Wallpaper fell out of fashion in the 1980s and 1990s when magnolia emulsion swept through every suburban semi, but it has been firmly back since the early 2010s and shows no sign of retreating. The variety available today — from affordable paste-the-wall vinyls to hand-blocked heritage papers and acoustic fabric panels — is greater than at any point in the past century. This guide explains what you are actually buying when you choose a wallpaper type, how to calculate quantities correctly, and the key steps to hang it without disaster.
Wallpaper Types
Paste-the-wall (non-woven / fibreglass-backed) The dominant type in the UK market since the mid-2010s. The backing is a non-woven fabric (similar in texture to a very fine synthetic fleece) rather than paper. You paste the wall rather than the paper, which means no soaking time, no paste table needed, and no wet paper to tear. These papers hang cleanly, are relatively easy to strip when the time comes, and are suitable for most wall surfaces. Cost: £12–£40/roll for mainstream products.
Standard vinyl A paper or fabric substrate coated with PVC. Durable, washable and moisture-resistant, making it suitable for hallways, children’s rooms and kitchens. Paste the paper (not the wall) and allow a short soaking time (30–60 seconds) for the paper to relax before hanging. Good value entry-level option. Cost: £8–£20/roll.
Blown vinyl (embossed vinyl) A vinyl wallpaper with a raised, textured surface created by heating the PVC during manufacturing. Common in 1980s homes and still used for textured effects (brick, tile, damask patterns). Less fashionable currently but practical in hallways. Typically paste-the-paper. Cost: £8–£18/roll.
Lining paper Not a decorative finish but an essential preparatory product. Lining paper is hung horizontally (cross-lining) before decorative paper to create a smooth, stable surface. It also helps if walls have been previously stripped and the plaster surface is slightly uneven. Available in several grades by weight: 800 grade for paper-over-paper, 1,200 grade for heavier decorative papers, 1,400–2,000 grade for concealing damaged plaster. Cost: £3–£8/roll.
Traditional paper-backed Printed or plain paper with no coating. Requires careful handling when wet as it tears easily. Many heritage and hand-printed papers are paper-backed. Paste the paper; soaking time is critical (usually 3–5 minutes). Cost: £15–£200+/roll depending on source.
Fabric-backed / textile wallcovering A woven or knitted fabric face bonded to a paper or acrylic backing. Includes grasscloth, jute, seagrass, linen and silk weaves. Adds texture and warmth unavailable from printed papers. Requires careful handling at seams (fabric selvedges must be overlapped and trimmed, or matched carefully). Not recommended in damp rooms. Cost: £30–£120+/roll.
Anaglypta / relief papers High-relief embossed papers designed to be painted over. Popular in period properties for dado panels and ceilings. Usually unpasted, paste-the-paper. Cost: £10–£25/roll.
Cost Comparison by Type
| Type | Typical UK Retail (per roll) | Roll Coverage (approx.) | Washable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard vinyl | £8–£20 | 5–5.5 m² | Yes |
| Paste-the-wall / non-woven | £12–£40 | 5–5.5 m² | Yes (most) |
| Blown / embossed vinyl | £8–£18 | 5–5.5 m² | Yes |
| Lining paper | £3–£8 | 5.5–6 m² | No |
| Traditional paper-backed | £15–£200+ | 5–5.5 m² | No |
| Fabric / grasscloth | £30–£120+ | 5–5.5 m² | Spot-clean only |
| Anaglypta / paintable | £10–£25 | 5–5.5 m² | Yes (once painted) |
Most UK wallpaper rolls are 52 cm wide × 10 m long (standard roll); some luxury papers and American imports are 68–70 cm wide. Always check the roll specification before calculating quantities.
Calculating How Many Rolls to Buy
This is where most people go wrong. The calculation has two parts: wall area and pattern repeat waste.
Step 1: Calculate wall area. Measure the perimeter of the room (in metres) and multiply by the ceiling height. Subtract large openings (doors and windows account for roughly 1–1.5 m² each). Divide by the coverage per roll (5 m² for a standard roll).
Step 2: Add for pattern repeat. A straight (set) match wastes less paper than a drop repeat. The longer the pattern repeat, the more waste.
| Pattern Repeat | Add to Roll Quantity |
|---|---|
| No repeat (plain or random texture) | 0–5% |
| Straight match (repeat up to 30 cm) | 10–15% |
| Half-drop repeat (repeat 30–64 cm) | 15–25% |
| Large drop repeat (64 cm+) | 25–35%+ |
Example: A room with 32 m² of wall area, using a paper with a 45 cm drop repeat (25% waste allowance): 32 ÷ 5 = 6.4 rolls → round up to 7 → add 25% → order 9 rolls. Always order an extra roll from the same batch (dye lot) to allow for mistakes and future repairs.
Preparing the Surface
All wallpaper will fail on poorly prepared surfaces. The key steps:
- New plaster: seal with a diluted size coat (diluted wallpaper paste, or diluted PVA at 1:4) and allow to dry before hanging. Do not hang paper on fresh plaster before it has cured (minimum 4–6 weeks).
- Previously painted walls: wash with sugar soap; sand any raised edges; allow to dry. Apply a size coat.
- Previously papered walls: strip completely. Soaking with warm water (add a tablespoon of washing-up liquid per bucket) or a wallpaper stripper solution is most effective. A steam stripper speeds the process considerably on stubborn papers.
- Damaged plaster: fill holes and cracks, sand smooth, consider hanging lining paper before the decorative layer.
Hanging: Key Steps
- Find your starting point. Use a spirit level to draw a true vertical line one roll-width in from the most prominent corner or a focal point (e.g., the centre of a chimney breast for a feature wall).
- Cut drops. Cut drops slightly long (50 mm top and bottom) to allow for trimming. Match the pattern on each drop before cutting.
- Paste the wall (for non-woven) or paste the paper. For paste-the-paper types, fold pasted sections loosely (booking) and allow to soak per the manufacturer’s instructions — never skip this.
- Hang the first drop. Slide into position against your plumb line; smooth from centre outwards with a paperhanger’s brush or smoothing tool, working out air bubbles.
- Butt-join subsequent drops. Seams should be pushed together firmly (not overlapped). Use a seam roller on vinyl; avoid pressing too hard on delicate or textured papers.
- Trim top and bottom. Use a paperhanging knife against a straight edge or the back of a broad scraper blade. A sharp blade makes a clean cut; a blunt one tears.
- Paste the back of any overlaps at corners — inside corners are never perfectly true, so cut the paper to overlap by 5–10 mm around the corner and start fresh with a new plumb line on the adjacent wall.
Professional vs DIY
A professional decorator will typically charge £120–£200/day for wallpapering (materials extra). An average room of 50 m² (wall area) with a standard repeat might take one to two days for an experienced hanger. Larger pattern repeats, feature walls with difficult alignments, or working around a lot of obstacles (radiators, light switches) add time.
First-time DIY hangers should consider starting with a paste-the-wall non-woven paper on a feature wall (one wall, no pattern repeat) before tackling a full room — it is genuinely forgiving of small errors and provides good practice before committing to a more expensive or complex paper.
