Summary: Learn how to wallpaper a stairwell, paper the head wall, paper the well wall and wallpaper the landing.
This can be an awkward job and is better done with two people – one on a ladder to hang the paper and another to support the weight of the pasted paper from below. Consult the section on working with ladders for safety advice. An alternative to working from ladders is to hire a staircase platform. If possible use wallpaper that doesn’t require matching a pattern, as long lengths of pasted wallpaper can stretch making matching difficult. The method for hanging the wallpaper is the same as when wallpapering a room; so here we will take a look at the best way of approaching the more difficult task of wallpapering a stairwell.
A safe working platform for the well wall and the head wall.
Re-position the stepladder underneath the head wall at the bottom of the stairs and reposition the scaffold board with one end resting on the tread of a stair while the other rests on a step of the stepladder.
Papering the well wall involves working with longer drops and thus longer lengths of wallpaper. However, the process remains the same. Long lengths of pasted wallpaper folded concertina fashion can be quite heavy, so this is where having a helper is a bonus.
If your staircase has been built to include a landing you will need to rearrange your platform once again to enable you to work comfortably and safely. This could involve the platform being supported over the balustrade.
Rearrange your platform to enable you to work comfortably and safely.
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