Wall papering

[Marshmallowbrain]

I can't wait any longer for hubby to wallpaper sons room so going to do it myself...

What do I need to get, what's your tips, tell me EVERYTHING!!!

Tip: mix your wallpaper paste on a 2l coke bottle, easier to spread/handle. DH is very impressed with himself this week for doing this!

Start in the middle of the wall not at the edge, especially important if doing an old house with wonky walls. Get some keys and tie them on a bit of string and pin to the wall so you can work out a straight line to work from. Do this on every wall and when you go round the corner cut the paper about 1cm round the corner. Then overlap when you do the next wall.

Let the paste soak into the paper for ten mins or so before you hang it on the wall to make the paper easier to work with. You can paste a few bits of paper and then start hanging the first one whilst the next one is waiting. You can fold them so the paste is touching paste to make them easier to move around. Easiest way is to fold one third from the top and 2 thirds from the bottom so you can tell the bottom and top apart.

My tip would be buy the pre mixed paste, it’s very cheap and saves a bit of faff, not having to worry about measures or lumps. Comes in a handy bucket you can just snap the lid shut till next time.

Another tip is to paste the walls too (ideally will a slightly watered down paste). I think is called sizing and really helps the paper slightly slide when you’re trying to get your joins spot on, as well as giving a better ‘stick’ for the paper.

Sorry if the below includes anything screamingly obvious...you did say EVERYTHING 😉 AND I'm sure I've missed some

Size the wall! [Slap loads of paste directly onto wall first as well as pasting paper].

Totally agree with PP always use a plumb line ANYTHING on a piece of string. Do it on every wall as well not just for the first drop

Are you using a pasting table? Paste from the middle to the edge, with a pasting table and standard width paper they are sized exactly right so that the edge gets an extra bit of paste as well. Also a padding table is exactly 2/3 of a standard full drop floor to ceiling which makes measuring a drop easier

Give any pasted roll a couple of min to let the paste soak in before you hang. PP did say late more than one at a time, it's great for that chance to soak in too

Proper papering brush and seam rollers are very helpful, also wallpapering scissors

If you have the paste mixed in a bucket then tie a piece of string to the bottom of each side of the handle pulled tight. You can rest your pasting brush on it while you paper

Don't forget decent quality paper is forgiving enough that you can stick it to the wall then peel it off when you want to cut in to the corner of a room (so you can be accurate, not just go around a corner), or skirting board, or coving, then stick it back

Combination of sizing and a good papering brush mean that you can slide the paper around a bit as needed, much easier to manouvre. The best finish is where you butt up two adjacent pieces by slightly sliding with the brush the edge of the second up to the first.

For corners the underneath piece wrap around a couple cm. Bash RIGHT in to the corner with your papering brush. Then the adjacent wall, start a touch less then a whole roll width so that when you bash that in (on top) to score a corner you can peel it back, cut and replace. The join will be almost invisible.

Brush to the edges anyway as you go. Brush any air bubbles to the edges too. If you can't get any out then use a very sharp knife to make a small cut to brush the air to. The paste will keep it stuck afterwards if you brush it back down or use the seam roller

Measuring is helpful not just to stay in the middle of the room but to keep more whole pieces of roll. Better not to have a 5cm (say) strip at one edge but to keep each edge of a run with a bit off

Wallpaper paste shrinks when it dries so if you have patches a little bit more paste-y unless they are massive or actual lumps then it should be fine. But as with air bubbles, brush them to the edges

If you are hanging a pattern you need to pay attention when measuring to the length of a repeat to match. You don't want one half of a flower at a join matching the other half which is 6in higher up. If pattern then more can be more with a drop so you don't end up 3cm short at the skirting board because of not having been generous enough with the paper

You are supposed apparently to paper away from the natural light source so start nearer to the window. I never pay too much attention

Stick some cling film over the bucket of paste if you need to finish overnight, it will be fine tomorrow

I am a bit of a perfectionist with my papering :-)

I have no idea where the gin bottle came from.

Sizing though being slapping paste on to the wall first as well as the paper

Lots of good advice here. Adding to that, get a seam roller. It really makes the difference for getting those invisible joins.

I've used paste the wall papers several times and prefer these. Get a good quality brush to go over the paper once applied and get out all the air bubbles. Brush out towards the edges.

Paste the wall is a game changer...

Lots of paper says on it if it's paste the wall

You'll need a brush and I agree, ready made paste

Overbuy your wallpaper rolls, keep receipt to return unopened rolls.....you will need a matching batch number on each roll....very important

A smoother and a cutting tool

Good luck!

Lots of sharp blades for trimming, YouTube for the awkward edges and if it's a dark or coloured paper then paint a stripes of that colour on the wall where the joints will be or it will look rubbish.

Yes,wallpaper sometimes shrinks back at the join. Bear this in mind op

I discovered Paste the Wall paper this year and I LOVE it and will never paint a wall again. It is just so quick, easy and immediately effective. No multiple coats or drips or uneven edging in.

Just get ready made tub of paste, a great big paste brush, draw you plumb line in the middle of the wall, slap the paste on the wall. Hold the roll at the top and roll it down to the food, use a damp cloth to smooth the paper down then use a good solid ruler and a Stanley knife to cut the top and bottom into neat lines.

Takes about half an hour to do a wall and the papers are usually lovely and thick, sometimes textured so they look wonderful and feel fantastic.

How do you navigate plug sockets and switches??

Turn the power off, loosen the front plate or even remove the screws totally and then cut a cross in the pasted paper once it is stuck on the top bit of the wall with scissors from corner to corner. Cut a square out of the middle and then stick it down. Once the paper is dry you can reattach the socket.

You make it sound so simple!

I hate that bit

It's much easier if you have seen someone do it before you attempt it. My grandad was a painter and decorator so he taught my dad who then taught me.
Oh yes, an apron with a large pocket, big enough for the smoothing brush and some scissors is essential too.

My grandfather was a professional decorator.
His advice was always to start on the chimney breast (or if there isn't one the wall directly opposite the door). Make sure the joins on that wall are perfect 'cos those are the only once anybody really sees.