How to hang lining paper

If your rolls of lining paper are the same size as a standard wallpaper roll (between 530 and 560mm wide and 10m in length). Use our calculator to see how many rolls of lining paper you need.

If your chosen lining paper is a different size (length or width), you’ll need to do some basic calculations to work out how many rolls you need.

Either way, first measure the areas that will be lined in metres, making a note of the length and height of each wall. Then measure any large obstacles that won’t be covered, like doors and windows - as these areas will be subtracted.

To manually work out the number of rolls required, use this simple calculation:

Step 1: Calculate the length of lining paper needed for one wall.

Divide the height of the wall (WH) by the width of the roll of lining paper (LPW) to get the length of lining paper needed for the wall (LPL).

WH / LPW = LPL

e.g. 2.4m / 0.56m = 4.3m (rounded up)

Step 2: Calculate the amount needed for all walls.

Multiply this figure by the perimeter (P) of the room to get the total length of lining paper for the room (LPT).

LPL x P = LPT

e.g. 4.3m x 15m = 64.5m

Step 3: Calculate the area of each door and window.

Multiply the door width (DW) by the door height (DH) to get the area of the door (DA). Multiply the window width (WW) by the window height (WH) to get the area of the window (WA).

Do this for all doors and windows.

DW x DH = DA

e.g. Door 1 is 2.05m x 0.9m = 1.85m Door 2 is 2.05m x 0.9m = 1.85m

WW x WH = WA

e.g. Window 1 is 1.5m x 1m = 1.5m

Step 4: Calculate the total area of all doors and windows.

Add together the areas for all doors and windows to get the total area (TA).

DA + WA = TA

e.g. 1.85m + 1.85m + 1.5m = 5.2m

Step 5: Calculate the total area excluding doors and windows.

Subtract the total from Step 4 from the total in Step 2 to get the total length of lining paper needed for the room (T), excluding the windows and doors.

LPT - TA = T

e.g. 64.5m - 5.2m = 59.3m

Step 6: Add 10% extra for trimming.

Multiply the total from Step 5 by 1.1, which will add 10% to allow for excess that you will hang and trim off (E).

T x 1.1 = E

e.g. 59.3m x 1.1 = 65.23m

Step 7: Calculate the total number of rolls needed.

Divide the total from Step 6 by the length of the roll (L) and round up to give you the total number of rolls required (TR).

E / L = TR

e.g. 65.23m / 20m = 3.26 (round up to 4 rolls)

Materials:

• Lining paper
• Wallpaper adhesive - also known as wallpaper paste
• Flexible filler - if required to fill any gaps
• 80 grit sandpaper - also known as medium sandpaper – to fill in any gaps, if required
• Sanding block
• Small nail - if using a chalk line on a ceiling

Tools:

• Dust sheets - either cloth or polythene dust sheets are usable for this task, although polythene can be slippery when used over hard flooring
• Step ladder or work platform
• Wallpaper smoother
• Wallpaper pasting brush
• Pasting brush - not required if using paste the wall lining paper
• Roller and tray - can be used to apply paste the wall adhesive directly to walls or ceilings
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Wallpaper scissors
• Bucket
• Large sponge
• Seam roller
• Chalk line - if hanging lining paper on a ceiling
• Claw hammer - if hanging lining paper on a ceiling (for chalk line nails)
• Filling knife - if required
• Utility knife
• Long rule
• Wallpaper cutting guide

Protective kit

• Decorators coveralls
• Safety goggles - if pasting a ceiling
• Dust mask - to wear if sanding

There can be a few preparatory steps before starting your lining paper project to help prepare the room for decorating.

If your walls are freshly plastered, using wall sealer (also known as wall size) will seal the wall, stopping it from absorbing the wallpaper adhesive. This helps the paper adhere to the wall and reduces the chance that the lining paper will shrink. Apply to the wall using a pasting brush or paint roller before you hang your lining paper. Follow the product instructions for guidance on how long you should wait after application before hanging the lining paper.

Before you hang the lining paper, we recommend removing any existing layers of wallpaper. Our guide to removing wallpaper will walk you through the steps to stripping your walls back to get a blank canvas ready for lining.

