Wallpaper hanging

Preparation under the paper

Wallpaper shows every bump beneath it. Old paper is stripped, walls filled and sanded, and new or patchy plaster sized or primed so the paste grabs evenly. On poor walls, lining paper goes up first, hung horizontally so its joints do not line up with the finish paper. This stage decides how the finished wall looks.

Feature walls and full rooms

A feature wall is the usual way to use a bold pattern or a premium paper without committing a whole room. Large patterns need planning so a full motif sits at eye level and on the wall people see first. Paste-the-wall papers, traditional paste-the-paper and heavy vinyls each hang differently, and we check the manufacturer's instructions and batch numbers before starting.

• Lining paper and wall preparation
• Feature walls and full rooms
• Pattern matching and murals
• Commercial vinyl wallcoverings

Commercial wallpaper installation

Offices, hotels and restaurants often use heavy contract wallcoverings because they are washable and hard-wearing. They are wider and heavier than domestic papers and need the right adhesive and handling. We work out of hours where needed and supply RAMS for commercial sites. Our guide to hanging wallpaper in commercial spaces covers this in more depth.

How to fix wallpaper seams

Lifting seams are usually caused by too little paste at the edges, paste drying before hanging, or a porous wall that was not sized. Small lifted edges can often be re-pasted and rolled. Seams that have shrunk apart or are stained usually need the length replacing, which is easier if spare rolls from the same batch were kept.

Wallpaper hanging cost

Wallpaper installation cost depends on the room, the amount of preparation, the type of paper, the pattern repeat and how many cuts are needed around windows, sockets and stairs. Large repeats waste more paper and take longer to match. You supply or choose the paper; we give a free quote for hanging and preparation, and advise on how many rolls to order.

Murals and specialist coverings

Wall murals, grasscloth, textured and metallic papers each have their own handling rules. Murals come in numbered panels that must be planned from the centre of the wall so the image is not cut off at the edges. Natural grasscloth can show joints by design and does not take paste on its face. Metallic and dark papers reveal any paste left on the surface, so seams are cleaned as each length goes up.

Stripping and making good

Removing old paper is often the slowest part of the job, especially where it has been painted over or hung on unsized plaster. Damage found underneath is repaired before any new paper goes up.

Paper and paint together

Many rooms combine a papered feature wall with painted walls, ceilings and woodwork. We handle both, painting first and papering last so the new paper stays clean and the cut edges at ceilings and skirting are crisp. If you have not yet chosen a paper, we can suggest which types suit the room, the wall condition and how much wear it will take, for example a washable vinyl in a hallway or a lighter paper in a bedroom.