How to hang ‘paste the wall’ wallpaper

You will need:

Step 1

The walls must be clean dry, healthy, straight and smooth.

If your wallpapering on plaster, plasterboard or wood, apply a universal primer the day before so the wall can get a good grip of the wallpaper.

If your walls are covered with gloss or silk paint, sand them down and then apply a universal primer.

If instead they’re covered with matte paint, wash them with a cleaning product that contains baking soda and let the walls dry for 24 hours before wallpapering.

Step 2

Now is the time to prepare your paste (adhesive) if it isn't ready mixed. Refer to the manufacturers instructions.

Step 3

Use a tape measure to measure and mark the width of your first panel on the wall. With a pasting brush apply the wallpaper paste round the entire edge of the area the wallpaper panel is being applied to. Then continue with the brush or use a roller to apply the paste all over the section of the wall you are working on. Apply the paste in a thin even layer directly to the wall. Use a stepladder to reach the top of the wall.

Step 4

Carefully positioned the wallpaper against the wall and double check the strips alignment against the vertical mark you made in step 3. Once you're happy this is straight, use a wallpaper smoother to smooth it from the centre to the edges to smooth out any air bubbles and wrinkles.

Step 5

Trim any access paper on the top and bottom with a stanley knife and ruler, flatten out the seams with a seam roller and then repeat for the rest of the wall, making sure the seams line up each time.

Step 6

To wallpaper around any switches or sockets cover these with the wallpaper strip and use the stanley knife to cut around them. Use a damp sponge to wipe off any excess adhesive.