Before you get started with hanging the lining paper, clear your room of furniture. This will make it easy to move around without obstacles getting in the way and avoids mess or damage from the paste.

Our guide on preparing walls for painting contains steps for clearing the room, cleaning and repairing walls and covering light sockets and fixings. These steps also apply for preparing a room before hanging lining paper.

Always ensure that the surface is clean and dry.

If you are hanging lining paper on the ceilings and walls of your room, we recommend lining the ceiling first and then the walls after. This gives a neater finish around the edges. Jump to the 'How to hang lining paper on a ceiling' before returning to the walls sections.

Safety first

• Keep adhesives and scissors out of reach of children
• Always ensure good ventilation during application and drying of wallpaper pastes/adhesives
• Don’t turn on the electricity if paste drips onto an electrical fitting. Wait for it to dry out and, if necessary, seek help from a qualified electrician
• If wallpapering a ceiling, we advise having a helper to support as you will be working at height.

There are two options for the direction that you hang the lining paper:

If you do want to hang the lining paper vertically and wallpaper over the top. Start from the place where you are going to hang the first length of wallpaper and hang a half-width of lining paper. Continue with full widths across the rest of the wall. This is okay if the two papers are the same width, but be aware that lining papers are available in different widths. We recommend planning so that two lots of seams do not fall in the same place.

For the best results, we recommend:

• Measuring your wall and doing some calculations. By doing these calculations you can avoid being left with a very thin strip of lining paper to hang at the base of the wall.
• Marking a straight horizontal line on the wall, so you can hang the lining paper straight, overlapping and trimming off any excess. If you hang lining paper flush against the ceiling you can be left with gaps as walls are rarely perfectly straight.

• These calculations are optional but recommended to make your task easier and for a smooth finish. If you’d rather not do these calculations, skip to the next section called ‘How to measure and cut lining paper’.

Step 1

To work out your horizontal start point at the top of the wall, mark a small line 60mm shorter than the width of your lining paper from the ceiling. For example, if your lining paper has a width of 540mm, mark the line approximately 480mm down onto the wall. This will be your provisional starting point, but we’ll check in Step 2 if this is suitable.

Step 2

Measure the width of your paper down the wall from your pencil line (multiples of 540mm for this example). The last section should not be less than 60mm from the top of the skirting. If it is, move the mark of your initial line up or down to create a wide enough start. And end the strip of paper with enough overlap to work at the top and bottom of the walls.

Step 3

Once you have established the measurement at the top of the wall, move along the wall and repeat the measurement at regular points and mark with a pencil.

Use a long spirit level to draw a level horizontal guideline between the marks. Draw the line across the wall and onto any adjoining walls that are to be lined.

With the start guide marked, next you need to know how long to cut your pieces of lining paper. These steps guide you through measuring and cutting your lining paper to the right length.

Now you’re ready to apply the adhesive. For this project, we’re using a ready-mixed wallpaper adhesive or you can use an adhesive that you mix yourself. Always read the manufacturer’s instructions and be careful not to over-dilute the solution.

Before you start apply adhesive, remember to put on some overalls.

Step 2

Fold the paper into a concertina fold as you go (loosely folded over onto itself, you can then carry on pasting the rest of the length). 40cm concertina overlaps are a good, manageable size.

Step 3

Allow the adhesive to soak into the paper for as long as the manufacturer recommends on the adhesive instructions. The paper needs time to expand before it is hung. This process is known as soaking and it helps to prevent bubbles appearing as the paper continues to expand on the wall.

Step 4

In the meantime, paste more lengths of lining paper. If there is adhesive on the pasting table, wipe it down with a damp sponge after every cut length is pasted. This is so you don't get adhesive onto the front of the lining paper.

Now you have your measured and cut lengths of lining paper and applied the adhesive, you’re ready to hang the first length.

Step 1

From the top of your start guideline, smooth the first section of lining paper onto the wall, allowing for the 50mm overlaps onto the adjacent wall. You will also have excess lining paper that overlaps onto the ceiling – how much depends on your calculations based on the wall size. These overlaps will be trimmed off.

