Home > Paperhanging basics > Paperhanging skills > Ceilings

Papering a ceiling.

• Preparing your equipment is the best way to ensure that you have no trouble.
• Make sure the room is clear of all furniture.
• Remove lampshades or chandeliers.
• Get two pairs of steps or firm trestles.
• Have a strong plank about a foot less than the width of the room.
• Try the steps to see what height up you need to stand so the top of your head is about 9" from the ceiling.
• Put the plank on the two pairs of steps at that height.
• Walk on the plank to check that you are comfortable at that height.
• Mark the ceiling about 2" less than the width of the paper. approx. 18"
• Using the marks as a guide draw a straight line the width of the ceiling.

1. Arrange a scaffold between two stepladders or bandstand trestles, using a suitable length plank.

2. Start at the window wall and work back towards the opposite wall. This usually coincides with the shorter width walls. If this does not then you can choose to hang your lengths the shorter way across. Choosing the longer lengths means less cuts but is slightly more difficult.

3. Measure the number of cuts you will need. You can do this by using an unopened roll and counting along the wall(the longer wall if you are doing the shorter lengths and vice versa).

4. Cut one piece the required length plus overlap(about 2 - 3 inches each end = 4 - 6 inches total) at each end for trimming. The easiest way to measure a length is to roll out the paper on the floor across the room. Then drag the piece gently along to check that the room doesn't get wider a some point.

5. Cut the remaining number of lengths required using the first one as a guide.

6. Mark a line about 18 inches out from the wall.(i.e. a couple of inches shorter than the width of a roll.)

7. Paste and fold your first piece in a 'concertina' fashion, making the folds 15 to 18 inches wide. If you make the folds too wide the paper is harder to control.

8. Support the paper with a clean baton( an unused half a roll is ideal; you might want to put some sellotape or masking tape round it to make it easier to handle).

9. Hang your first piece to the line but not onto the wallside of the line. Really you are hanging strip number two first.

10. Paste and hang your next strip into the wall overlap.

11. Use the tip of the scissors (or a pencil) to mark and trim the length.

12. Each new piece should be joined edge to edge.

13. The is easier with two people, one holding the other fixing.

14. With two people it is usually easier to work backwards; as opposed to working forwards with one person.

15. If you can switch off the power then the ceiling rose may be removed, making your job easier.

16. If the ceiling rose comes in the middle of the sheet, carefully push the paper right up to it and make a hole with the point of your scissors where you can feel the pendant cable. Withdraw the paper about a foot and make a series of cuts(slightly longer than the width of the rose) out from the hole. Then carefully feed the pendant through and smooth the paper round the light rose.

17. Fix the remainder of this length before trimming.

18. When you reach the last piece it may be quite narrow. Measure the width; add two inches for overlap and cut the piece dry before you paste it.

TIPS: Keep the edge you are fixing to above the centre of your shoulder.

If you are right-handed and you want to work forward keep the joint over your left shoulder; if you prefer to work backward keep the joint over your right shoulder. ( and vice versa if you are left handed).

If you find the paper start to overlap the previous piece, pull back the paper slightly and brush firmly along the edge where the two join. This will stretch the paper away from the previous piece. Likewise if the paper starts to veer away from the previous piece apply the same technique to the outer edge of your length.