Vinyl Wallpapers on Paper Base - Affordable Way to Refresh Your Home

Types of Vinyl Wallpapers

Therefore, the following main types of vinyl wallpapers are distinguished:

• hot-pressed wallpapers;
• relief wallpapers.

Hot-pressed wallpapers include silk screening, well-known to many, which has an attractive shine and smooth texture. Although this type of wallpaper is recommended to be applied to perfectly flat walls, it still enjoys considerable demand among the population: yes, the work for wall finishing is more extensive, but the result is much more pleasant.

Photo 1 — Hot-Pressed Wallpapers (Silk Screening)

Besides, compact vinyl and heavy vinyl wallpapers are also produced using the hot-pressing technology. However, these types of wallpapers have a smoothing property, as they often imitate heavy materials (stone, textile, plaster). Behind such texture, wall defects become less noticeable.

As for relief vinyl wallpapers, these also serve to smooth minor surface irregularities and additionally possess a rather unconventional design that can appeal to many buyers.

Photo 2 — Hot-Pressed Wallpapers (Brick Effect)

To ensure that efforts and resources are not wasted in vain, it is important to know how necessary the ability to wash and repaint the surface of future wallpapers is. That is, before purchasing, you need to answer such questions: can these wallpapers be washed and can they be painted?

Vinyl wallpapers on paper base are suitable for washing, so their care is not particularly complicated. If you plan to frequently repaint the walls, a good option is relief wallpapers suitable for repainting (also vinyl).

Photo 3 — Relief Wallpapers Suitable for Painting

Lately, we often ask ourselves about the ecological safety of housing and harm caused to us at home (including wallpapers). Are vinyl wallpapers harmful? Vinyl wallpapers do not breathe. Yes, however, the latest collections of vinyl wallpapers contain models with micro-pores that correct this drawback.

The harm, as such, from the density of vinyl wallpapers is more related to the microclimate in the room than to human health: such a space needs more frequent ventilation and that is all.

It should be noted that vinyl wallpapers have reduced moisture and vapor permeability. That is why it is not recommended to apply this type of wallpaper in poorly ventilated and humid rooms.

CONCLUSION: What is listed above relates more to the drawbacks of vinyl wallpapers than to their harm to human health.

How to Apply Vinyl Wallpapers on Paper Base

Let's start with the process of applying vinyl wallpapers on paper base: how to properly wallpaper a room?

First, you need to understand the main stages of wall covering:

• wall preparation;
• preparing the wallpapers;
• applying adhesive;
• hanging the wallpapers.

The first, preparatory stage — work with the wall surface. It must be thoroughly cleaned (including old wallpapers), leveled, all gaps filled with spackle, and the surface treated with a special anti-fungal agent if possible. Then wait for the surface to dry completely. It is important to monitor temperature and humidity fluctuations in the room, so while working on the wallpapering and preparation process, ensure there are no drafts, open windows, or functioning air conditioners.

The second, also preparatory, stage — work with the wallpaper rolls. First, check all rolls for consistency in batch numbers, as color tones can differ between batches. Then proceed to cutting the wallpapers.

IMPORTANT! It is recommended to leave vertical allowances (around 10 cm) and, in addition, if your wallpapers have a pattern, calculate the repeat of the pattern before cutting and cut the wallpapers into necessary strips according to it.

Equally important is the third stage — applying adhesive. The question always arises: “What adhesive to use?” This depends on the base of your wallpapers (paper or flocked material).

For vinyl wallpapers on paper base, adhesives with enhanced adhesive properties are suitable. For example:

• “Quelid”
• “Kleo” (France)
• “Metylan” (Germany)
• “FINTEX” (Finland)
• “SAMTEX” (Sweden)
• “KMC-N”
• “Moment”
• “Express Universal”
• “Express Vinyl” (Russia)

Naturally, domestic manufacturers set lower prices for their products. For example, the “Moment Vinyl” adhesive (250g) costs about $2.2 per pack, and “Metylan Vinyl Premium” 300g costs $3-3.5.

The wider the wallpaper range, the richer the choice of adhesive. Tackling this issue will help you understand where and how you can save money and whether it makes sense to do so.

IMPORTANT! When choosing adhesive, you must always verify that the selected adhesive matches the chosen type of wallpaper.

Keep in mind that when hanging vinyl wallpapers on paper base, the adhesive must be applied to the surface of the wallpaper and given time for it to soak in (approximately 5-10 minutes), allowing paper fibers to swell. Also, ensure that the swelling time is the same for all wallpaper pieces and that the layer of adhesive is not too thick, as excess adhesive will seep out during application and may end up on the front side of the wallpaper, which is undesirable.

Photo 4 — How Wallpapers 'Rest'

While the adhesive is drying and soaking in, you have time to remove all sockets and switches by switching off the room’s power. Wallpapers should be applied over these openings, and then make cuts in the wallpaper and reinstall everything in place.

The final stage is the actual hanging of the wallpapers. It is recommended to begin with a corner of the room. First, using a weight (laser level or plumb line), mark a straight vertical line to guide you in the future. Then one person, standing on a ladder, places the wallpaper against the wall near the ceiling, while another aligns the edge of the wallpaper according to the marked line.

Allowances at the ceiling and floor must be carefully cut with a sharp knife under a narrow spatula (a wide spatula can only be used in rooms with perfectly flat walls) or ruler.

Pay attention that vinyl wallpapers on paper base are joined at the seams, so when pressing and smoothing the wallpaper on the wall, do not stretch it outward, otherwise, as they dry, gaps may appear in the bare wall — the wallpaper strip will simply settle wider than its width.

How to Apply Vinyl Wallpapers on Paper Base. VIDEO:

Cost of Work:

• Kyiv – from 25-70 UAH/m²;
• Moscow – from 150-200 RUB/m².