Getting older Isleham walls ready for paper
A 19th-century wall can be bowed, patched and soft in places. Before hanging a finish paper we strip the old layers, wash off paste residue and fill, then hang lining paper at right angles to the finish so the joins never sit on top of each other. Our lining paper page goes through the grades we use.
Isleham has 34 listed buildings and a conservation area. If your home is listed, check with East Cambridgeshire District Council before removing historic finishes, and tell us about any old paper you'd like left in place.
Stairwells, feature walls and newer homes
With a third of households in homes of four or more bedrooms, stairwells and long landings come up often. A tall drop means planning the repeat so the pattern lines up from hall to top landing, with proper access rather than a stretch from a stepladder.
In houses built since 2000, about 30% of the village, walls are usually plasterboard. Stripping paper there has to be gentle, because the board's paper face tears if it's soaked too hard. Simon, our wallpaper specialist, handles designer and heritage rolls, checking batch numbers before the first cut. If old paper has to come off first, see wallpaper removal.
Isleham at a glance
- 21 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 30 minutesOSRM routing
- 17%of properties were built before 1919VOA Council Tax stock
- 6%date from 1919 to 1939VOA Council Tax stock
- 1,047householdsCensus 2021
- 34listed buildingsHistoric England
- 79%of homes are owner-occupiedCensus 2021
How we approach wallpapering
We'd survey each wall and tell you whether it needs lining, filling or a skim by our plasterers before any paper goes on. Once the lining has dried, the finish paper is set out from the main focal wall, each length hung to a plumb line, and edges rolled flat. Offcuts and paste are cleared every evening. The full method, products and FAQs are on our wallpapering page.