Wallpapering a room checklist
A wallpaper job is decided at the first drop — get that one straight and plumb, and every sheet after it follows the same line.
17 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- Old wallpaper and any loose paint removedNew paper telegraphs whatever's underneath it within a week.
- Walls washed and filled, then left to dry fully
- Lining paperWorth it on an older or uneven wall — it stops the pattern paper picking up every small bump underneath.
- Wallpaper×2Bought from the same batch number — a different batch can be a visibly different shade.
- Paste, matched to the paper typeReady-mixed or one you mix yourself — check which the specific paper needs before buying.
- Pasting table
- Plumb line or a spirit levelThe first drop is hung against this, not a door frame or a corner — nothing in a room is reliably straight.
- Sharp scissors and a trimming knife
- Seam rollerPresses the seam flat once the paste has had a few minutes to soften it.
- Smoothing brush
- Sponge and a bucket of clean water, for wiping excess paste off as you go
- Step ladder
- Pattern repeat checked on the roll labelTells you how much extra length to allow per drop so the pattern lines up rather than creeping out of sync.
- Sockets and switches turned off before working around themPaste and water near a live socket is a shock risk — anything past unscrewing the faceplate is an electrician's job.
- First drop hung against the plumb lineEvery drop after follows this one — get it straight and the rest of the room follows.
- Corners and edges trimmed once each drop is hung, not before
- Drying time allowed before touching or wiping the finished paper
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- Do I need lining paper under the wallpaper?
- On an older or uneven wall, yes — it evens out small imperfections and stops the pattern paper picking up every bump underneath.
- How do I keep the pattern lining up between drops?
- Buy paper from the same batch number and check the pattern repeat printed on the roll — it tells you how much extra to allow per drop for matching.
- What's the most common mistake?
- Hanging the first drop off a door frame instead of a plumb line. Nothing in a room is reliably straight, and the whole wall follows whatever the first sheet was hung against.