How to Hang Wallpaper (and How to Remove It)

Wallpaper can instantly transform a room. And thanks to peel-and-stick varieties, it’s one of the most impactful renter-friendly DIYs around. But if you’ve never done it before, it can seem like quite a learning curve to figure out how to hang wallpaper, as well as how to remove it. Fortunately, it’s not as difficult as you might think. Depending on the variety that you use, it may even be easier than working with paint.

Here’s what to know about using wallpaper in your home, including quick guides to hanging and removing it on your walls.

Types of wallpaper applications

How you hang wallpaper will be determined in part by the type of wallpaper that you use.

There are three types of wallpaper applications:

• • Non-pasted
  • Pre-pasted
  • Self-adhesive (peel-and-stick)

  Beyond these designations, there is also a wide variety of wallpaper materials (vinyl, paper, flock, fabric, and wood cloth, to name a few) and wallpaper features (for example: strippable, washable, repositionable, and moisture repellent).

  For our purposes here, we’re going to focus solely on working with the various wallpaper application types, but we recommend doing a bit of research into the specific material that you’re using and any additional features that it has just in case the guidelines are a little bit different.

  So, how do the various applications differ?

  Non-pasted wallpaper

  Also known as unpasted wallpaper, this variety is the type that was traditionally used in older homes, though you’re a bit less likely to find it today. Because it does not come with paste already on it, you’ll need to apply the adhesive yourself. It’s a lot more work than pre-pasted and self-adhesive wallpaper, but it also lasts a lot longer on your walls.

  Pre-pasted wallpaper

  This type of wallpaper includes a special coating that becomes sticky once it’s exposed to water. It’s pretty easy to work with, but the adhesive quality ultimately isn’t as strong as what you’d get if you applied the paste yourself.

  Self-adhesive wallpaper

  Self-adhesive wallpaper (a.k.a. peel-and-stick) comes ready to go with an already-sticky adhesive. It’s ideal for renters, since it’s a cinch to remove and won’t leave behind any lasting damage like the other varieties might.

  How to hang wallpaper

  The process for how to hang wallpaper varies slightly depending on what type you use, but many of the steps are the same regardless of adhesion quality. Keep in mind that this is a multi-day project, so if you want to get it done right on the first go, take your time and don’t try to rush through.

  Ready to get to work? Here’s how to hang wallpaper so that it looks great in your home, including some tips to help ensure you’re satisfied with the results.

  1. Clear and clean the wall

  Remove any art, shelves, light fixtures, and other pieces of décor from the wall so that you’re left with a completely blank surface. Turn off the electricity to the room if there are any outlets or other wired areas on the wall since you’ll be working with water.

  Next, give the wall a thorough cleaning so that the wallpaper has an ideal surface to adhere to. Wipe down the entire surface area with a dust mop fitted with a clean cover, then follow up by wiping the wall down with warm water and letting it air dry completely.

  2. Apply a primer

  The process for how to hang wallpaper is similar to painting in that using a primer is an important part of the prep work, especially if you’re using non-pasted or pre-pasted wallpaper (if you’re a renter using self-adhesive wallpaper, it’s okay to skip this step lest you risk losing your security deposit).

  Opt for an oil-based primer or a designated wallpaper primer, which will smooth out any imperfections and seal the surface so that adhesive does not seep into the drywall. Check the packaging for drying requirements, and anticipate that the primer will at least need to sit overnight before you can hang wallpaper on it.

  3. Map out your wall

  Marking guidelines on the wall will make your life a whole lot easier. Measure the width of your wallpaper and then mark the width with a pencil on the wall, starting at the corner and using a level to carry the line all the way down from ceiling to floor. Subtract ½” from the width before marking to leave yourself room to overlap the panels as needed.

  4. Cut your wallpaper to length

  Unless you were able to order wallpaper that’s the exact length of your wall, you’ll have some cutting to do. Measure and cut carefully, and adjust where you cut as needed to make sure that the pattern will line up as you hang. Cut each panel about 2” longer than you need it to be—you’ll go back in and trim it later on.

  5. Apply your paper to the wall

  Now comes the fun part. Follow the adhesion directions for the type of wallpaper that you’re using, whether you need to paste the paper yourself, apply water to the dry paste, or simply remove the peel-and-stick backing. The trick for how to hang wallpaper is to go slow and steady and to line up the pattern as you go instead of trying to correct mistakes later on. Also key is that you overlap each panel instead of trying to line up the seams right next to each other.

  6. Smooth your panels

  Use a clean cloth, wallpaper brush, or roller brush and gently smooth out your panels, starting from the middle and working your way to the edges. If you’re working with self-adhesive wallpaper and there are any air bubbles or other imperfections, carefully unpeel the panel and reapply. If you’re working with a non-pasted or pre-pasted variety, you’ll need to pick up a glue syringe from your local paint or home improvement store to add more glue behind the imperfection and smooth it out that way.

  7. Trim the excess

  Use a single-edge blade to trim the excess length from each panel. If there’s any visible adhesive after you do this you can remove it with a sponge and warm water.

  How to remove wallpaper

  Knowing how to hang wallpaper is one thing, but it’s just as important that you know how to remove it.

  Self-adhesive varieties can usually be peeled right off the wall, but the same doesn’t go for pasted varieties. For those, you’ll need to soak the paper with wallpaper stripping solution, which you can buy at most home improvement stores. Thoroughly wet each section you’re removing with the solution, applying it only to as much wallpaper as you can remove in a 10 to 15 minute period.

  Next, peel or scrape the wallpaper away. Try peeling first, since this is the most gentle approach and poses the least amount of damage risk to your walls. If that doesn’t work, or if it leaves patches of paper behind, use a wide putty knife to scrape off what’s left. Just don’t dig too hard or too deep or you might scratch the wall underneath.

  Once your wallpaper is removed, clean the glue off the walls. Fill a bucket with hot water, liquid dish soap, and a tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate (i.e. baking soda) and use a sponge to scrub away at the glue. If that doesn’t work, you can buy a chemical-based wallpaper glue remover at the store.

  Let the walls air-dry completely after removing all of the glue and before priming for whatever comes next. You can speed up the process by opening windows or running fans in the room, but however you do it allow plenty of time for both the surface of the wall and its sub-layers to dry out.

  Hanging wallpaper FAQs

  Still have questions about how to hang wallpaper? See if you can find your answer below.

  Where do you start when hanging wallpaper?

  Begin in the top corner of the room and adhere your wallpaper horizontally, then vertically. Alternately, you could start in the middle of the room, but make sure that you measure well in advance so that you don’t need to trim the width of any panels in addition to length.

  What about windows, doors, and outlets?

  First hang your wallpaper, then use a single-edge blade to cut out the area around these features. Don’t try to do the cut out first since it might not line up correctly when you go to hang.

  Can you hang new wallpaper over old wallpaper?

  Have existing wallpaper and want to skip the removal step? It’s probably not a good idea. For best results when you hang wallpaper you’ll want to start with a completely bare surface, which means one that’s free of previous wallpaper.

  What is the easiest type of wallpaper to hang?

  Self-adhesive wallpaper is pretty much just a giant sticker that you apply to your walls, and it’s the easiest to hang and remove. That being said, it’s not necessarily the most durable, so it might be worth putting in the extra work with another variety to get cleaner, longer-lasting results.