Wallpapering external corners

[AMS1]

Hello

I'm in the process of wallpapering (well, just lining at the moment) one of my bedrooms which contains a chimney breast and I'd appreciate some advice/tips about wallpapering the external corners.

I've wallpapered once before (but only dealt with half drops because of a dado rail) and have trawled Youtube for wallpapering demos. So far things have gone ok (ish!) but I'm struggling with the external corners of the chimney breast. I've only done one end so far, but try as I might I can't seem to get the wallpaper to fully 'hug' the corner from top to bottom. I've only wrapped the paper around about 5cm but the walls aren't perfect and there seems to be an air pocket for want of a better description where the paper just won't stick to the wall in places.

Is there any nifty little trick that gets around this problem or will I just have to live with it and try not to bump against the corner of the chimney breast once the room is finished?

Thank you.

 

[emilybronte]

If the wall is a bit wonky, you can eliminate air pockets to a certain extent by packing them out with layers of lining paper torn to the right shape and size, before gluing the paper down. Also try only wrapping round by 2 cm, not 5.

 

[sparkwright]

One method is to wrap 5cm or a bit less round the corner as you describe, but cut a few horizontal slits in it to allow for the external corner being out of true.

Then for the next length, a bit of overlapping at the joint will be required to allow for the wonkiness of the length you just done.

Overlap so the seams aren't on full view, this will probably mean lifting the edge of the first length and sticking over the second length.

If you see what I mean.

 

[AMS1]

Thank you for your answers.

I went back to the chimney breast and with a stanley knife and a long metal ruler cut just a couple of millimetres down each side of the corner's edge, and stuck the sides back down, so it's not going around the corner, but at least it's not bubbling and uneven. I figured that with it being just lining paper it won't be so noticeable once the proper paper is on top of it.

I will try and do external corners with just a wraparound of about 2cms as suggested instead of 5cm and make a couple of cuts if need be. I always worry about the depth of paper you wrap around, as I'd imagine too shallow would make it difficult to stick.

Thanks again.

 

[emilybronte]

Getting a thin strip to stick is only really a problem with thick vinyl papers, I find, but if you are struggling, try sticking it down with border/overlap adhesive rather than the normal adhesive.

It also works best if you use the same adhesive for the top paper as for the lining paper.

Are you crosslining, or hanging the lining paper vertically? Crosslining is recommended when there's a top paper going on (as opposed to just painting the lining).

 

[AMS1]

Are you crosslining, or hanging the lining paper vertically? Crosslining is recommended when there's a top paper going on (as opposed to just painting the lining).

I'm hanging the lining paper vertically. I know you're supposed to cross-line when you're wallpapering over lining paper but since I'm a relative newbie to wallpapering, and doing it without help, I just wanted to do the easiest option. I'll just be careful to make sure my seams don't hit at the same place.

There is a satisfaction to wallpapering (Other Half keeps saying he'll pay his mate, who used to be a painter and decorator, to come in and do the job but I'm resisting as I want to do it myself). I just wish I was better at it. But I guess doing it is the only way I'll learn.

 

[emilybronte]

It may be easier to hang the lining paper vertically, but you may find the joins on the top paper are more prone to separate - it is to do with the direction of the tension set up by the way the paper is hung - crosslining 'cancels out' any tendency for the paper to be pulled/shrink back in one direction. I have discovered this (fortunately on my own walls a long time ago, not on a customer's!) I have crosslined ever since with no problems.

You may get away with it - it depends very much on the top paper. But do use the same paste for both![/i]