We know there are many experienced painters and decorators out there who will already know all this, but we thought we would put together a short blog post about wallpapering tips for all those embarking on a bit of DIY in the near future and perhaps undertaking their first ever wallpapering project.

  • The wallpaper - make sure you choose the best quality wallpaper you can afford as you could be living with it for many years to come. When buying wallpaper, it is important to look at the way in which the paper will stick to your wall. Generally, there are three different wallpaper types: pre-pasted, paste directly to the wall, and paste the wallpaper. Make sure you know which you have purchased as this will affect how you hang it.
  • Get a sample - shop lighting, the space in store and everything else going on around you can affect how the paper looks in the shop. Get a sample, take it home and apply it to your own surroundings to get a feel for what you like and don’t like before committing yourself to buying rolls and rolls of paper.
  • Once you have chosen the paper you want, buy all you need in one go and check the batch numbers to make sure the rolls all have the same batch number. If you have to buy more later, it is more likely to be from a different batch therefore the colours might not match perfectly.
  • Make sure you have all your tools ready; there is little worse than starting a DIY project and discovering halfway through you are missing a vital tool. These are the things you will need before you start:
    1. Wallpaper glue /wallpaper paste
    2. A flat table to lay the paper on to apply the paste if it is to go onto the wallpaper directly
    3. You will need a wallpaper paste brush such as the Harris Wallpaper Paste Brush  which can be bought from our website
    4. A Harris Paperhanging Snap Knife -this paper knife has been specifically designed and engineered for cutting wallpaper
    5. A wallpaper smoother such as the Harris Wallpaper Smoother – this is ideal for smoothing out any bubbles and ripples when wallpapering
    6. Harris 10-Inch Scissors - essential and ideal for cutting wallpaper
    7. Harris Large Decorating Sponge - plus a large bucket of water to help wipe down your wallpaper
    8. Paint roller and tray – useful when applying adhesive across a large area and far better than a tub.
    9. A spirt level – to ensure you get that first line plumb and the pattern straight
    10. A pencil to mark any cutting posits or lines
    11. Rags – used to clean up excess adhesive as it is pushed out from under the wallpaper with the smoother
    12. Stepladder – for when you need to hold the wallpaper up at the top of the wall- you might think you can reach, but fatigue will soon set in when over-stretching
  • Watch a video to see how best to hang the paper- watching others will give you confidence and show you the tricks of the trade.
  • Be patient - as with any home improvements, the more time you take preparing the room, the better the results.

We hope this gives you the confidence to try wallpapering yourself, but as always, if you have any questions about the products we sell and how to use them, please just contact one of our sales team.