Our Step-by-Step Guide to Wallpapering

Freshening up your rooms with a vibrant, statement wall is one of the best ways to update your home. More exciting and personal than a lick of paint, wallpapering a room can completely transform it from drab to fab in a matter of hours.

Ask any DIYer though, and they’ll tell you that wallpapering is their least favorite task. But luckily for you you’ve got our easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to wallpapering your room like a pro:

You will need:

Wallpaper – make sure you have enough to cover your wall or room, and enough to cover any mistakes you make early on
Wallpaper paste
Scissors
Pencil
Plumb line
Batten or long ruler
Paint brush
Smoothing brush or roller
Sponge

How to wallpaper professionally:

1. Start by cutting enough lengths of wallpaper to cover your first wall. Make sure you add an additional 4 inches on to each strip (or more if you have a large pattern) for trimming.

2. Push a length of the paper into the top corner of the wall, and mark the wall approx an inch from the free edge. Hold the plumb line at ceiling height so that it passes through your pencil mark; make several more marks along this line and join together with the ruler.

3. Spread a little wallpaper paste onto the centre of your first sheet. Spread the paste to the edges of the sheet to ensure a strong bond.

4. Fold the pasted sides inwards so that no paste is touching the face side, and hand over a broom for a few moments. This will allow the paper to absorb the paste and become more pliable; making it much easier to hang.

5. Lightly press the top of your piece of paper against the wall. Use the smoothing brush to get rid of any air bubbles and continue to spread the paste evenly over the sheet. Trim the excess paper off.

6. Follow steps 1-5 for your next sheet of wallpaper, making sure the edge neatly matches the previous sheet. Match up the patterns if you use a decorative paper. Sponge off any excess paste with a clean, wet sponge.

7. At the corners, measure from the last full width roll to the corner and add about half an inch. Paste on the wall in the method outlined above, and press the small overlap around the corner. Using a plumb line for accuracy, overlap with the next piece.

And there you have it! A simple step-by-step to wallpapering your room, and not a professional in sight.

Walton Homes is a builder of new homes in Birmingham; mainly in the Staffordshire and Tamworth areas. To find out more about their developments and the locations of their homes, visit their website today.