How do I wallpaper around sockets, corners and windows?

Flat walls are straightforward. What makes wallpapering difficult is corners, which are never truly vertical, and obstacles, which need specific techniques rather than improvisation.

Safety

What you'll need

• Wallpaper and paste
• Sharp knife and spare blades
• Plumb line or level
• Seam roller (optional)
• Screwdriver (optional)

Step by step

1. Start from a plumb line, not a corner.Walls and corners are rarely vertical. Mark a true vertical line and hang the first piece to that, or every subsequent piece drifts.
2. Never carry a full width around an internal corner.Cut the piece so about 10-15mm turns the corner, then start the next piece with a fresh plumb line overlapping it slightly.
3. For external corners, wrap about 25mm and overlap.Same principle. Trying to wrap a full width around an external corner leaves it creased and lifting within days.
4. Turn off the power before touching sockets.At the consumer unit, and confirm it is dead. This is not optional and it takes a minute.
5. Paper over the socket, then cut diagonally from the centre.Cut an X from the centre of the socket to just past each corner, fold the flaps back, loosen the faceplate, tuck the paper behind and retighten.
6. For windows and doors, hang the full piece then cut.Paper over the opening, cut diagonally into the corners of the reveal, then trim to the frame with a sharp blade against a straight edge.
7. Change the blade constantly.Wet paper tears rather than cuts with a dull blade. Snap off a fresh section every few cuts — this is the difference between clean edges and ragged ones.
8. Wipe paste off immediately.From the paper face, the ceiling, the skirting and the frames. Dried paste marks the surface and shows through paint permanently.

Tips

• Plan where the last join will fall before starting. Aim to end in an inconspicuous corner rather than beside a door.
• Radiators are easier if the radiator can be lifted off its brackets. If not, a long-handled radiator roller and careful trimming is the alternative.
• Let pasted paper soak for the stated time before hanging. Under-soaked paper expands on the wall and bubbles.

Common mistakes

• Starting in a corner and assuming it is vertical — Corners are rarely plumb, so every subsequent length drifts and by the fourth piece the pattern is visibly off.
• Trying to turn a full width around a corner — It creases, lifts and never sits flat. Cut it and start fresh with a small overlap.
• Cutting with a dull blade — Wet paper tears rather than cutting, leaving ragged edges. Snap off a fresh blade section every few cuts.

Questions people ask