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Radiators

The best way to wallpaper behind a central heating radiator is to remove it from the wall completely but, if this is not possible, switch off the radiator and let it cool down. Measure and hang a full drop of paper, but brush down the top half of the paper on the wall only, allowing the bottom end to fall loosely. Next, carefully pull the lower part of the paper away from the wall and trim it to fit behind the radiator.

Make two creases or marks in the paper indicating the location of the radiator wall brackets. Cut upwards through the paper to these marks. Lower the pasted paper behind the radiator so that it passes on either side of the bracket. To smooth the wallpaper into place, use a long stick with a well padded end - several old clean 'T'-shirts tied to the end work well - or a clean, dry crevice or radiator roller with an angled handle.

If you can't manage to get behind the radiator, you will have to trim off the drop - leave about 150-225mm (6-9in) extra length that you can tuck behind the accessible top part of the radiator. At the bottom, where the wall is visible, 'patch' with paper that matches the pattern at the base of complete drops on the walls to the sides of the radiators.

Working Around Radiators

If you can't remove your radiator from the wall, trim the wallpaper so that you can tuck a length behind it.