The best Lining papers, compared.
Top pick: Erfurt 1400 single – Top pick on a shared score of 92: 4.6 from 971 reviews and a clear 1400 title, with the missing length kept in view. Best value: None awarded – No best value. The lowest shelf price does not state a length, so it is not a proven price per square metre. Updated October 2026.
Lining paper is a plain paper roll you hang with paste so paint or wallpaper has a smoother base. UK buyers choose it by a grade number. Erfurt lists 800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1700, 2000 and 2500. A higher number is heavier paper for a worse wall. Those maker pages do not give grams per square metre, so this comparison does not turn a grade into gsm. You paste the back, book the length and soak it. Erfurt’s times are 8–10 minutes for 1000 grade, about 10 minutes for 1400, and 10–12 minutes for 2000. Butt the joins, then dry the paper before emulsion or wallpaper. The cheapest listing does not state a roll length, and two 2000-grade reviews dispute the metres or the brand, so there is no proven price per square metre. Match the grade to the wall in the [lining paper grades](/hub/painting-supplies/lining-paper/sub/lining-paper-grades) guide. It is not paste-the-wall lining, and it is not packing paper. A sound new skim is often mist-coated and painted with no lining at all. If the plaster is detached, damp or hollow, fill it or call a plasterer before you buy a heavier grade.
Lining paper is a plain paper roll you hang with paste so paint or wallpaper has a smoother base. UK buyers choose it by a grade number. Erfurt lists 800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1700, 2000 and 2500.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What is the wall like?
The Erfurt 1400 single is a non-pasted roll listed at about £6.36, with 4.6 out of 5 from 971 amazon.co.uk reviews, and it is the top pick in this set on review volume and a clear 1400 title. The first 50 review texts praise thickness and how easy the paper is to hang as a base before paint or wallpaper. The listing does not state a roll length; the 53 cm by 7 cm line is a parcel size, and the colour field says Red, which is not a paper colour. Natalie R. (3 July 2026) says the paper shrank a little and suggests overlapping the joins, which sits against the maker’s instruction to butt them. Leah (13 March 2026) painted straight away and reports no bubble, which is one room, not a reason to skip drying. A June 2026 review title in the same file mentions 1200 grade, so the pool may mix neighbouring grades, and Mrs K. J. Salt (25 September 2026) says only half the order arrived. Erfurt places 1400 on sound older plaster with larger cracks, and paste is not in the pack.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A sound older wall with larger cracks, where you want one 1400 roll and will buy paste separately.
Less suitable: A job that needs a stated metre length on the listing, or a damaged wall that Erfurt points at 2000.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this lining paper pre-pasted?
The listing says non-pasted. Paste is not listed in the pack.
What grade is this roll?
The title says 1400 grade lining paper.
How long is the roll?
The listing does not state a length. The 53 cm by 7 cm line is a parcel size.
The Erfurt MAV listing is titled as a 2000-grade double of 20 m at about £9.25, with 4.6 out of 5 from 686 amazon.co.uk reviews. Several reviews praise the thickness on filled Victorian plaster and chased walls. Lee Faller (13 August 2026, verified) says the paper is thick and good and that the advertised 20 m double was 10 m. Vanda (27 August 2026, verified) says Anaglypta arrived, bubbled, and was less strong than the paper they usually use. Mike (8 February 2023, verified) says another brand arrived at the same grade. The listing prints a thickness of 2000 millimetres, which copies the grade number rather than a measured width, and a bullet names ready-mix adhesive without confirming paste in the box. Those length and brand reviews mean the shelf price of about £9.25 is not a proven price per square metre.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A repaired, cracked wall where you want heavy 2000 paper and will measure the roll before you cut the room.
Less suitable: Anyone treating the 20 m title as confirmed cover, or a sound wall that only needs 1000 or 1400.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a 20 metre roll?
The title, size name and configuration say 20 metres. One review says the roll received was 10 metres.
Is paste included?
A bullet names ready-mix adhesive to use. Included components are not stated, so paste in the box is not confirmed.
What is the 2000 millimetre thickness?
Item thickness and foil thickness both say 2000 millimetres. That copies the grade number. It is not a measured roll width.
