Wallpaper hanging in Exeter
Professional wallpaper hanging services in Exeter and surrounding areas. Local, reliable handyman - no job too small.
Price Guide
£210-£360
Typical Duration
4-6 hrs
Location
Exeter, Devon
Wallpaper hung professionally with precise pattern matching, plumb vertical alignment, and smooth bubble-free finish. Walls prepped, paper cut and hung properly for a quality result.
Transform Walls with Pattern and Texture
Wallpaper adds depth, character, and personality that paint alone can't match. One feature wall or a whole room - proper wallpapering completely changes the feel of your space.
💡 Pro tip: Good wallpaper hanging is part measuring, part skill, part patience. The patterns need to match perfectly, the verticals need to be true, and the finish needs to be smooth with no bubbles. Rush any of it and the result looks amateur.
Why Professional Wallpaper Hanging Matters
Anyone can stick paper to a wall. Getting it straight, matched, and bubble-free is skilled work.
| ✅ Done Right | ❌ Done Wrong |
|---|---|
| Hung perfectly vertical with plumb line | Leans left or right (painfully obvious) |
| Patterns match precisely at every seam | Mismatched, looks awful |
| Smooth finish, no bubbles or creases | Air bubbles, wrinkles, lifted edges |
| Clean cuts at ceiling, skirting, corners | Ragged edges, gaps showing |
What You Get
🔧 The Full Service
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Prep | Walls cleaned, sized if needed, obstacles removed |
| Measure | Calculate drops for pattern matching |
| Hang | Each strip plumbed, pasted, hung, smoothed |
| Trim | Clean cuts at edges, corners worked carefully |
📦 You're Left With
- Perfectly hung wallpaper with matched patterns
- Smooth, professional finish
- Clean edges at ceiling and skirting
Pricing Guide
Price depends on pattern complexity and room size. Large pattern repeats create more waste.
| Room Type | Estimated Time | You'll Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Small bedroom (plain/small pattern) | 4-5 hrs | £210-£260 |
| Living room (medium pattern) | 5-6 hrs | £260-£310 |
| Large room/feature wall (large pattern) | 5-7 hrs | £260-£360 |
Based on £60 minimum (first hour) + £50/hr after. Large pattern repeats take longer due to matching and waste. Stripping old paper costs extra.
⚠️ Pattern repeats: Big, bold patterns can have 60cm+ repeats - this means more wastage and more time matching. Factor this into your wallpaper budget.
Perfect For Your Project If...
✅ Feature wall - add impact to one wall
✅ Period property - restore character with traditional patterns
✅ Modern design - bold contemporary patterns
✅ Hide imperfections - textured paper hides uneven walls
Why Choose Us for Wallpaper hanging in Exeter?
Hung perfectly vertical with plumb line
Patterns matched precisely at every join
Smooth finish with no bubbles or creases
Clean edges at ceiling, skirting, and corners
What to Expect
Step 1: Prep & Plan
Walls checked and prepped. Pattern repeat measured, number of drops calculated. First strip gets plumbed perfectly vertical - everything else follows from this.
Step 2: Paste & Hang
Each strip pasted (wall or paper depending on type), hung carefully, smoothed from centre out to remove bubbles. Pattern matched precisely to previous strip.
Step 3: Trim & Finish
Excess trimmed cleanly at ceiling and skirting. Corners worked carefully - they're never perfect in older houses. Seams rolled flat, excess paste wiped off.
🔧 DIY Tips
Wallpapering yourself? Here's what you need to know:
🔧 Tools you'll need
- Pasting table
- Paste bucket and brush (or roller for paste-the-wall)
- Paper hanging brush or smoother
- Sharp craft knife and straight edge
- Spirit level or plumb bob
- Seam roller
- Sponge and bucket for cleanup
📏 Measuring and cutting
- Measure wall height, add 10cm for trimming
- Check pattern repeat - this affects how much you need
- Cut first drop, check pattern position
- Match pattern for subsequent drops - creates waste
- Number each drop on the back (in case you get mixed up)
🖼️ Hanging technique
- Start away from corners if possible (corners are never straight)
- Use plumb line for first drop - absolutely critical
- Paste evenly (wall or paper depending on type)
- Hang from top, smooth downwards and outwards
- Use paper hanging brush to remove air bubbles
- Wipe excess paste off immediately with damp sponge
- Roll seams gently (don't squeeze paste out)
⚠️ Common DIY mistakes
- Not plumbing the first drop (everything else will be wonky)
- Rushing the pattern matching
- Over-wetting the paper (it tears and stretches)
- Not wiping excess paste off quickly (it dries shiny)
- Trying to do corners without understanding how
- Hanging in the wrong order (work away from light source)
💡 Pro trick: When you get to a corner, don't try to wrap a full strip around it - corners are never truly vertical in older houses. Instead, cut the paper so it wraps around the corner by just 2-3cm, then start the next wall with a fresh drop overlapping that edge. Keeps everything plumb and the pattern positioned properly.
Rather leave it to a pro? No problem - that's what I'm here for. Give me a call.
Good to Know
🎨 Order extra: Pattern matching creates waste - the larger the repeat, the more waste. Order 10-15% more than the wall area calculator suggests. Running out halfway through is a nightmare if the batch is discontinued.
Stripping old paper first? Budget an extra 3-4 hours for stripping if your walls are currently papered. Can't hang new over old - it needs to come off first.
Older Exeter houses with wonky walls? Wallpaper actually helps - textured papers hide uneven surfaces better than paint. I'll work around the character features and make it look intentional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to provide the wallpaper or can you get it?
Either way works. If you've already bought it, great - just make sure you've got enough (add 10% for pattern matching and wastage). If not, I can advise on how much you need and where to get it. Measure your room and check the roll coverage - pattern repeats eat into coverage.
How do you get the patterns to match at the seams?
Careful measuring and cutting. Every drop is measured against the pattern repeat, then cut so the pattern lines up with the previous strip. On big patterns this creates waste, but that's normal - you can't cheat pattern matching. Corners are the tricky bit - I work around them carefully.
Can you hang wallpaper over existing wallpaper?
Not recommended. If the old stuff is firmly stuck, sometimes, but usually it needs stripping first. Hanging over old wallpaper means you're trusting it to hold the new stuff - if the old paper fails, everything comes off together. Better to strip back to plaster and do it properly.
How long before I can paint the woodwork after wallpapering?
Give it 48 hours to dry properly. The paste needs to cure and the paper needs to settle - it can shrink slightly as it dries. Painting the woodwork immediately risks steam from wet paste causing problems with the paint.
What's the difference between paste-the-wall and paste-the-paper wallpaper?
Paste-the-wall means you paste the actual wall, then hang dry paper - it's quicker and easier. Paste-the-paper means you paste each strip and let it soak before hanging - more traditional and works better on heavier papers. I'll use whichever your chosen paper requires.
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