DIY GUIDE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hang wallpaper yourself
A weekend for an average bedroom. €15–€60 in paste, lining paper and tools, plus the paper.
Prepare the wall, buy the right rolls and paste, hang to a plumb line, match the pattern and trim clean.
- Every step, start to finish
- Checked October 2026 — sources at the end
- Honest about when to call a pro
FIRST, THE HONEST ANSWER
Do it yourself, or get a handymen?
Do it yourself if…
- The walls are sound plaster or plasterboard, dry and roughly flat
- You are papering a feature wall or a whole room at normal ceiling height
- You can work on a step-ladder and handle long, wet lengths calmly
- The paper is a standard roll — non-woven, paper or vinyl
Get a pro if…
- The walls are damp, crumbling, or have cracks that keep coming back
- You are papering a ceiling, a stairwell or a double-height wall
- The paper is expensive hand-printed, grasscloth or a large mural with no room for error
- Old textured coatings or wall finishes may contain asbestos and need removing first
Safety first
- Switch off the power to sockets and switches on the walls you are papering at the fuse board before you cut round them.
- On a step-ladder, keep off the top two steps, keep your belt buckle inside the stiles and face the wall, as the HSA’s ladder guidance sets out.
- Steam strippers scald. Keep the plate moving, keep your hands away from the steam, and let it cool before you put it down.
- Wet paste makes floors and ladders slippery. Clean up drips and keep a non-slip sheet under the ladder.
- In an older house, test old textured coatings before scraping or sanding — they may contain asbestos.
| MATERIAL | COVERAGE | FOR THIS JOB |
|---|---|---|
| Wallpaper | All rolls from one batch | Worked out with the calculation below |
| Wallpaper paste | The type the roll label asks for | One packet sized for the number of rolls |
| Lining paper | Where the wall is uneven or patchy | Same wall area as the finish paper |
| Filler and sandpaper | For holes and cracks | As needed |
How many rolls do you need?
Measure the wall height and add an allowance for trimming top and bottom. Divide the roll length by that figure and round down: that is the number of full lengths one roll gives. Then measure round the room, divide by the roll width and round up: that is the number of lengths you need. For a room 2.4 m high, a 10 m roll gives four lengths of 2.5 m. A 4 × 4 m room is 16 m round; at 0.53 m wide that is 31 lengths, so 8 rolls, before subtracting for a door or window. Add one roll for a large pattern repeat and for mistakes.
With a pattern repeat, add the repeat to each length before dividing, and round down again.
Non-woven papers are usually hung by pasting the wall and laying the dry paper onto it. One maker’s instruction is to roll the paste evenly onto the wall with a short-pile roller, not onto the paper. Traditional paper, woodchip and many vinyls are pasted on the back, folded and left to soak before hanging. The label on the roll shows which method it is — check before you buy paste.
All-purpose powder pastes suit most papers when mixed to the strength the packet gives for that weight of paper. Heavy vinyls and non-wovens often want a ready-mixed or a paste-the-wall adhesive. Packet size is given in rolls — one powder packet in Irish shops is sold as enough for ten rolls — so you can buy for the job without guessing.
A plain or random pattern wastes little paper. A straight match lines up across every length at the same height; a drop match lines up half a repeat lower on alternate lengths, which wastes more. Buy every roll from the same batch number, printed on the label, because colour varies between batches.
Lining paper evens out fine cracks and patchy plaster and gives the finish paper an even base to dry on. It is hung horizontally on walls by tradition, so its joints do not line up with the finish paper’s. Use it on old plaster, over filled walls, and under thin or dark papers that show every flaw.
In kitchens and bathrooms choose a washable or scrubbable vinyl, and keep it away from direct splashing. Behind a sink or a hob, tiles or a splashback do the job better than any paper.
THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH
Preparing the wall — by what you are papering
The finish can only be as good as the wall underneath. Find the card that matches yours and do every line on it.
Old wallpaper
Paper is on the wall now, possibly several layers.
- Strip every layer — new paper pasted over old lifts both
- Score vinyls lightly and peel the top layer dry; soak the backing paper with warm water or a stripper solution
- Use a steam stripper on stubborn layers, keeping it moving and away from your hands
- Wash off all old paste residue with warm water so the new paste can grip
Painted walls
Emulsion or a sheen paint on plaster or plasterboard.
- Wash the walls with sugar soap and rinse; grease stops paste sticking
- Lightly sand a sheen or gloss paint to dull it
- Fill holes and cracks, let them dry, and sand them flush
- On a very smooth or non-absorbent paint, size the wall with diluted paste first
New plaster or bare plasterboard
Freshly plastered walls or new board.
- Let new plaster dry out fully; it must be pale and even with no dark patches
- Seal bare plaster or plasterboard with a primer or a size so it does not suck the paste dry
- Sand any ridges and fill joints in the board
- On plasterboard, prime first so the paper can be stripped later without tearing the board’s face
Uneven, patched or cracked walls
Old plaster with hairline cracks, repairs and patchy texture.
