Wallpapering for a total beginner

[Coffee62]

Hi all, I’m wanting to wallpaper one wall in my kitchen which has the radiator along it.
I’ve never wallpapered in my life and seriously doubting that I can do it. The wallpaper I like is paste the paper.

Has anyone got any words of wisdom? I don’t know the first thing about it, has anyone else done it themselves before? I could call in a decorator but that’s more money, and part of me wants to learn how to do this myself!

It's ALL about the preparation.

The walls need to be stripped, sanded, filled, sanded etc so that they are smooth - no cracks, no lumpy bits, etc. This can take time as the filler needs to set before you can sand it smooth, so whilst it won't take many hours in one session, it could take an hour or two over several days/sessions to allow for drying/resanding etc.

Buy all the "tools" you need in advance, get them from somewhere like Wickes or Homebase so you can take back what you don't need/use. You need a plumb line for setting a pure vertical starting point, very sharp craft knives for cutting the top/bottom, edges and around corners etc and a sharp "edge" tool to hold the paper in place whilst you cut it with the knife. Cloths to wipe away excess paste. Paste, paste brush, smoothing brush.

Ideally the radiator needs to come off the wall - yes you need a plumber to take it off and then put it back on but it will make the papering much quicker and easier not having to cut around it! Likewise any electrical sockets, light switches, etc - far easier to have them taken off and then put back on after papering.

I’ll add, if it’s only one wall I always start from the exact middle of the wall with the first strip and work out the way, it always looks way more balanced that way. YouTube videos have brilliant tips!

I agree. Easy to think it’s easier if you start in one corner but highly unlikely the corner will have been plastered “true” so you end up slicing some off anyway to keep it vertically true and then you end up with it not being properly centred which can look naff.

Choose a wall paper with a small pattern for your first attempt, as this will make matching the pattern easier, and you won't have very much waste paper from the pattern repeat. However, I see you are only doing one wall, so maybe you've got in mind something like a forest or jungle scene, in which case ignore the above comment!
If you are painting the ceiling of the room, on the wall that you are going to paper, drag the ceiling paint down onto the wall for a couple of inches. Then if you have any slight unevenness in the wallpaper trimming, it won't be seen from below.

Realistically, are you likely to do wallpapering in other rooms in your home in future? Because if not, by the time you've bought the tools, pasting table etc (and do you have anywhere to store that?) you might as well pay someone to do it.

I'm all for DIY - I've wallpapered two rooms myself, both with picture rails for added complication - but that was in my family home so I had access to the tools already accumulated by the previous generation.

Also, is the wallpaper you like suitable for kitchens? I think it used to be advised to get a vinyl type paper (for kitchens or bathrooms) because of the humidity from cooking etc and it's also wipe-able. Although maybe that is more important for bathrooms. But depending on the location of the paper in relation to stove/sink and how well ventilated the room is, it might not be the case.

Hey OP just wondering if you’ve tried to wallpaper yet? I’m in the same predicament. I’ve taken the old paper off, prepared the wall and was going to get a decorator to put up new paper. He quoted me £250 for one small wall which seems a lot, so I’m going to have a go myself. Any tips?

Not an expert but I did this recently
myself for the first time in a very awkward small space (long story).

Paste the wall paper is easy.

Make sure you understand the pattern and how to line it up if applicable.

Measure twice, cut once, and have a decent cutting tool.

Take your time - it will take twice as long as you expect and I nearly had a nervous breakdown at first!

And yes, as a PP said, prep well.