Wallpaper is less forgiving than paint. A length hung slightly off vertical drifts further with every drop, a pattern that isn’t matched properly shows at eye level, and paper hung on a poorly prepared wall tends to bubble or lift at the seams. Good wallpaper installation comes down to getting three things right: the wall, the line and the match.
Voltify Contractors hangs wallpaper for feature walls, single rooms and whole homes across East and South-East London, as part of our painting and decorating services. This page covers hanging new paper. If there is old paper to strip first, that is a separate stage with its own challenges, covered on our wallpaper removal page.
Know Your Paper Before It Goes Up
The type of wallpaper decides how it is pasted, how it behaves on the wall and where it will last. The manufacturer’s label always takes priority, but as a general guide:
| Wallpaper type | How it is hung | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Non-woven | Paste goes on the wall; the paper is hung dry | Doesn’t stretch or shrink much, so seams stay tight, and it usually strips off dry later. Most modern designer papers are non-woven. |
| Traditional paper-backed | Paper is pasted and left to soak for a set time before hanging | Expands when wet, so every length needs the same soak time or the widths won’t line up |
| Vinyl and washable vinyl | Usually paste-the-paper with a heavier adhesive | Wipeable, so it suits hallways and kitchens; vinyl-to-vinyl overlaps need a specific adhesive |
| Textured and relief papers | Paste-the-paper | Often painted afterwards; seams must be rolled gently so the texture isn’t flattened |
| Lining paper | Usually hung horizontally under decorative paper, or on its own as a base for paint | Evens out minor wall defects and gives the top paper a consistent surface |
| Grasscloth, silk and hand-printed papers | Strictly to the manufacturer’s instructions | Paste must stay off the face; visible joins are normal on natural materials |
Pattern Match, Rolls and Batch Numbers
The pattern match changes how much paper you need. A free match (plain papers and random textures) has almost no waste. A straight match repeats at the same height across each length. A half-drop or offset match repeats partway down the next length, which means more paper is trimmed off at the top and bottom of each drop. The longer the pattern repeat, the more rolls a room needs.
Most standard UK rolls are around 10 metres long and 53 centimetres wide, although wide-width and designer rolls vary. When ordering:
- buy every roll with the same batch number, because colours can differ slightly between print runs;
- allow for the pattern repeat when working out quantities, not just the wall area;
- keep one spare roll if you can — it makes future repairs possible without a visible colour change.
What the Wall Needs First
Wallpaper shows what is underneath it, and a heavy or shiny paper will show more than a matt, textured one. Before hanging, walls need to be sound, clean, dry and smooth:
- Old wallpaper normally has to come off. Papering over paper risks the old layer lifting under the weight of fresh paste.
- Cracks, dents and old fixing holes are filled and sanded flush. Larger damage to plasterboard, such as holes left by door handles or removed brackets, is better dealt with as a proper drywall repair first.
- New plaster must be fully dry, then sealed so it doesn’t soak the paste out of the paper.
- Glossy or silk paint is keyed or primed so the adhesive can grip.
- Damp has to be traced and dealt with at its cause. Paper on a damp wall will stain, lift or grow mould whatever adhesive is used.
On older walls with a lot of minor unevenness, hanging lining paper first is often the difference between a finish that looks professional and one that shows every ripple.
Planning Where the Paper Starts
The first length sets the line for the whole room. Each wall is marked with a true vertical rather than following the corners, because very few corners in older London properties are perfectly plumb. Patterned papers are usually centred on the focal point — a chimney breast, the wall behind the bed or the wall you face as you come in — and worked outwards, so any pattern mismatch falls in the least visible corner.
Some details make a noticeable difference to the finish:
- Sockets and switches — the power to that circuit is switched off, the faceplates are eased away from the wall and the paper is trimmed to tuck neatly behind them.
- Radiators — paper can be fed down behind a radiator, but the neatest result comes from taking it off the wall, which is a quick plumbing job covered under our radiator services.
- Window reveals and external corners — these need careful wrapping and cutting so the pattern turns the corner cleanly.
- Feature walls — the edges of a single papered wall are highly visible, so the neighbouring paint needs a crisp line; our interior painting service can finish the rest of the room at the same time.
Kitchens, Bathrooms, Ceilings and Stairwells
Rooms with steam need a vinyl or specifically moisture-resistant paper and a suitable mould-resistant adhesive, and paper is best kept out of direct splash zones behind sinks and baths. Ceilings are slow, two-person work, with each length supported as it goes up. Stairwells have the longest drops in the house and need proper access platforms rather than a stepladder balanced on a stair, which affects both time and cost.
Papering Offices and Other Commercial Spaces
Wallcoverings in commercial spaces take more wear than those at home, so hard-wearing vinyls are usually chosen for corridors, receptions and meeting rooms. Where papering is part of a wider refresh of a commercial space, it can be planned alongside commercial painting, or as part of ongoing commercial property maintenance.
What Shapes a Wallpaper Installation Quote
Wallpapering is priced on the work involved rather than the number of rolls alone. The main factors are how much preparation the walls need, whether old paper has to be stripped, the type of paper and its pattern repeat, whether lining paper goes up first, how many windows, doors, sockets and corners interrupt the walls, and the ceiling height. Shelves, curtain poles and pictures that have to come down and go back up can be handled at the same visit through our handyman service.
To get a quote, send photos of each wall in daylight, rough measurements including ceiling height, and the name or link of the paper you have chosen, including its pattern repeat and match. Get in touch with Voltify Contractors to talk it through, or check the areas we cover.
