Start with sound, dry, clean and smooth surfaces. Fill and sand defects and remove loose coverings or flaking finishes before installation begins.
Video Guide · Lewis & Wood
How to Hang Wide-Width Wallpaper – Video Guide
In this Lewis & Wood demonstration, you can see how a wide-width wallcovering is prepared and installed, including cross-lining, planning the drops, pasting the wall and creating a neat double-cut seam.
Wide-width wallcoverings are broader than a conventional wallpaper roll, so they cover more wall with fewer drops. The exact width, backing, adhesive and seam method varies by product, so use the manufacturer’s hanging instructions for the wallcovering you have chosen.
Video copyright: Lewis & Wood.
What Is Wide-Width Wallpaper?
The source describes wide-width designs as products wider than a standard 52 cm wallpaper roll, with examples ranging from around 68–70 cm to 90–100 cm and 130 cm or more.
Fewer drops
A wider format can mean fewer seams across the finished wall.
Different ordering formats
Some luxury wide-width wallcoverings are sold by the metre rather than by a conventional roll.
Specialist installation
The product may require cross-lining, overlap-and-double-cut seams or other manufacturer-specific techniques.
Do not assume every wide-width wallcovering uses the Lewis & Wood method. The video demonstrates one installation system. Cross-lining requirements, adhesive type, overlap width and seam construction should come from the instructions supplied with the exact product.
Key Steps from the Lewis & Wood Video
The Lewis & Wood source specifies cross-lining with at least 1000-grade lining paper hung horizontally. Treat this as part of the demonstrated product system rather than a universal rule for every wide-width wallpaper.
Plan where the first drop should fall and establish a true vertical guide with a level, plumb line or laser. The source also cautions against heavy pencil marks that could show through pale backgrounds.
Check the wall height in several places and prepare the first length with enough surplus for accurate trimming where ceilings or floors are not perfectly level.
Prepare subsequent lengths in hanging order and mark them on the reverse so pattern continuity is easier to maintain, particularly with larger-scale designs.
The source demonstrates pasting the wall, paying particular attention to edges, ceiling and skirting so the wallcovering has consistent adhesive contact.
Offer the top of the wallcovering to the pasted wall, keep the remaining length controlled away from the surface, align the edge and smooth downwards and outwards.
In the Lewis & Wood demonstration, the next drop overlaps the first by approximately 20 mm while the pattern is aligned. This dimension belongs to the demonstrated method and should not be assumed for another product.
Using a very sharp blade and suitable straightedge, the demonstration cuts through both layers within the overlap, then removes the two narrow waste strips.
The two newly cut edges are brought together to form a clean butt joint, then the process is repeated while pattern alignment is checked across the wall.
Why Wide-Width Wallpaper Is Different
Installation
Wider drops can reduce the number of seams, but they are physically larger to handle and may use specialist seam or lining techniques.
Measuring & ordering
Wide-width wallcoverings may be sold by the roll, metre or another format, so quantity calculations should be based on the actual width, pattern repeat, wall height and selling unit.
For the quantity side of the project, use our separate How to Measure for Wide-Width Wallpaper guide rather than applying standard 52 cm roll calculations.
Professional installation is strongly worth considering. The source recommends an experienced decorator or paperhanger for wide-width wallcoverings, particularly where cross-lining and double-cut seams are required.
Related Wallpaper Guides
Check the width, selling unit and seam method before ordering
Wide-width wallcoverings can behave very differently from conventional rolls, so confirm the product specification before calculating quantities or planning installation.
