Lining paper is often used to hide hairline cracks and marks on interior plastered walls before decorating. It can also be a great way to add some thermal insulation to your home.
Professional decorators will cross line a room, hanging the lining paper horizontally – this reduces the areas where the wallpaper will meet at corners. This is an important process to follow.
Preparation
Before you start hanging your wallpaper you’ll need to prepare the wall, and this will involve filling in any holes, sanding bumps or craters and cleaning. This is a time consuming process but it’s essential if you want to ensure a smooth finish. You’ll also need to remove any hooks, nails or light switch plates and tape them over so you don’t damage them during the wallpapering process (you’ll be using water that will activate the glue and could ruin the outlets).
Next you’ll need to ‘size’ the walls -this means applying a thin layer of paste that’s slightly more watery than normal. This will help to even out the porosity of the plaster and reduce any shrinkage or adhesion problems when hanging your wallpaper.
When you’ve done this you can then start to hang your lining paper. It’s best to start at the top of the wall and work your way down – this will avoid any potential overlaps that may appear on the final trim. Once you’ve hung your lining paper it’s then a case of trimming off any excess and drawing a plumb line to use as a guide for the wallpaper.
Hanging
Lining paper is relatively cheap, and can hide hairline cracks in plaster and create a smooth surface over which paint can be applied. It can also cover patching, filling and other work done on the walls. It also protects your wallpaper from water damage and adds a layer of thermal insulation to the room.
You can hang lining paper vertically, or horizontally (known as cross lining). Most professional decorators prefer to cross line the wall, which will guarantee that the seams of the lining paper don’t coincide with the seams of any wallpaper over it. It’s worth taking some time to do this correctly, as it can affect the finish of the wallpaper. For more info, do visit this website wallpaper singapore.
Start by marking a reference line near the top of a wall, using a spirit level and pencil. This will be your’start guide line’, and will ensure that the first strip of lining paper is hung level. Coat a strip of lining paper with wallpaper paste, as per the instructions on the pack. Loosely roll it and apply to the wall, overlapping by 5cm at the ceiling and 1 or 2cm in the corner. Smooth into place, and trim off any excess paper at the juncture with the adjacent wall. Repeat this process to the whole room.
Finishing
Lining paper creates a canvas that absorbs any expansion and contraction of wallpaper pasted on top. This makes it less likely that the wallpaper will bubble, giving you a better finish. It also allows you to hide minor imperfections that would otherwise be glaring, particularly on matt wallcoverings.
You can hang lining paper horizontally or vertically (cross lining). Many pros will choose to hang lining paper horizontally, which reduces the areas where seams of the lining and wallpaper coincide and prevents them from pulling away from the wall.
To hang lining paper, first apply a coat of paste to the back of your cut of paper using a brush or roller and then ‘book’ it – leave it to soak in for the amount of time recommended on the adhesive packaging. Once the paste has set, begin to hang the paper, starting in a corner and overlapping 1-2 inches at the corners.
When you reach the end of your roll, trim off the excess lining paper at an outside corner, making sure to match and close the seam. You can then smooth the rest of your paper and continue around the room, overlapping at inside and outside corners. Then, trim at the ceiling to neaten. Once all the lining paper is up, wait 24 hours before adding your wallpaper or paint.
