Trimming paper around switches and sockets
Be sure to switch off the power supply to these before papering around them, and leave it off until the adhesive has dried out.
Slacken the retaining screws for each unit as you get to it.
Hang the paper in the normal way, allowing it to go over the switch but be careful not to damage it.
By pressing the paper lightly over the switch, you will be able to identify the four corners.
Mark these and cut through the paper from the centre of the switch out towards these marks. Gently ease the paperback to the wall around the switch.
You will now have four triangles of paper pointing out towards you. Trim these but allow a little to tuck in behind the switch cover.
Pull the switch plate away from the wall and gently brush these pieces behind it.
Reposition the switch and gently tighten the screws. The final tightening of these can be done once the paper has dried.
Trimming paper around round or shaped items
Hang the paper over the item lightly.
Mark the centre and cut from the nearest edge of the paper to this point.
Make radial cuts out from the mark.
Push the paper back into place.
Mark the flaps where they meet the edge of the item and trim before brushing the paper back.
Trimming paper around door & window frames
Hang the paper down over the frame lightly and mark the position of its corners.
Cut from the waste area of the paper in towards these marks.
Now gently smooth the paper down against the wall and into the edges of the frame.
Mark and trim in the normal way.
Trimming paper around external corners
The easiest way to paper external corners (which are rarely square or vertical) is to take the paper around the corner by about half an inch and trim it to this point.
The next section of the paper can then be hung vertically, overlapping this half-inch and trimmed a fraction back from the corner.
The professional alternative, which avoids an overlap, is to run the first piece around the corner by a couple of inches. The second piece is then hung overlapping this, taking care to match the pattern. The two pieces are then spliced using a straight edge and a sharp knife. The edges are lifted and the excess from both pieces removed. The two edges are then smoothed down creating a perfect joint.
Trimming paper around recessed openings
Hang the length which overlaps the recess.
Cut a horizontal line a fraction above the head of the window, back to the top corner of the recess.
Cut a line a fraction below the top of the sill, back to the bottom corner of the recess.
Now smooth this middle section around the side of the opening. If the side of the recess is very ‘out of square’, treat it as an external angle as before.
Now, allowing for pattern matching and trimming, cut a piece to suit the recess at the top, as if it were a continuation of the length just hung.
Paste this piece and position it, carefully aligning the pattern.
Slide the front edge up under the main length.
Trim the two pieces carefully just above the head of the window, using a sharp blade and straight edge.
Remove the offcuts and smooth back down.
Continue papering above and below the recessed frame, treating the top as an external angle.
As you reach the far side, treat this exactly the same as for the first side of the recess.
Be sure to hold the paper a little away from the wall and line it up with the edge of the last pieces above and below the recess before pushing it back to the wall into position.
Trimming paper around and behind radiators
It is always best to remove radiators so that paper may be hung properly behind them.
If you are not happy doing this, it is perfectly possible to make a reasonably good job without removing them.
Switch off the radiator by turning off the valve or turning off the heating altogether. Allow it to cool – hot radiators tend to dry the paper out too quickly.
When you reach the radiator, hang the paper lightly over it, allowing it to drop down in front.
Measure the position of the radiator bracket in relation to the end of the radiator.
Mark the position of the top and bottom of the bracket on the paper.
Cut up from the bottom of the paper, through the bottom mark, to the top one. Then make a cut out between these marks to match the width of the bracket.
Now lift the paper away from the radiator and feed it behind, allowing it to hang down either side of the bracket.
Using a long-handled mini roller, smooth the paper behind the radiator before finally trimming in the usual way.
Trimming paper around fireplaces and other awkward shapes
These are actually not dissimilar to window and door frames. They just have a lot more angles to deal with.
Hang the paper, lightly overlapping the item, then make cuts from the waste in towards each angle. Ease the paperback into the profile, and mark and trim as usual.
If possible, try to mark the paper with the back edge of your scissors to provide a cutting line. Using a pencil can leave marks on the finished paper.