How to hang wallpaper

All Woodchip &Magnolia wallpapers are easy to install, whether you hire a decorator, or choose to do the task yourself. If you need any advice or help contact us by email at hello@woodchipandmagnolia.co.uk or by phone on (44) 1254 241 100. Not only do we create and manufacture, we are also pretty good at hanging our wallpapers too.

1. Inspect every roll

Check that your wallpaper rolls are undamaged, that the design/colourway is correct and there are no defects.

No claim can be accepted for hanging wallpapers that have been cut and hung showing defects which were apparent at the time of hanging. If you feel there are any defects, please contact us immediately.

Please ensure there are enough rolls to complete the job.

Please note our wallpapers are printed to order, hence slight variations in colour can occur if ordered at different times.

2. Prepare your wall

Remove any old wallpaper and loose paint, then fill and sand any imperfections or cracks and clean the wall with detergent or sugar soap.

Ensure the walls are a light, even colour across the wall/s, particularly if using a lighter colour design. If the wall is not an even colour there is a chance there will be a shade difference on the wall. 

Our wallpapers are not 100% opaque, hence we cannot be responsible for any show through or shade differences if the wall is not a light even colour.

We recommend the walls are cross lined using good quality lining paper. Lining paper should be allowed to dry out completely before hanging the wallpaper. 

Turn the central heating off and ensure the room is well-aired during the application and drying time. Dark coloured papers may need their edges coloured with a pencil crayon of a similar tone to avoid white edges showing. 

On recently plastered and/or painted walls, it is very important to 'size' or 'seal' the wall first. This means make up a diluted solution of paste and liberally apply to the walls being decorated and let it dry. This will be absorbed into the porous plaster and will stop the paste being absorbed into the wall when it's applied.

3. Use the correct paste

All of our wallpapers are 'Paste the Wall', meaning you paste the wall and not the paper.

We advise a premium pre-mixed tub of 'Paste the Wall' paste widely available online or at your local DIY store. 

We recommend Solvite 'Paste the Wall' paste, as it rolls on pink and dries clear. Paste should be evenly applied to the wall to an area slightly wider than the width of the roll. 

Do NOT use all purpose or heavy duty paste as these are not suitable for our beautiful designs. 

Hang 1 length at a time using a plumb line if necessary.

Should any paste come into contact with the surface, it should be lightly dabbed off whilst still moist, using a clean sponge or soft cloth with no soap or cleaning liquids. 

Paste can potentially damage the wallpaper and Woodchip & Magnolia cannot accept responsibility for paste marks or heavy handed abrasion damage caused by rubbing paste into the surface of the wallpaper, or vigorously rubbing the surface with an abrasive cloth.

3. Apply the wallpaper to your wall

The wallpaper can be hung dry from the roll left to right. Use ladders to get to the ceiling or coving and allow a little extra product e.g. 1-3cm at the top. 

As you hang from the roll, lightly brush (using a clean and dry decorators brush) into place as you go down to the skirting board. Here you can lightly push the paper to the wall. Leave the roll on the floor or cut the lengths before you hang.

Ensure the paper is in the correct position and is vertically correct. Brush down the paper with a smoothing decorators brush, from the centre to the edges of the roll.

Cut the excess at the top and bottom with a knife or wallpaper scissors. 

Working to the right of this 'first drop', paste the wall again allowing a few centimetres wider than the width of the wallpaper. You should see you don't need to get close to the first drop of wallpaper when doing this. 

For the second drop, look to see where the paper matches (the point at which the design fits together along the edges of the wallpaper).

Starting at the top, match the paper as you hang it dry from the roll - lightly brushing the paper to the wall as you go. The paper will slide into place on the paste. 

When you get to the bottom of the wall, check the pattern matches and that there are no gaps. If there are bubbles or mismatches, just loosely pull the paper back and brush it back down. The paper is forgiving!

4. Trim as before and you're done!

Repeat until the wall is covered. Don't worry about taking breaks or giving up for the night. You can pick up wherever you left off. Just make sure to reapply the paste. If leaving your paste overnight, make sure to cover it up. 

5. Care

Our wallcoverings are washable using a lightly dampened cloth with a mild soap that does not contain detergent. Once cleaned, the area should then immediately be dried with a clean, dry cloth.