The SOPHIE LAURENCE listing is a pack of eight 1400-grade rolls at about £30.10, with 4.6 out of 5 from 416 amazon.co.uk reviews, and the title says 10 m rolls of about 5.32 square metres each. A buyer on 10 July 2026 describes a handy 10 m roll and a white finish, and Brandi (2 June 2026) finds 1400 thicker than expected. Daiva (13 September 2026) says unevenness still showed and plans to take the paper down. Deborah (22 April 2026) says the paint soaked in and took at least three coats. The brand field is SOPHIE LAURENCE, and saved Amazon reviews say the roll was not Erfurt Red Label. The unit count is 6.0 square metres, which does not match eight rolls at about 5.32 square metres, and the item weight is 1 kg for an eight-roll title. Paste is not in the pack; a bullet says paste the paper.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A room that needs several 10 m lengths of 1400, if you check the brand on the roll when it arrives.
Less suitable: A single-roll job, or anyone who needs the brand field and the cover figure to agree before paying about £30.10.
Specifications
Common questions
How many rolls are in this listing?
Number of packs and number of items are both 8. The title names a pack of 8 of 10 m rolls. The unit count is 6.0 square metres, which does not match eight rolls at about 5.32 square metres each.
Do you paste the wall or the paper?
Installation type is non-pasted. A bullet says paste the paper.
Is the paper Erfurt Red Label?
The title says Erfurt Red Label. The brand field says SOPHIE LAURENCE. Saved Amazon reviews say the roll was not Erfurt Red Label.
The title is one Erfurt 2000-grade single at about £7.01, with 4.5 out of 5 from 178 amazon.co.uk reviews, and cover is listed as 56 square feet. Lorraine Fox (24 May 2026) describes a thick 2000 used before paint. Peter (18 October 2024) says this grade is difficult to handle and good at disguising a bad wall. Sharon (28 April 2025) says to paste several lengths and let them soak, and that it hung without tears. Gail (6 June 2023, verified) says the parcel was not Erfurt, felt nearer 1200 beside another Erfurt roll, went too soft at once, and needed a soak nearer five minutes. That review also describes a twin pack, while the title says one single roll. The colour field says Red, and the 56 cm by 8 cm line is a parcel, so the brand and the grade are not confirmed by the 2023 review.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A damaged wall where you want a heavier grade and will check the wrapper for Erfurt and 2000 before you paste.
Less suitable: A buyer who needs the brand and the grade confirmed, or sound plaster that Erfurt covers with 1000.
Specifications
Common questions
What grade is listed?
The title says 2000 grade, one single roll. Reviews say the roll received was not Erfurt and, in one case, not 2000 grade.
How much does one roll cover?
Coverage is listed as 56 square feet. Length in metres is not stated. The 56 cm by 8 cm line is a parcel size.
Is the paper red?
The colour field says Red. The title does not state a paper colour. Pattern is solid and the theme is plain.
The Erfurt RL1000S is the only 1000-grade roll in this set, listed at about £8.37 with 4.3 out of 5 from 164 amazon.co.uk reviews. Eighteen saved review texts are short. Wendy Fontana (29 September 2025) says it covers blemishes. Other buyers used the sheet for craft or to line a cage, which does not describe a hung wall. Coverage is listed only as Medium, and the listing gives no metre length, so there is no price per square metre. At about £8.37 it costs more than the 1400 single at about £6.36 and the 2000 single at about £7.01. Erfurt points 1000 at older plaster in good condition with small defects, and the colour field says 1000 Grade, not a paper colour.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Older plaster already in good condition, where you want the lighter 1000 grade and can accept no metre length on the page.
Less suitable: A cracked wall that Erfurt grades at 1400 or 2000, or a buyer who needs metres before they order.
Specifications
Common questions
What grade is this roll?
1000 grade. The colour field also says 1000 grade, not a paper colour.
Does it include adhesive?
The listing does not say. Paste is not mentioned.
What area does one roll cover?
Coverage is listed only as Medium. No metre length is given.
Five amazon.co.uk listings, with prices saved on 19 October 2026, were scored from the star rating only. The published score is the stars divided by 5, times 100, then rounded: 4.6 becomes 92, 4.5 becomes 90, and 4.3 becomes 86. Review count breaks a tie and is not added again. A disputed length, brand or cover is not subtracted from the score. It stays in the assessment. Price per square metre is not used, because the only lengths you could divide are compromised. This is not a laboratory test. The top pick is the 1400 single with 971 reviews. No best value is awarded.
