Lining paper is great for hiding marks and hairline cracks in interior plaster walls. It also allows you to skip the preparation that paint or wallpaper requires.
You should hang lining paper horizontally rather than vertically, which will avoid having seams in corners. This will make it easier to wallpaper over.
Measure Your Walls
Before you hang your lining paper, give the room a once-over to make sure it is clean and free of dust or other debris. Then, use a level to draw a straight plumb line across the wall where you want your first panel of wallpaper to start and end, taking into account any doors or windows that may play hide-and-seek with your design plans.
Once you know the height of your walls, divide that number by the pattern repeat (as per the vendor instructions) to calculate how many floor-to-ceiling wallpaper strips you will need. Don’t forget to add a few extra feet/centimeters for the corners. For more info I’ll suggest you visit the website wallpaper singapore.
When you are ready to paste the wall, apply a thin layer of wallpaper paste and then position your first strip of lining paper against the wall, ensuring that it is aligned with the vertical line you have traced. Brush the paper into place and trim any excess paper.
Apply the Paste
Apply the wallpaper paste (which is mixed in a bucket with water) using a brush and spread it across the surface of your first lining paper strip, a few centimeters wider than your wallpaper.
Once the paste is on, loosely fold your first strip into a concertina-style shape and leave to ‘book’ for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer. While you’re waiting for your lining paper to ‘book’, clean the area where you’ve applied the paste and any coving or skirting boards as any excess may flake off later or leave an unwanted sticky residue.
Once your lining paper has ‘booked’, use a spirit level to mark a vertical straight line (known as a plumb line) at the top of your wall and make sure the pattern is facing up. This will ensure that when you hang your wallpaper, it will butt up against the lining paper perfectly. You can then start on the rest of your room.
Hang the Paper
Lining paper can mask minor imperfections in walls and coving – but it isn’t a substitute for prepping the wall. You will still need to fill holes and cracks and sand the surface, especially if it’s previously been painted over.
Professional decorators often ‘crossline’ their walls with lining paper before applying their decorative wallpaper. This is a technique that prevents the seams of the lining paper from falling in the same position as the seams of the wallpaper and helps to create a more professional finish.
If you are planning to crossline, measure the height of each wall and mark a straight line using a spirit level at 2.5cm lower than where you plan to hang your first strip of lining paper (e.g. around 10cm down from the ceiling). Then use a tape measure to cut your lining paper lengths and paste it in a concertina fold, leaving it to ‘book’ for the time recommended on the packaging.
Trim the Paper
Professional decorators often crossline the walls before adding wallpaper, but this is optional and not really necessary for most people. Lining paper will hide pitting and other imperfections in the wall surface, creating a smooth surface on which you can paint.
Once the first drop is hung and has dried, trim the edges neatly. Match up the edge of the lining paper with where the ceiling and wall or coving meet, trimming the corner to make a tight, neat seam.
Using a spirit level and a pencil, mark your ‘start guide line’ on the wall where you want to start papering, this could be an inside or outside corner. Paste a strip of paper onto your wall, starting from the guide line and leaving a margin of around 50mm to allow for a wrap and overlap with the adjacent wall.
