Before you dive straight into decorating, we suggest preparing your walls before wallpapering. Knowing how to do wallpaper prep properly will make a big difference and ensure your new wallpaper looks its best. 

All walls typically need some preparation, even those that are freshly plastered. So, don’t be tempted to skip this stage if you want a professional finish.

Here, we’ve provided a simple step-by-step to help you prep.

If you’ve just finished removing old wallpaper or you’re wallpapering a painted wall, there are two things to do before you start thinking about how to hang your new paper.

Step 1. Fill in any holes or cracks with wall filler and once dry, sand those patches down to create as smooth a surface as possible.

Step 2. Wash the wall with sugar soap to remove any lingering dust, dirt, and grease and then leave this to dry thoroughly.

If you’re wallpapering a freshly plastered wall or newly installed plasterboard, you have the added advantage of a perfectly smooth surface to work with.

But your wall does require a process called sizing before you hang your wallpaper. Some people find it helpful to size stripped and painted walls before wallpapering too.

Sizing involves diluting wallpaper paste with water, applying a coat to your wall and allowing it to dry before hanging your paper.

For freshly plastered walls, only do this once you’re confident that the plaster has dried thoroughly.

This process of sizing your walls adds a base layer which stops the wall from soaking up the moisture from the wallpaper paste too quickly. This gives you time to reposition your paper and strengthens the bond between the paste and the wall, meaning your wallpaper is less likely to peel.

All wallpapers come with hanging instructions, so it’s always best to check if there are any extra steps you need to take before applying your wallpaper.

Now that your walls are prepped and awaiting their new look, take a peek at our full range of wallpapers and pick the perfect style.

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