Amazon stars
70%The score on each card is the amazon.co.uk star rating mapped to 100. A 4.6 is 92. The count is quoted beside the stars and is not added a second time.
Review volume
20%When three listings share 92, the larger amazon.co.uk review count decides the top pick. The count does not change the score number.
Listing conflicts
10%A missing length, a 20 m title a review calls 10 m, a brand field that reviews dispute, or a cover figure that disagrees with the pack stays in the text. It is not subtracted from the score, and it blocks a price per square metre.
Buy the grade for the wall, then read the metres on the label before you trust a shelf price. Five amazon.co.uk listings were read from the pages saved on 19 October 2026. The published score is the star rating only. A disputed length or brand stays in the assessment and blocks a price per square metre. The top pick is named from review volume on a shared score. No best value is named. This is not a laboratory test.
Lining paper is a plain paper roll you hang with paste so paint or wallpaper has a smoother base. It is not paste-the-wall lining, and it is not packing paper. In this set you paste the back, book the length, soak it, hang it and butt the joins. Erfurt wants the joins butted, not overlapped. A sound new skim is often mist-coated and painted with no lining at all. If the plaster is detached, damp or hollow, fill it or call a plasterer before you buy a heavier grade.
Two Erfurt listings print Red in the colour field. The titles do not state a paper colour. On the 1000 roll the colour field says 1000 Grade. Read the wrapper, not that field.
The titled 20 m listing prints a thickness of 2000 millimetres. That copies the grade number. It is not a measured roll width, and a verified review says the roll was 10 m.
Erfurt says butt the joins. One review overlapped them after slight shrinkage. Another painted straight away. Dry the paper first: at least 24 hours before paint is the Homebuilding line, or 48 if the room is cold. Do not mix old and new base paper on one wall.
Grade is the decision that changes which roll you hang. Erfurt’s lines, used here as the maker’s own use notes, put 1000 on older plaster that is already in good condition with small defects, 1400 on sound older plaster with larger cracks, and 2000 on damaged, cracked, holed or blistered plaster once loose material is dealt with. Homebuilding’s bands sit beside that: 800–1000 for a decent wall, 1200–1400 for hairline cracks, and 1700–2000 for significant imperfections.
Metres on the label are the second check, and they are where these listings fail a price-per-square-metre sum. Maker sizes are a rule of thumb: about 10 m by 53 cm for a single of 1000, 1400 or 2000, and about 20 m by 53 cm for a double. The amazon.co.uk dimension lines in this set often describe the parcel. The 1400 single prints 53 cm by 7 cm. The 2000 single prints 56 cm by 8 cm. Neither line is a hung length.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
The plaster is sound and older, with cracks bigger than hairline, and you need one roll. The Erfurt 1400 single at about £6.36 is the top pick: 4.6 from 971 reviews and a clear 1400 title. The listing does not state a length, and paste is not in the pack.
You want a stated 10 m on the title and more than one roll of 1400. The SOPHIE LAURENCE pack of eight is about £30.10, with 4.6 from 416 reviews. Check the brand on the roll. Saved reviews say it was not Erfurt Red Label, and the unit count does not match eight rolls.
Loose material is dealt with and you want heavy 2000 paper. The Erfurt MAV title says a 20 m double at about £9.25, with 4.6 from 686 reviews. Measure the roll before you cut the room. A verified review says 10 m arrived, not 20 m.
The top pick is the Erfurt 1400 single at about £6.36. Three listings share a score of 92. This one has 971 amazon.co.uk reviews and a clear 1400 title. It does not state a roll length, the colour field says Red, and paste is separate. No best value is awarded. The lowest shelf price is that same roll, and a missing length is not a proven price per square metre. The titled 20 m double and the 2000 single each have a verified review that disputes the length or the brand. None of these scores is a laboratory test, and none of the listings is claimed to meet BS EN 234:2019.
Erfurt 1400 single
Top pick on a shared score of 92: 4.6 from 971 reviews and a clear 1400 title, with the missing length kept in view.
None awarded
No best value. The lowest shelf price does not state a length, so it is not a proven price per square metre.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK and maker sources used for grade, soak times and drying. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures saved for this set on 19 October 2026: B00HWV7L4I, B00HWV7H88, B094JKS29M, B01HR2ZXOG and B00HWV7DIM.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines saved on 19 October 2026. We did not run a lab test.
