How to Hang Wallpaper (Pattern Match)

What you need

Wallpaper, paste (or paste-the-wall paper, which needs no pasting table), a pasting brush or roller, a plumb line or spirit level, a sharp knife and straight edge, a seam roller, a sponge and a tape measure. A pasting table helps, but a clean worktop does the same job.

Step 1 — Measure the room and work out the rolls

Measure the room's length, width and wall height. The number of strips comes from the perimeter divided by the roll width, and the number of rolls comes from the strips times the strip length divided by the roll length. The wallpaper calculator does both steps — and it adds the pattern repeat to the strip length, which is where most people under-order. Openings are not deducted: offcuts above doors and windows are usually unusable, and the calculator says so.

Step 2 — Cut the strips

Cut the first strip to the wall height plus a little extra top and bottom for trimming. For patterned paper, cut the second strip so the pattern matches the first at the same height — that is the repeat, and it is why patterned paper needs more rolls. Number the strips on the back in order.

Step 3 — Hang the first strip plumb

Mark a vertical line with a plumb line where the first strip goes — never trust a corner to be straight. Paste the strip (or the wall, for paste-the-wall paper), fold it loosely to carry it, then hang it to the line, smoothing from the centre outwards. Trim the top and bottom with a sharp knife and a straight edge.

Step 4 — Match and join

Hang each next strip tight against the last, matching the pattern at eye level. Roll the seams lightly — too much pressure squeezes paste out and leaves a shiny line. Wipe paste off the face with a damp sponge as you go: dried paste shows.

Worked example

A room 12 ft × 10 ft with 8 ft walls has a perimeter of 44 ft (13.41 m). With a roll 21 in wide and 33 ft long, that is 26 strips of 8 ft, and 7 rolls of plain paper. With a 21 in pattern repeat, each strip is 9.75 ft long and you need 8 rolls. Those are exactly the numbers the wallpaper calculator gives you.

Common mistakes

• Forgetting the pattern repeat. The repeat adds length to every strip. Plain paper and patterned paper need different roll counts for the same room.
• Starting in a corner. Corners are rarely plumb. Start on a marked plumb line and the strips stay straight.
• Trimming with a blunt knife. A blunt blade tears the paper. Change the blade often.

Safety

Use stable steps and never overreach — move the steps instead. A sharp knife cuts paper and fingers with equal ease, so cut away from your body and keep the blade covered when you are not cutting. Paste on a hard floor is slippery: wipe drips up as you go.

Try these calculators

• Wallpaper Calculator — strips and rolls, with pattern repeat.
• Wall Area Calculator — wall area for a room, with openings deducted.
• Primer Calculator — primer for bare walls before you paper.