A fireplace can act as a stunning centrepiece when it comes to the decor of any home, drawing the eye and acting as a wonderful focal point in a room.
If you’re lucky enough to have one in your lounge or living area, it means the room will also almost certainly feature a chimney breast. An extremely prominent aspect of any fireplace, when correctly utilised a chimney breast can stylishly complement your interior design efforts and tie a room together.
Wallpapering a chimney breast is one way you can achieve a stunning look for your room, and it’s something even the most amateur DIYer can turn their hand to if they follow the correct steps.
In this blog, we’ll provide you with all the tips you need to expertly wallpaper a chimney breast in a smooth and seamless manner.
What is the purpose of a chimney breast?
Before we go into the specifics of how to wallpaper a chimney breast, let’s take a look at what they’re actually for.
As mentioned above, chimney breasts are commonplace in properties that have a fireplace installed, meaning they’re usually in older buildings.
The main purpose of the chimney breast is to provide an extraction or ventilation route for smoke, gases and dangerous substances caused by combustion, like carbon monoxide. These substances are often harmful to people, and the last thing you want is for you and your family to be breathing them in, so a chimney breast helps them escape your home and into the atmosphere.
In addition to the purpose of extraction, chimney breasts can also offer structural support to the weight of the chimney stack that sits above it. They help to evenly distribute weight and keep the chimney safe and stable.
What you need to wallpaper a chimney breast
Before you begin wallpapering your chimney breast, it’s important you have all of the tools and equipment you need to do the job. Most households will have the majority of this stuff already, but if not, everything is easy to get your hands on online or in your local DIY store.
You’ll need:
- A dustsheet
- A plumbline (with chalk)
- A stepladder
- A retractable tape measure
- Wallpaper scissors
- A pasting table
- Chimney breast wallpaper
- Wallpaper paste
- A pasting brush
- A paper-hanging brush
- A stanley knife
- A cloth
How to wallpaper a chimney breast
Once you’ve gathered all your equipment, you’re ready to begin the process of wallpapering your chimney breast. This is a DIY task that can be undertaken by most people no matter their ability or experience. By following the steps below you’ll give yourself the best chance of achieving positive results without having to pay for professional decorators to do the job.
Clear the room and prepare the wall
Before you begin, make sure the room is clear of any obstacles and you have plenty of room to use the stepladder. Cover your floor and any furniture with dustsheets to ensure they’re protected.
You want to ensure that the wall is smooth and free of any cracks before you apply the wallpaper. If you notice any chips, dents or cracks, fill them with an interior filler such as Polyfilla. You can get this online or from your local hardware store. Also, go over any lumps and bumps with sandpaper to ensure the wall is as smooth as possible.
Measure
Next, it’s time to do some measurements. Measure the width of your chimney breast and then half the width of your wallpaper, using the chalked plumbline to mark a vertical line this distance from the centre. Then, you need to measure from the ceiling to the mantel shelf and the ceiling to the floor. This measurement will dictate how much paper you need. Add an extra 10cm to the measurement to make sure you don’t cut it too short and to allow for trimming.
Choose your hanging method
Once your measuring is complete, it’s time to begin applying the wallpaper. But first, you need to select your hanging method. There are two techniques to choose from and which one is best for you depends on the type of paper you’re using.
Method one- centralising the first wallpaper length
The first method, centralising the first wallpaper length, is most suitable for wallpaper with a large pattern or motif where it is important where the pattern is located on the chimney breast.
This method is as follows:
- Make sure the first wallpaper length is centralised on the central vertical guideline of the chimney breast.
- Once the first length is in the centre of the breast, apply your paste and paper to the right of it around the external corner and into the internal corner.
- Then do the left side, again papering around the external corner and into the internal corner.
- Continue papering adjacently until the chimney breast is covered.
Method two- centralising the design
Contrastly, if you have selected a wallpaper with a smaller pattern or the design isn’t as important, you may choose method two which focuses on centralising the design across two pieces of wallpaper.
- Apply your wallpaper paste and hang the first piece of paper to the left of the central mark you’ve made with your plumbline.
- Hang your second piece to the right of the plumbline.
- Continue hanging pieces around the external corners until the chimney breast is covered.
Score and trim the excess
If you need to trim any excess wallpaper, use the back of a pair of scissors to mark where you need to trim from at the top and bottom of the paper. Then, ease the paper away, trim and ease the remaining paper back into position.
Paper sides of the chimney breast
For a nice even finish, paper the sides of the chimney breast. Do this by starting at the edge of the front corner and taking the paper back into the recess of the wall. You can remove any excess paper from the sides by following the same trimming technique as the step above.
How to remove chimney breast wallpaper
Sometimes, you may be replacing old wallpaper on your chimney breast in order to give the room a facelift or a fresh new aesthetic. No matter the motive behind adding new wallpaper to a chimney breast, if there is existing paper in place it’ll need to be removed before the work can begin.
Removing wallpaper is extremley straightforward and there are two ways to do this.
You can either do it by hand, by soaking the old paper in water and then using a manual scraper, or if you don’t want to use as much elbow grease- use an electric wallpaper steamer. These steamers work by heating water to high temperatures in a tank that is connected to a handheld plate. You then wipe this paint over the existing paper which will release very hot steam that causes the wallpaper’s adhesive to melt, making it easy to remove by hand or using a scraper.
In conclusion
By following the tips outlined above, you can be sure that you’ll be left with a beautifully wallpapered chimney breast that enhances the aesthetics of the entire room. Be sure to check out some of our other home decor blogs for more great tips on wallpapering and other decorating techniques.