Which lining paper grade do you need for your next wallpapering project? Get expert insight to make the right choice

Women holding up plain wallpaper against a white wall
(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you want to hide hairline cracks and visible imperfections, choosing the right lining paper grade can have a big impact on the finished product. It provides a stable and smooth surface ready for wallpaper or paint.

If you know how to wallpaper, you’ll know how to hang lining paper, so the only decision you’ll need to make is choosing the right grade. Typically, the bigger the problem, the heavier grade you should use.

Go for a lighter grade, like 1000, if your walls are in good condition. If not, think about the other end of the scale. Here we run you through what each grade is good for and how to prepare for the first drop.

Stuart Murray Owner Retro Vintage
Stuart Murray

Stuart Murray has a deep knowledge of design trends, craftsmanship, and material authenticity, vital for understanding lining paper grades in wallpapering.

Steve Jenkins is a freelance content creator with over two decades of experience working in digital and print and was previously the DIY content editor for Homebuilding & Renovating. 

He is a keen DIYer with over 20 years of experience in transforming and renovating the many homes he has lived in. He specialises in painting and decorating, but has a wide range of skills gleaned from working in the building trade for around 10 years and spending time at night school learning how to plaster and plumb.

He has fitted kitchens, tiled bathrooms and kitchens, laid many floors, built partition walls, plastered walls, plumbed in bathrooms, worked on loft conversions and much more. And when he's not sure how to tackle a DIY project he has a wide network of friends – including plumbers, gas engineers, tilers, carpenters, painters and decorators, electricians and builders – in the trade to call upon.