Open up the folds one at a time and smooth the paper down with a wallpaper smoother to remove any bubbles or creases. Work out from the centre of each section to each edge.

You’ll be left with another 50mm excess of paper on the opposite wall.

Step 4

Peel back the paper and cut along the crease with wallpaper scissors. The key is not to overlap the paper in the corners as this will form a ridge which will show through when the wallpaper is hung over the top. Instead, when cut, the two lengths of lining paper will butt up neatly together in the corner. Cut the excess paper off at either end.

Repeat the method at the wall/ceiling junction and cut to fit.

Step 3

As with the ceiling junction, use the back of scissors to make a cutting crease between the wall and skirting board. Peel back the paper and cut along the crease with wallpaper scissors.

Alternatively, use a wallpaper cutting guide to cut the bottom of the lining paper. Hold the guide against the skirting board tucking the paper into the crease of the guide, trim off the excess paper with a sharp utility knife.

Step 4

Allow at least 24 hours (or longer if the room is cold or damp) for the paste to dry before you paint over or hang wallpaper over the top. If you paint or wallpaper before the paste has dried, the lining paper may come off the wall or blister.

As with walls, it is important to get the first length of paper straight. Ceiling/ wall junctions are not usually true enough to use as a guide. These steps will outline how to hang lining paper on your ceiling using a chalk line as a guide to hanging it straight.

Before you start

It’s important to consider the options before choosing the direction to hang the lining paper on a ceiling.

If the lining paper on a ceiling is to be painted - start papering along a wall that is at right angles to the window wall (as per image). This way, if the joins overlap slightly they will not cast shadows.

If the room has windows on two walls - you may not be able to avoid some shadows. So hang the paper across the narrowest part of the ceiling, as this will be the easiest option.

If the ceiling lining paper is to be wallpapered over - hang the lining paper so it runs parallel with the window. This will mean that the wallpaper will be hung at right angles to the lining paper and the window wall.

Step 1

Once you’ve chosen the direction, you need to work out your start point.

For example, if your chosen lining paper has a width of 540mm, mark a small line approximately 480mm from the wall onto the ceiling. Make sure to measure 25mm in from the adjacent wall so that you have room to hammer in the nail for the chalk line.

This will be your provisional starting point but before we can confirm that we need to check that the last length of paper will not end up being too thin. The excess paper will be trimmed off later, but an overlap onto the walls accommodates for our ‘not so square’ ceilings.

Check this by measuring the width of the paper across the ceiling (e.g. 540mm widths for this example). The last section should not be less than 60mm wide. If it is, move the mark of your initial line to create a decent start. And end strip of paper with enough overlap to work with at opposite ends.

Step 2

With the start point adjusted, hammer a small nail half way into the mark. Hammer another nail onto the opposite side, again 25mm from the edge of the wall and the same distance out.

Step 4

Take down the chalk line and carefully remove the nails with a claw hammer.

Step 5

Measure along the line (from the wall junction to wall junction) and add 100mm.

Step 6

Cut a length of lining paper to this length. The 100mm will be overlapped by 50mm on each wall and trimmed off when hung.

For more detail on how to measure, cut and paste the paper see the sections above. This will also give you tips on folding pasted paper so that it is easier to handle when papering.

Step 9

Butt the next length of paper against the first. Run a seam roller lightly along the joins. Continue this process along the ceiling, scoring and cutting the excess at the ends as you go.

Step 10

When papering around a pendant light, turn off the power at the mains or isolate the circuit you are working on (switching off at the wall is not enough).

Unscrew the cover and paper up to and over the base. With scissors, puncture the paper at the centre of the fitting and make a series of snips outwards, being careful not to cut beyond the fitting. Then trim away the flaps of paper, cutting just inside the rim of the base. Wipe away any adhesive. Only when the paste is completely dry, replace the cover and then turn the power back on.

After allowing the paste to dry, your room is ready for a new top layer of wallpaper or coat of paint.

Our guides on How to hang wallpaper or paint a wall or ceiling will walk you through the next steps in order to get a professional and smooth finish on walls.