- Fill and sand all cracks and holes
- Hang lining paper horizontally first and let it dry
- Check for damp; papering over it causes mould and peeling
- In an older house, test old textured coatings before scraping — they may contain asbestos
THE JOB
How to hang wallpaper, in order
Set up the room and switch off the power
30 minMove furniture to the middle of the room and cover it. Lay a dust sheet along the walls — one maker suggests covering a strip about 1 metre wide. Switch off the power to the sockets and lights on the walls you are papering at the fuse board. Set up the pasting table, a bucket of clean water and a sponge, and all your tools.
- Use a non-slip sheet under the step-ladder
- Keep a damp sponge in your pocket for paste on the paper face
- Check every roll has the same batch number before you cut
Mistake to avoid: Cutting round live sockets and switches. The knife blade can reach the terminals.
Prepare the walls
Half a dayFollow the card above for your wall: strip, wash, fill, sand, prime or size, and line where needed. Let everything dry. Run your hand over the wall: any bump, ridge or lump of old paste will show through the new paper.
- Shine a torch along the wall at a low angle to see the bumps
- Size absorbent walls so the paper can be slid into place
- Let lining paper dry fully before hanging the finish paper
Mistake to avoid: Hanging over old paper or a dirty wall to save a day. The new paper bubbles and peels within weeks.
Mark a plumb line for the first length
15 minBegin beside the window and hang each length moving away from it, as one maker recommends, so the seams cast no shadow. Measure out from the corner by the roll width minus 2 - 3 cm and mark the wall. Draw a vertical line through that mark with a spirit level or a plumb line. The first length hangs on this line, and its spare few centimetres turn into the corner.
- Never trust a corner, door frame or window to be vertical
- On a feature wall with a big pattern, start from the centre so the pattern is balanced
- Draw the line in pencil, not pen, which can bleed through
Mistake to avoid: Hanging the first length tight to the corner. Corners are rarely plumb, and every length after it runs off true.
Cut the lengths
30 minMeasure the wall height and cut the first length with about 10 cm extra, as one maker advises, to trim top and bottom. Unroll the next length beside it, match the pattern and cut it the same way. Number the lengths on the back in pencil and mark which end is the top.
- With a drop match, cut alternate lengths from two rolls to save paper
- Cut a few lengths at a time, not the whole room
- Check for printing faults as you unroll
Mistake to avoid: Cutting every length to the exact wall height. The ceiling and skirting are not level, and you run short.
Paste and soak, or paste the wall
10 minFor paste-the-paper, mix the paste to the packet’s strength, lay a length face down on the table and brush the paste out from the centre to the edges, covering every bit. Fold it pasted side to pasted side, two-thirds to one-third, without creasing, and leave it to soak for the time on the roll label. For paste-the-wall, roll paste onto the wall a little wider than one length and hang the dry paper straight from the roll.
- Keep paste off the table and the face of the paper
- Give every length the same soaking time so they all stretch the same
- Paste a small area of wall at a time so it does not dry before you hang
Mistake to avoid: Ignoring the soaking time. Paper that has not relaxed stretches on the wall and shrinks back, opening the seams.
Hang and smooth the first length
10 minClimb the step-ladder with the length, open the top fold and offer the top edge to the wall with a few centimetres overlapping the ceiling. Slide it until its edge sits exactly on the plumb line. Smooth it down the centre with the brush or smoother, then out to each side, to push the air out. Open the bottom fold and continue down the wall.
- Work from the centre outwards, never side to side
- If it goes off the line, peel it back gently and re-lay it — do not stretch it
- Wipe paste off the face straight away with a damp sponge
Mistake to avoid: Smoothing from one edge across. The paper drifts off the line and wrinkles.
Trim top and bottom
10 minPress the paper into the angle at the ceiling and the skirting with the back of a filling knife or scissors, and mark the line. Peel the paper back a little and cut along the crease with scissors, or hold the wide knife in the angle and cut along it with a sharp utility knife. Brush the edges back into place.
- Use a fresh blade for every few cuts
- Keep the knife moving in one stroke; stopping tears wet paper
- Wipe paste off the ceiling and skirting as you go
Mistake to avoid: Trimming with a blunt blade. Wet paper tears and the edge looks ragged.
Hang the next lengths, matching the pattern
4–6 hrHang each length butted tight against the last, edge to edge, with no overlap, and slide it until the pattern matches. Smooth from the centre out and roll the seam lightly once the paste has started to grab. At sockets and switches, with the power off, hang the paper over them, make a small diagonal cut from the centre to each corner, then trim round them neatly.
- On non-embossed papers, a seam roller presses the joints flat
- At a window or door, hang the full length and cut round the frame
- Turn internal corners by a small amount and start the next length on a new plumb line
Mistake to avoid: Overlapping seams on a non-woven or vinyl paper. The ridge shows, and vinyl will not stick to vinyl.
