How to Hang Pictures, Shelves and a TV on a Wallpapered Wall
The small cross that makes a fixing reversible, how to drill without tearing the paper, and why the best time to plan a fixing is before the wall is papered
Cut a small cross in the paper where the fixing will go, fold the four flaps back, and drill through the opening. The flaps can be smoothed down again if the fixing is ever removed, so the hole closes almost invisibly. Never drill straight through wallpaper, because the bit catches the paper and tears a spiral around the hole.
Wait until it is dry
48 hours after hanging, minimum. Drilling into a wall while the paste is still wet pulls the damp paper away from the wall around the hole, and it never quite sits back down.
The cross-cut method
- Mark your position lightly in pencil.
- Cut a small cross over the mark with a fresh blade, two cuts about 10mm long, no more.
- Fold the four triangular flaps back and hold them clear with a small piece of low-tack tape.
- Drill through the opening into the bare wall.
- Vacuum the dust as you drill, or have someone hold the nozzle beneath the hole. Masonry dust on a matte paper is not easy to remove afterwards.
- Fit the plug and the fixing.
- Release the flaps so they sit around the fixing.
If the fixing comes out one day, dab a little adhesive under each flap, smooth them back down and roll gently. Cut the cross well and the repair is nearly impossible to find.
Use the pattern
Where you have a choice of a few centimetres, put the fixing where the design is busiest. A cross cut through a dense floral disappears; the same cut in a plain area does not. It costs nothing to shift a picture hook 3cm.
Picture hooks and light fixings
A traditional pin-type picture hook can go straight into a papered wall without any cutting, provided the pins are sharp and you tap them gently. They make small holes rather than tears.
Adhesive strips and hooks are a different matter: they bond to the paper, and taking one off can take the printed surface with it. On peel and stick they can lift the paper off the wall entirely. Where you need something adhesive, test it low down behind furniture first.
Shelves and heavier fixings
The paper carries nothing at all. The wall does. So the usual rules apply, and the paper only changes how you get through it.
- Find what is behind: joists and studs in a stud wall, or masonry.
- Check for cables and pipes with a detector before drilling, particularly above and beside sockets and switches.
- Cross-cut each fixing point, drill, and use the correct plugs for the substrate.
- Take the weight on the wall, never on the plasterboard face alone for anything heavy.
Mounting a television
A TV bracket needs solid fixings, so the wall matters far more than the paper does. Locate the studs or masonry first, mark the bracket positions, cross-cut each one, then drill.
Worth doing before you paper, if the room is being decorated: fix the bracket, take it off, and paper the wall with the fixings' positions marked in pencil on the plaster. You then refit into holes that already exist and the paper is barely touched. The same trick works for curtain poles and shelf brackets.
Plan fixings before you paper
- Take down everything on the wall before you start, and photograph it first so you know where things were.
- Mark existing fixing positions in pencil directly on the wall.
- Measure each one from the corner and the ceiling, and write the measurements down, because pencil marks disappear under paper.
- Fill any holes you will not reuse.
Can you drill through wallpaper?
Yes, but cut a small cross first and fold the flaps back. Drilling straight through tears the paper around the hole.
How do I hang a picture without damaging wallpaper?
A sharp pin-type picture hook tapped gently makes a small hole rather than a tear. For anything heavier, use the cross-cut method.
Can I use adhesive strips on wallpaper?
Cautiously. They can take the printed surface off when removed, and on peel and stick they can lift the paper. Test somewhere hidden.
How long after wallpapering can I drill?
48 hours.
Can I fix a TV bracket to a wallpapered wall?
Yes, the fixings go into the wall behind. Locate studs or masonry, check for cables, and cross-cut each fixing point.
What if I take a shelf down later?
Smooth the cut flaps back with a little adhesive and roll gently. Cut neatly in the first place and it will barely show.
