It’s tempting to see lining paper as an unnecessary extra expense when you’re redecorating. But using lining paper can really improve the final result. Below we look at five ways lining paper can make a difference. 1. Walls look smoother Probably the main reason people buy lining paper is to disguise the effects of imperfections like pits, dents, cracks and bubbles in the wall. Usually standard lining paper for walls is more than enough, but thick lining paper might sometimes be needed to get a completely smooth effect. Using lining paper to smooth out walls is much cheaper than replastering walls. 2. Reduces Staining Wallpaper can become stained when being pasted onto the wall if the added moisture causes colours to blood and staining occurs. It can also happen when the wallpaper is on the wall if substances like mould or soot on the wall leach into the paper. By using lining wallpaper you can lower the risk of your wallpaper becoming stained by creating an extra barrier between wall and wallpaper. 3. Less shrinkage Certain kinds of wallpaper will expend when they are pasted on to the wall due to the moisture and shrink back again when they’re dried. So you might end up with gaps between the wallpaper sheets. 4. To insulate or soundproof a room. Insulating lining paper is designed to trap heat in a room and prevent it escaping through walls. They’re a great new product for anyone who wants to have a more energy efficient home as this means you can use less energy to heat it. If that doesn’t interest you let me put it another way – you can use it to lower your energy bills. A related product is soundproofing lining paper which you can use to lessen noise from outside or from other rooms in the house. 5. Added durability It has been known for wallpaper that is applied to bare, un-plastered or unpainted walls to slide or peel off after drying. It might not happen immediately but over time. This can be prevented by using lining paper due to its ability to hold wallpaper better than a bare wall. As these benefits all show, the additional initial outlay costs of buying lining paper can be far outweighed by the potential costs of future problems caused by not using it. We recommend using a paste the wall lining paper for ease of hanging.