How to hang Half Drop wallpaper like a Pro 

Nightmare! I’ve recently hung a top end graham and brown one. 🙈I pasted the paper and it was a lot better. Those beads are a nightmare tho they get everywhere. You have to work absolutely spotless. Or you are in trouble. Hung a romo paper with beads on last year and that was probably the best paper I’ve ever hung. Hardly no beads came off the quality of the paper was amazing.

That’s a new one for me. I’ve never heard of that. I ended up using beeline primer/sealer 3:1 and proceeded from there. The paper is an absolute dream to hang.

Been in the trade over 45 years Phil... Sometimes you get ones that test your sanity ; and make you question ... Is this the one that finally beats me ? When you're driving away with the money in your pocket and it's over...you're a better man.

Nice job I quite like the paper might have a look for some 👏

Phil, very much enjoyed & appreciated this video. Thanks for all your videos 👍🏻

Having worked with this type of papers over the years I found that the reason they say paste the paper and let it soak is because it make the paper easier to handle and it makes cutting easier. They put instructions on the label for a reason. I have learnt from my mistakes over the last 48 years in the trade.

It looks great, Phil. Now that I can see it in better light. I've applied similar on a shop-fitting contract for a fancy boutique. Make sure to price in for a box of shears.

" I've not got my big paste table with me and I haven't got the time to go fetch it " Sorry Sir!! but the dog ate my homework so I will do it again tonight and bring it in tomorrow morning🤣🤣🤣

I’ve been freelancing in London since the late 80s. I can only work on price. If it’s a really expensive paper, I tend to ensure I cover the cost, just in case. I’ve dealt with some strange products down the years and feel blessed that I served a proper apprenticeship with proper old boys on a good firm.

Well Phil I always say if you can afford expensive paper you better be prepared to pay to have it put on professionally, SIMPLES 🤷🏻‍♂️

Years ago when the decorator centres used to give out pattern books …… the anyglypta/suoaglypta book …. The amount we used to tear out of the book due to bad hanging experiences 🤣🤣

Papering in the real world 👍You never know what's in for you sometimes. Turned up at a job recently ,£120 a roll and they didnt even send matching batch numbers 🙄

Did you run a datum line horizontally across the wall?... I caught something about using your level to get a horizontal line? Good explaination of the drop pattern, its not easily explained, especially when you cant see the pattern. Re pricing, no I dont charge more per roll, I am supposed to be the pro, thus I should be able to hang anything (maybe!)...but I will explain to the customer that its a complex paper and will take a fair bit longer, hence the higher price. What I never do is base my price on the 'if they can afford that much on a paper they can afford this much for my labour' model. What was your verdict on the paste?.... I have found the Wickes gear to be thinner recently....maybe they are getting greedy too... it'll be 4.5 and 9kg tubs next!

I never use thinned out paste, usually beeline primer sealer. Fibreliner seems to have more of a lustre than lining paper so I’m wondering if I need to size at all although my no.1 rule when papering is ‘ALWAYS follow the instructions!’

Thanks Art. Im a bit conflicted as I didn’t think it needed sizing. Maybe it’s best that I speak with C&F

Hi Phil,just about to hang a feature wall with about 8 vertical wooden beams running across its length,with a pattern match paper.Have you any advice on how i can try and get a match.Btw thers also a few diagonal beams just to complicate things ?Many thanks in advance.

I’m in a dilemma about whether to size Fibreliner before hanging colefax and fowler paper. Instructions say to size lining paper

What is the paste table you are using ?

It’s already been lined. The dilemma is whether to size the Fibreliner or not.

I was going to use beeline primer sealer diluted 3:1

I quote that well-worn cliché: them that make these papers have never had to hang them.

Hiya Phil, I wonder if this is what we used to call a ‘step’pattern? Can you remember the brick-faced papers in the 80s? They looked dead easy until you came to join. When I was an apprentice 82-85 I used to cut and paste for the fella I learned off. He wanted no less than 30 lengths on the table, and at least four soaking at all times. Serious bollocking if not. I did not stand still! I can’t do that these days unless it’s lining. I tend to cut as I go.

Yes, why not gardz Arte?

Always said painting & decorating are two completely different trades,as much as carpentry & painting for example, i have hung harlequin before, not cheap i know, tbh phil i paste the wall with every paper now regardless of it saying otherwise paste the paper etc, never had any problems & been so much easier, i return to most properties too & always inspect after, know it goes against your beliefs especially being out of college etc but some papers no matter what you do fight you all the way, you are sometimes working with faulty products & your Laura Ashley etc have never hung a wallpaper in there life, i remember painters having a nightmare as you could use any paste back in the day but there was problems with her papers so she came up with her specific paste for her papers & instructions as cover that were as long as your arm, think she paid out thousands in compensation ? While im here Anaglypta ready mixed is good & use all the time, you get 10L for around £15 always thin a bit as spreads so much better as really thick, my next wallpaper job is for a well known person at a £185 a roll, no pressure, tbh i don't worry anymore I'm too old for all that shit & just get on with it & do the same method as I'm doing for a wallpaper that costs a tenner, i remember doing the glitter wallpaper, this was only meant for Pelmets originally & not a wallpaper & you had to overlap like wide vinyl & use special black Stanley's, to cut, you only get one chance to cut these & I'm glad that trend has come & gone ,think the painting game is the only trade where the goal posts are moving all the time👍ps just run a damp sponge over the paper as I've done previously with papers like cardboard to manipulate into corners etc 😉

Some of the most expensive papers I’ve had to do, was usually the worst to put on 🙄 & some of the cheapest has been a piece of piss 🤷🏻‍♂️ you just can not work that out 🤯

This is where even after decades of experience still learning. Not a fan of giving away all our years of hardwork in these how to tutorials I must admit.

Looks like amateur hour tbh with the rolling out of paper onto the floor to find the pattern and shuffling and bumping the pattern up and down the wall from the middle to match it up. Make life easy for yourself put your paper on the table. Look for a distinctive part of your pattern to use at your ceiling line on sheet 1. Mark it and measure 64cm down from that and mark that also. Now measure between those marks and the pattern repeat at 32cm is your pattern to use at the ceiling line on sheet 2. Cut your sheets accordingly allowing exactly the same amount of waste at the top of each sheet (say 5cm) and back roll your paper and put a rubber band around each sheet. Take your first sheet to the wall and place it in position at the ceiling line and smooth into place and unrolling your sheet proceed down the wall. With your next sheet do the same, here when you position your second sheet into place at the ceiling line make sure the amount of waste returning onto the ceiling is the exact same amount as the first sheet and the paper will be perfectly matched on the wall without having to shuffle and bump your paper up and down the wall.