We hang wallpaper and lining paper in Collingtree, the NN4 village on Northampton's southern edge, 3 miles from the centre. In the old High Street cottages that usually means lining uneven lime-plastered walls first, while Collingtree Park houses need careful set-out on large feature walls and tall stairwell drops.
Lining paper first: the case for it in Collingtree’s stone cottages
Collingtree’s old village runs along a single High Street conservation area, and its oldest houses go back to the 17th century. Walls built from coursed limestone and ironstone rubble and plastered in lime are never flat and seldom plumb. Hang a patterned paper straight onto one and every bow and hollow shows through as a shadow, or as a pattern that seems to wander across the room.
That is why most cottage rooms here start with lining paper hung horizontally, so its joints never line up with the joints of the finished paper. Cross-lining evens out minor dips, gives the decorative paper a uniform surface to grip, and takes up some of the small seasonal movement of old walls. On soft lime plaster we size the wall first and use a paste suited to the paper, so stripping it in years to come won’t pull the plaster away with it.
Where an old wall is damp, paper is not the answer until the cause is dealt with. Solid stone has to dry out through its face, and a vinyl paper over a damp wall traps the moisture and lifts at the seams. We will tell you if a wall isn’t ready rather than paper over the problem.
Choosing a pattern for rooms with no true lines
Low ceilings, sloping attic walls under dormers and corners that are out of plumb are all normal in the older houses. A few practical points help:
- Small, loose or random-match patterns hide uneven ceilings far better than stripes or tight geometrics, which make every slope obvious.
- We set the first drop from a plumb line rather than the corner, and plan where the pattern ends so the unavoidable mismatch falls in the least visible spot, often behind the door.
- Traditional printed or embossed papers sit comfortably in a 17th or 18th-century room. Heavy vinyls can look out of place and let old walls breathe less.
Some High Street houses are listed, among them Holmwood, the Rectory and 44 High Street. Papering over plain plaster is reversible, but removing old panelling or historic finishes to make room for it should be cleared with West Northamptonshire Council first.
Big walls and long drops at Collingtree Park
The modern houses beside the golf course present the opposite problem: walls that are flat and true, but large. A feature wall in an open-plan living space can be very wide, and in a tall hall a single drop can run well past what a standard room needs. That changes both the order and the plan.
| Situation | What it means for the job |
|---|---|
| Wide feature wall in a living area | All rolls from one batch number, and a set-out that centres the pattern on the wall or chimney breast |
| Stairwell drop over two floors | An access tower on the stairs, extra paper for the pattern repeat, and each drop measured at its tallest point |
| Fresh plaster in a loft room or extension | Plaster left to dry fully, then sized or lined before any paper goes on |
Strong side light from a big window, raking across a wide wall, which picks out any butt joint that isn’t tight. We roll seams lightly and wipe paste off the face straight away so nothing catches the light later.
Arranging the work
Wallpaper is less forgiving of interruptions than paint, so a room is normally finished in one continuous session. On the dead-end High Street, with its continuous stone garden walls, we agree van parking ahead so the pasting table and rolls can come in without blocking the road. For the rest of the process, from stripping to the last trim, see our wallpaper hanging service, or go back to the Collingtree area page. The cost guide covers what goes into a wallpapering quote.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