Inspect, fix bubbles and let it dry
30 minLook along the walls in good light. Small bubbles on traditional papers often shrink as the paste dries. A stubborn one can be slit with a sharp blade, a touch of paste put behind it and the paper smoothed back. Leave the room to dry gently: keep the heating normal and avoid draughts, which one maker warns against. If you plan to paint a paintable paper, the same maker gives about 24 hours for woodchip and paper, and 6 to 24 hours for non-woven, before painting.
- Do not turn the heating up to dry it fast; uneven drying opens seams
- Keep windows closed for the first day to avoid draughts
- Wait before hanging pictures until the paper is fully dry
Mistake to avoid: Blasting the room with heat. The paper shrinks unevenly, and the seams open.
The mistakes that make it worse
- Papering over old wallpaper
- Starting from a corner instead of a plumb line
- Skipping the soaking time
- Cutting round live sockets and switches
- Drying the room fast with heat
Stop here and get a wallpaper hanger
- The walls are damp, crumbling or keep cracking
- The job is a ceiling, a stairwell or a wall too high for a step-ladder
- The paper is expensive, hand-printed or a mural with no spare
- Old wall coatings may contain asbestos
| WHAT YOU SEE | WHY, AND THE FIX |
|---|---|
| Wallpaper seams opening | Too short a soaking time, the wall sucked the paste dry, or the room dried too fast. Lift the edge, add a little seam adhesive or paste, press it down and roll it. |
| Bubbles under the wallpaper | Air trapped while smoothing, or the paper had not soaked long enough. Many shrink as it dries; slit a stubborn one, paste and smooth it. |
| Pattern does not line up | Lengths cut without matching, or the first length was not plumb. Peel and re-hang while wet; next time cut against the previous length. |
| Paper peeling at the top or bottom | Not enough paste at the edges, or paste residue on the wall. Lift, paste the edge, press it down and wipe clean. |
| Paste stains on the face | Paste left to dry. Wipe it off at once with a damp sponge; dried paste can mark matt papers. |
| Paper torn when trimming | Blunt blade or stopping mid-cut. Change the blade, cut in one stroke along a filling knife. |
| Lengths running off vertical | No plumb line, or the paper was stretched. Strip back to the last straight length and draw a new line. |
| Mould spots appear later | Papered over damp or poor ventilation. Fix the damp, strip the paper, treat the wall and rehang. |
WHAT YOU SAVE
What it costs to do it yourself
| Wallpaper, per roll | €27–€35 |
|---|---|
| Wallpaper paste, packet for up to 10 rolls | €3.35–€8.65 |
| Lining paper, 20m roll | €9.95–€12 |
| Smoothing brush and pasting brush | €6–€9.95 |
| Stripping knife | €3–€12 |
| Steam wallpaper stripper | €45–€52 |
| Seam roller | €7.30 |
| Total, paste, lining and tools for one room, paper extra | €15–€60 |
| DIY total | €15–€60 plus paper |
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
The paper is most of the cost and varies hugely; paste and tools are cheap. A steam stripper is worth buying only if you have several layers to remove.
RATHER NOT?
Wallpaper hangers near you, with prices shown
The ones who cover your area, nearest first, with one score from every review. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
Keep the room at normal temperature for a few days, without draughts or blasting heat, before you put furniture back against the walls.
Store a spare roll and a label with the batch number; patching a damaged length later needs the same batch.
Clean, dry offcuts of new paper can go in the recycling bin. Old paper stripped from the walls goes in the general waste, as mywaste.ie advises. Let leftover paste dry before binning it.
Wash brushes, the table and buckets in warm water before the paste dries.
Hanging wallpaper: questions people ask
No. The moisture in the new paste softens the old paper, and both lift. Strip every layer and wash off the old paste first.
Next to the window, working away from the light, on a plumb line marked from the corner by the roll width less 2 - 3 cm. On a feature wall with a bold pattern, start in the centre.
Check the roll label. Non-woven papers are usually paste-the-wall; traditional paper and woodchip are pasted on the back, folded and left to soak.
For the time on the roll label, and the same time for every length, so they all stretch evenly before hanging.
One maker gives about 24 hours for woodchip and paper, and 6 to 24 hours for non-woven, in a room without draughts or excess heat.
On the Locufy price guide for Ireland, wallpaper hanging costs €200–€600 per room, typically €350. A feature wall is at the low end; a full room with stripping and lining at the top.
MORE GUIDES
More DIY guides
Sources — checked October 2026
- Erfurt — wallpapering walls with woodchip and paper wallcoverings: first length 2 - 3 cm narrower, approx. 10 cm extra, about 24 hours before painting
- Erfurt — wallpapering with non-woven wallpaper: paste the wall with a short-pile roller, 6 to 24 hours before painting
- HSA — using ladders safely, information sheet
- HSA — asbestos
- MyWaste — what to do with wallpaper
- diy.ie — wallpaper paste, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — lining paper, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — smoothing and pasting brushes, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — stripping knives and steamers, price check October 2026
- diy.ie — seam rollers, price check October 2026