Learn how to install wallpaper properly, the steps professionals follow, and see if you’re ready for the project or if a pro can save you days of frustration.
Wallpaper can completely transform a space.
Add texture.
Add pattern.
Add personality.
When done right, wallpaper elevates a room in a way paint simply can’t. But when done wrong, the mistakes are immediate—and permanent. Crooked seams, visible bubbles, peeling edges, and mismatched patterns don’t fade into the background. They stand out.
At Harding’s Painting, we install wallpaper using a proven, professional process that’s been refined over decades. No shortcuts. No guesswork. Just careful preparation, precise execution, and results that last.
If you’re considering a DIY approach, here’s what it actually takes to install wallpaper properly—and why many homeowners ultimately decide it’s better left to professionals.
Table of Contents
The Professional Steps to Install Wallpaper Correctly
Before we dive deeper, here’s a high-level look at the process professionals follow to install wallpaper:
- Prepare and prime the wall properly
- Measure carefully and plan layout before cutting
- Match patterns and establish a true vertical starting line
- Apply the correct adhesive evenly
- Hang each strip without stretching or trapping air
- Finish seams cleanly and trim with precision
Each of these steps sounds simple. None of them are.
Let’s break them down.
Step 1: Wall Preparation Is Everything
This is where most wallpaper installations fail before they even begin.
To install wallpaper successfully, walls must be:
- Clean
- Dry
- Smooth
- Properly primed with wallpaper primer, not standard paint primer
Any dust, grease, nail pops, drywall imperfections, or uneven texture will show through the paper—or worse, cause adhesion problems that appear weeks later.
Wallpaper doesn’t forgive flaws. Paint can hide minor imperfections. Wallpaper highlights them.
Professional installers spend significant time on prep because skipping this step guarantees visible issues down the line. At Harding’s Painting, wall preparation often takes longer than the installation itself, but it’s the foundation of a flawless finish.
Step 2: Measuring, Pattern Matching, and Layout Planning
Wallpaper is never installed starting from a corner.
Why?
Because walls are rarely square.
To install wallpaper properly, professionals first establish a perfectly vertical plumb line. That first strip dictates the alignment of the entire wall. If it’s off—even slightly—the error compounds with every drop.
This step includes:
- Precise wall height measurements
- Cutting each strip with extra length
- Dry-fitting and matching patterns before adhesive is applied
- Planning seam placement so patterns align naturally
Patterned wallpaper leaves no room for improvisation. A single miscalculation can waste expensive material and force a full restart.
Step 3: Using the Right Adhesive the Right Way
Not all wallpaper is the same—and neither is the adhesive used to install wallpaper.
Depending on the material, wallpaper may be:
- Pre-pasted
- Paste-the-wall
- Paste-the-paper
- Vinyl
- Fabric-backed
- Grasscloth
- Full-scale murals
Each type requires:
- A specific adhesive
- The correct application method
- Proper “booking” or soak time when required
- Even, edge-to-edge coverage
Too much paste leads to bubbling and slipping.
Too little causes seams to lift and corners to curl.
This is where experience matters. Knowing how wallpaper behaves when wet and how it dries is critical to a long-lasting result.
Step 4: Hanging Without Stretching or Trapping Air
When it’s time to install wallpaper, the paper is applied top-down and smoothed from the centre outward.
The goal is simple:
- No air bubbles
- No stretching
- No shifting of the pattern
But achieving that consistently takes practice.
Overworking the paper, pulling it tight, or trying to “force” alignment almost always backfires. Wallpaper naturally relaxes as it dries. If it’s stretched during installation, seams often open later, leaving visible gaps.
Professional installers know when to adjust—and when to leave the paper alone.
Step 5: Seam Work and Precision Trimming
Seams are one of the most obvious indicators of a DIY job.
Proper seams are:
- Butted, never overlapped
- Lightly rolled, never pressed hard
- Cleaned immediately to remove excess paste
Trimming is equally critical. Top and bottom edges are cut using:
- A straight edge
- A fresh blade, changed frequently
One dull blade can tear wallpaper instantly and ruin an entire strip. Professionals change blades constantly because they know the cost of taking shortcuts.
Why DIY Wallpaper Projects Often Fail
We see the same issues again and again when homeowners attempt to install wallpaper themselves:
- Crooked first strips
- Visible or gapped seams
- Pattern misalignment
- Paste residue staining the surface
- Edges lifting weeks after installation
Wallpaper is an investment. High-quality paper isn’t cheap—and reinstalling it costs far more than doing it right the first time.
Many DIY projects don’t fail immediately. They fail slowly. Seams open. Corners curl. Bubbles appear. And once wallpaper has dried improperly, there’s no easy fix.
When It Makes Sense to Ditch the DIY
Installing wallpaper is not the place to “learn as you go.”
If you’re planning to install wallpaper in any of the following situations, professional installation is strongly recommended:
- Feature walls
- High-end or imported wallpaper
- Dark or heavily patterned designs
- Textured materials like grasscloth
- Large or highly visible spaces
These projects demand precision. Mistakes aren’t subtle—and they’re expensive to correct.
Sometimes the smartest DIY decision is knowing when not to DIY.
Professional Wallpaper Installation by Harding’s Painting
At Harding’s Painting, wallpaper installation is handled with the same care and attention we bring to every interior project.
We provide:
- Professional wallpaper installation and removal
- Feature walls and accent spaces
- Residential, commercial, and condominium interiors
- Seamless coordination with full interior painting projects
Our focus is simple:
Clean lines.
Perfect alignment.
Results that look right today—and stay that way.
If you’re considering wallpaper but want to avoid the stress, waste, and risk of a DIY disaster, we’re here to help.
Request a free, no-obligation estimate today.
Let Harding’s Painting handle the details—so you don’t have to.
