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Cross lining before wallpaper

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have the decorative wallpaper ready and a tired plaster wall, and the first choice is which way the lining runs. Cross lining before wallpaper means hanging that plain paper horizontally, so its joins cross the wall and the wallpaper's vertical seams miss them. Stacked joins can show as a ridge through a thin pattern. Rolls and prices are on the [lining paper comparison](/hub/painting-supplies/lining-paper). Peter F. used the UK listings captured on 19 October 2026 and public hanging guides. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have the decorative wallpaper ready and a tired plaster wall, and the first choice is which way the lining runs.

Our top picks

Erfurt Erfurt 1400 single

Best overall

Erfurt Erfurt 1400 single
9.2/10about £6.36
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Erfurt MAV Erfurt MAV 2000 double

Rank 2

Erfurt MAV Erfurt MAV 2000 double
9.2/10about £9.25
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SOPHIE LAURENCE SOPHIE LAURENCE 1400 pack

Rank 3

SOPHIE LAURENCE SOPHIE LAURENCE 1400 pack
9.2/10about £30.10
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Why the direction matters
  2. 2.Which grade, and how long to wait
  3. 3.When a vertical hang is still discussed
  4. 4.When to call a decorator

Why the direction matters

If the lining goes up vertically and the wallpaper is a similar width, the joins can sit on each other from the ceiling to the skirting. Graham & Brown describe cross lining as horizontal lining so the wallpaper seams miss the lining joints. Farrow & Ball asks you to cross line horizontally, at about a 1200 to 1400 grade. That is the default here. Dulux Decorator Centre notes that surveyed decorators split evenly, which is a disagreement, not permission to stack the seams. Erfurt's maker width for these singles is about 53 cm. The 1400 listing in this set states no length, so measure the roll. On a wall 2.4 m high, that width hung horizontally puts a join about every half-metre.

Which grade, and how long to wait

Use about a 1200 to 1400 grade. This set has no 1200. The kept single is the Erfurt 1400, B00HWV7L4I, about £6.36 on 19 October 2026, with no length stated and 4.6 from 971 reviews. The eight-roll title, B094JKS29M, about £30.10, also says 1400, but the cover and the brand are disputed, so it is the weaker choice before a costly paper. Butt the joins. An overlap is a ridge the top paper copies. A heavier grade is a different decision, set out on lining paper grades. Farrow & Ball's minimum before decorative paper is 12 hours. Other shop guides say about 24 hours. If the lining is still damp at 12 hours, wait. Homebuilding's 24 or 48 hours is the wait before paint, so keep it off this job.
Erfurt Erfurt 1400 single

Testsieger

Erfurt Erfurt 1400 single
9.2/10about £6.36
View offer

When a vertical hang is still discussed

Graham & Brown allow a vertical lining when its width differs from the wallpaper, so the seams still miss. If the widths are close, that stagger is easy to lose, and horizontal cross lining is the safer default. A few centimetres of difference will not save you if both rolls start from the same edge of a window reveal. Vertical hanging is the usual direction when you will paint. Before you paste the first decorative drop, hold it against the lining. If the edge lands on a lining join, shift the start or change direction.

When to call a decorator

Hang the lining yourself when the plaster is sound and the butt joins lie flat. Call a decorator when the wallpaper is expensive and the cross lining is already wrinkled, overlapped or open. That fault prints through a costly paper. Leave damp plaster to dry. Cross lining does not waterproof a wall. Fill hollow areas or call a plasterer first, and size thirsty new plaster before any lining, as B&Q sets out. A sound new skim is often painted with no lining.

Common questions

Should lining paper go horizontal or vertical under wallpaper?
Hang it horizontally under decorative wallpaper, so the lining joins cross the wall and the wallpaper seams run down. Farrow & Ball states that direction at about a 1200 to 1400 grade. Hang vertically when you will paint, or when Graham & Brown's width exception applies and the seams still miss. If the two rolls are a similar width, horizontal is the safer default.
What grade do you cross line with?
Use about 1200 to 1400. Farrow & Ball quotes that band, and Homebuilding puts it on hairline cracks. This set has no 1200. The Erfurt single B00HWV7L4I is the 1400 you can cross line with here. On 19 October 2026 amazon.co.uk showed about £6.36 and stated no length, so measure the roll. A 2000 is for more damaged plaster, not an automatic upgrade under wallpaper.
How long do you wait before the decorative paper?
Wait at least 12 hours. That minimum is Farrow & Ball's. Other shop guides say about 24 hours, and those are separate published waits, not one laboratory result. If the lining still feels damp at 12 hours, leave it longer. Homebuilding's 24 hours, or 48 if the room is cold, is the wait before paint. Keep that clock off the wallpaper.
Can you hang the lining vertically if it is wider than the wallpaper?
You can, if the widths differ enough that the seams still miss. Graham & Brown's UK FAQ allows vertical lining in that case, whether the lining is wider or narrower than the wallpaper. If the rolls are close in width, hang the lining horizontally. A wallpaper edge that sits on a lining join is the result this page is written to avoid.
Do you overlap the lining under wallpaper?
Butt the joins. Erfurt's method is a butt, and an overlap becomes a ridge the decorative paper follows. An overlap does not strengthen weak plaster. It also fights the point of cross lining, which is a flat base whose seams do not stack under the pattern. The paste and soak for that butt, including about 10 minutes for a 1400, belong on the hang guide.
What if the top paper is expensive and the wall is poor?
Call a decorator if the lining is already wrinkled, overlapped or lifting and the wallpaper is expensive. A poor lining shows through, and stripping the top paper later often damages it. Fill hollow plaster or call a plasterer first. Leave damp plaster to dry. A heavier grade will not repair loose material under the paper.

Related pages

How to hang lining paper

Best lining paper

Lining paper

Lining paper buying guide: grade, metres and paste

Lining paper grades: match each number to the wall

Sources

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.

  1. Erfurt MAV, professional lining paper 1000 grade (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Erfurt MAV, professional lining paper 1400 grade (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Erfurt MAV, professional lining paper 2000 grade (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Homebuilding, lining paper grades (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Farrow & Ball, preparing walls for wallpaper (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Graham & Brown, how to hang wallpaper (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. B&Q, how to hang lining paper (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. BS EN 234:2019, wallcoverings for subsequent decoration (retrieved 19 October 2026)