Wallpapering around difficult objects never gets easy, no matter how many times you have wallpapered before.
One of the toughest areas to tackle is the radiator. Trying to get the wallpaper to fit down the back of fixings can be frustrating, and deciding if you should take the radiator off the wall brackets or not can be a tough decision to make, as there is restricted movement with the pipes.
This blog will help you solve the problem of ‘how to wallpaper around a radiator’.
- First, you should remove any existing wallpaper you have on your walls, this is so you can apply the new wallpaper, but also give you a smooth surface without any bumps appearing from underneath. A good way to remove wallpaper is with a steam stripper; it’s fast and gets the job done in no time.
- Once you have removed all the wallpaper and the wall has been given a couple of hours to dry out, you should begin preparing the walls before applying your new wallpaper. To do this, make sure any bumps are sanded down and any holes are filled in with wall filler.
- You are now ready to begin wallpapering, and as tempting as it might be to wallpaper around the radiator first, you are best to work your way around the room until you get to the radiator wall, this is because you will have full strips of wallpaper without any wastage.
- Now to wallpaper around the radiator. Check what type of bracket is holding the radiator in place; each bracket is different depending on the type of radiator which is fitted. If it is easy enough, you could remove the radiator from the wall and paper straight down, but if this isn’t possible you will need to paper around the radiator.
- Papering around the radiator is straight forward; measure the strip of paper as though the radiator isn’t there, makes sure you cut the piece slightly longer than you’ve been doing for the other strips, this will just make sure you have enough to cover around the radiator.
- Applying wallpaper around a radiator is a lot easier than you think. Cut the wall paper diagonally into the corners this will help you place it behind the radiator, without having to deal with a straight cut.
- Once cut, paste the wallpaper and stick into place, matching up to the previous strip on the wall.
- Add the additional piece underneath the radiator to finish off that strip of wall.
- Remove any excess paste from the wall before it dries, a dry cloth should help remove this. Smooth the piece of wallpaper over so no air bubble show through.
- And there you go; you have completed wallpapering around a radiator!
Make sure you have all your essential wallpaper tools before start.
