fungicides are necessary to hang vinyl and washable wallpapers.
Now you are ready to apply the wallpaper. Start by lying the lengths of paper face down on a table. Take your paste mixture and apply it from top to bottom in a herringbone fashion, spreading the paste evenly and taking it as close to the edges as possible, taking care not to get any paste on the front.
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. Blisters occur when the wallpaper becomes stretched and if left untouched are likely to expand and appear more noticeable.
If paste accidentally goes onto the front of the paper it will need to be washed off immediately to prevent spoiling the finish. After the paste has been applied, fold the lengths of wallpaper into three to let the paste soak into the paper. Soaking the paper allows any moisture of the paste to expand and reduces the appearance of bubbles and blistering. Then fold over the top and bottom of the lengths by roughly five centimetres.
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 paperhangers 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 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.
This method can be adapted to complete outside corners. Adjust the overlap to roughly two inches to accommodate the difference.
When applying wallpaper close to electrical sockets make sure to turn off the mains power first. The wallpaper needs to be smoothed gently over the fittings and then punctured by a small blade. Cut in a diagonal direction across the fitting about an inch from the corner beyond each corner of the fitting. Lightly firm the remaining paper along the outline of the fitting, compensating for the outline and trimming.
Alternatively, you can loosen the fitting from the wall (ensuring that the mains electricity is disconnected first) and fold the excess paper beneath the fitting. Circle shaped fittings can be solved using a similar method. This can be achieved by cutting a star shape in the paper around the fitting, however this can prove fiddly and mistakes may affect the fitting. As this involves an electrical fitting care must be taken particularly with the application of paste.
An Alternative, 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.