How to put up wall paper.

It’s not advisable to paper over existing wall paper. The new, wet paste may soften the older layer making the previous covering expand or pull away from the wall. So strip it off before redecorating.

Wetting the wall with a garden spray can be quicker than using a sponge, just make sure to adjust the nozzle on the end of the hose to produce a fine mist spray, or else you have a lot of water flowing down your walls.

Sponge the old paper with warm water to which has been added a squirt of washing-up liquid and a handful of wall paper paste. The washing up liquid acts as a wetting agent and the wall paper paste helps to keep water on the wall while the paper soaks. If the wall paper is painted or washable then you will have to make the surface course by rubbing it with sand paper or a sanding block.

Allow at least five minutes soaking time, then use a wide stripping knife to lift the paper from the wall. Slide the scraper under a seam and push it away from you. Be careful not to dig it into the plaster.

If the paper won’t shift, sponge on more water and allow a longer soak.

If there are several layers of paper on a wall or if the paper has been painted over, it is much easier to get off with a steam wall paper stripper. Hire one from your local tool hire service. The stripper gives out steam from a metal plate softening the paper so that it can be removed. But be careful when using a steam stripper on plasterboard, it can soften the surface so use the stripping knife as little as possible.