How To Wallpaper A Room (and Corners!)

A vital part of how to hang wallpaper is that the wall is properly prepared before the wallpaper is applied to it. If it isn’t done, it can lead to a subpar final result in the form of peeling and the wallpaper falling off the wall. 

Below is a step-by-step guide which will guide you through the process of how to wallpaper a wall: 

1. Prepare the wall

2. Mark the wall

3. Cut the wallpaper 

4. Apply wallpaper paste 

5. Apply the wallpaper

6. Trim excess

 

1. Prepare the wall

Ensure the walls are perfectly clean, dry and smooth. Inspect the wall and fill in any holes, and sand down any uneven surfaces. Remove any remaining glue residue from the previous wallpaper. Once the wall is completely dry and smooth, apply a wallpaper primer. 

Below is a table showing different wall types and how to specifically prepare them for wallpapering. 

Wall Type	Key Characteristics	Preparation Method
New Plaster	Highly porous, dusty, slightly alkaline (high pH).	Must be completely dry. Apply a coat of PVA primer/sealer or a specific wallpaper sizing product to control absorption.
Old/Existing Plaster	Often has minor cracks, uneven repairs, or layers of old paint/sizing.	Scrape off any loose material. Fill cracks and holes with joint compound. Sand until smooth. Apply a unifying primer/sealer over all repaired areas.
Wood Panelling / Plywood	Seams and wood grain are prominent. Wood can expand/contract, putting stress on seams.	Fill seams with flexible caulk. Apply a thick, high-build oil-based primer to block stains and smooth texture. You may need to skim-coat the wood for a truly flat finish.
Gloss Painted Walls	Hard, non-porous, and very smooth/slick finish.	Wash the wall to remove grease. Lightly sand the entire surface (150-220 grit) to "scuff" the paint, apply a gripping primer.
Matt Painted Walls	Porous, slightly textured, and dull. Generally the easiest painted surface to prep.	Wash the wall to remove dirt and dust. If the wall is sound, a coat of standard wallpaper primer is usually sufficient to ensure even paste absorption.

 

2. Mark the wall

• It’s vital that you mark the walls properly to ensure that you begin wallpapering from a straight angle. You can use wallpaper tools such as a spirit level to help you do this. 

• Choose a starting point near a window, door or near a corner.

• Measure your roll of wallpaper to determine the exact width of it when it is dry. Measure multiple times to ensure accuracy. Once you have done this, subtract approximately 1cm to account for overlaps in corners. 

• Starting from the corner where you plan to begin wallpapering, measure the distance you’ve calculated across the wall and make a light pencil mark. For example, if your roll is 60cm wide, measure 59cm and make a light mark with your pencil. 

• Use a spirit level (ideally 1.2m long or longer) and align the edge with your mark. Before drawing the line with your pencil, ensure the bubble is centred. Double check that the line is faint enough so that it won’t bleed through your wallpaper. 

 

3. Cut the wallpaper

• Measure the precise height of the wall from ceiling to the skirting board. When unrolling the first strip of wallpaper, it’s important to add an additional 10 cm/4 inches to your wall height measurement. This will act as the trimming buffer for the top and bottom. 

• If the wallpaper has a repeating pattern, line up the start of the pattern on the roll with the intended ceiling line. Then unroll the paper to the marked length, ensuring that the pattern repeats correctly. 

• Cut the first strip of wallpaper with either a pair of wallpaper scissors or a utility knife, along with a long straight edge, such as a metal rule or spirit level. Make a straight cut across the wallpaper at your marked length. 

• For the second strip, unroll the wallpaper and line up the pattern precisely with the top of your first strip. Once the pattern is perfectly matched along the edge, use the first strip as a guide to mark and cut the new strip, ensuring both are the same length and that the pattern aligns.

• Use a wallpaper smoother or a putty knife to firmly press the paper into the corner, where the wall meets the skirting board, door frame or window frame. 

• Use a utility knife or a snap-off blade knife. Whichever blade you use, it’s crucial that the blade is razor sharp to prevent tearing—change or snap off the blade section for every strip if needed.

• Place your smoothing tool or a separate metal trimming edge firmly into the crease as a guide. 

• Run the sharp knife along the edge of the guide, cutting through the excess paper.

• Peel away the cut excess. If the paper is wet with paste, wipe the residue from the wall or ceiling with a damp sponge.

 

4. Apply Wallpaper Paste

There are two methods for applying wallpaper paste, depending on the type of wallpaper you are using: 

• Method 1: Paste the Wall (Non-Woven/Fleece Backed Wallpaper) - This is the quicker, less messy, and more modern method. The paper is dimensionally stable and won't expand when wet. 

• Method 2: Paste the Paper (Traditional/Paper Backed Wallpaper) - This is the traditional method, requiring a pasting table and a "soaking" or "booking" time. The paper expands when wet, so it must soak off the wall.

Method 1: Paste the Wall (Non-Woven/Fleece Backed Wallpaper) 

• Mark a vertical plumb line on the wall using a spirit level or plumb bob.

• Use a medium-pile paint roller for speed and a brush for edges and corners.

• Apply an even, liberal layer of paste to the wall area for one strip only. The pasted area should be slightly wider (about 5-10 cm / 2-4 inches) than the width of your wallpaper strip.

• Use the brush to apply paste along the ceiling line, skirting board, and corner line, ensuring every millimetre of the wall to be covered by the first strip is coated.

• Hang the dry, pre-cut wallpaper strip immediately onto the wet paste.

Method 2: Paste the Paper (Traditional/Paper Backed Wallpaper) 

Place your pre-cut wallpaper strip face-down on a clean pasting table, ensuring the top is flush with the table edge.

Using a wide pasting brush or a paste roller, start at the centre of the strip and brush outwards, applying an even, generous layer of paste from the centre to the edges.

Do not get any paste on the patterned side of the paper.

• Once the entire strip is pasted, gently fold both ends into the middle, pasted side touching pasted side. 

• Let the paper soak for the time recommended by the manufacturer, which is usually 5–10 minutes. This allows the paper to fully expand before hanging, preventing bubbles and shrinking on the wall.

• Unfold the top section of the paper and hang it onto the wall.

• After this step, it’s important to clean up and dispose of wallpaper paste properly to avoid plumbing blockages and damaging the environment. 

 

5. Apply The Wallpaper

• Begin from the top and align one edge of the pasted strip of wallpaper carefully with a vertical plumb line. Ensure that you leave 5–10cm at the top for trimming. 

• Press the strip onto the wall gently, using a smoother or brush. Begin from the centre of the strip and move outward to remove all air bubbles and creases. 

• Use a putty knife to firmly press into the corner where the paper meets the ceiling and skirting board to create a sharp crease.

• Align the pattern precisely with the strip already on the wall before pressing the strip down completely. 

• Slide the new strip's edge until it pushes tightly against the edge of the first strip. The edges must butt together with no overlap and no gap.

• Repeat the smoothing and trimming process for this strip.

• When finished, use a clean, damp sponge to gently wipe away any excess paste that has squeezed out of the seams or landed on the paper's surface. 

 

6. Trim Excess

It’s important to trim any excess paper at the top or bottom to ensure that you have a smooth finish: 

• To do this successfully, press a putty knife or smoother firmly into the corner where the paper meets the skirting board to create a sharp crease. 

• Then use a utility knife along the crease to trim away the excess wallpaper. Keep repeating these two steps carefully until the entire wall is finished, and there is no excess wallpaper left. 

• After finishing this step, ensure that you clean up and dispose of wallpaper paste properly.