Wallpaper
We have many customers who want to choose their own paper and have us hang it for them and the guide information below will help you choose the right paper for you and your home.
Wallpaper can come in a huge variety of styles, textures, materials and finishes that will allow you to truly make your space your own. It can also be a daunting thing to know what you are looking at choosing to make sure it is right for your space ... and that's before you even think about choosing a pattern or image on the paper!
Each roll of paper should come with a set of standard code pictograms on it that will give you information about the paper and it's characteristics. This will allow us to know how it should be hung, how durable it will be once hung, how it can be cared for and then how it can be removed once it's time has come to be replaced. You should also have the all important Batch Number on each roll. Ideally you want every roll of paper that is being used in a project to have the exact same Batch Number so that the colours match perfectly. There will be variations between batches of even the same paper.
There are five groups of symbols that we are going to cover here. Washability, Light Fastness, Removability, Pasting and Pattern Matching.
Let's start with the symbols for how Washable the paper could be. This is a guide for how easy it will be to care for the paper once it is up on your wall.
Spongeable: A single wavy line indicates that your wallpaper is Spongeable. This is the lowest washability rating meaning you should use a lightly damp sponge to very gently wipe the surface of the paper. This should be done with no chemicals and just water.
Washable: 2 wavy lines indicates a Washable wallpaper that offers slightly more durability compared to a spongeable paper. It still needs to be treated gently as applying excessive moisture or pressure may mean you rip or tear the paper
Extra washable: 3 wavy lines indicates that the paper is Extra Washable. Because this paper it more resistant to moisture it can be used in kitchens and bathrooms, although it is not waterproof! Hanging it next to a sink or shower is likely to result in damage to the paper.
Scrubbable: A Scrubbable paper is more durable than washable and has a symbol with one wavy line and a scrubbing brush. Can be cleaned with a sponge, cloth or gentle brush using water or mild detergents. Remember it is still paper and too much pressure or too harsh a chemical cleaner will result in damage to the paper. Oil and fat stains will still be hard to remove even if worked on immediately.
Extra scrubbable: 3 wavy lines and the brush symbol mean Extra Scrubbable wallpaper. This paper can withstand the most pressure and use of chemical cleaners but it is still paper and you may find tougher stains such as oils and fats are still hard to remove without damaging the paper.
Light Fastness
Light fastness refers to how well your wallpaper retains its color when exposed to sunlight. Over time, any wallpaper, and even some materials, may fade when directly exposed to sunlight. Light fastness helps determine which wallpaper will maintain its colour longer in areas with higher sun exposure and which are better suited for walls and rooms with less direct sunlight.
The wallpaper symbols indicating light fastness are as follows: moderate, satisfactory, good, and very good. For a wall that receives ample natural sunlight, such as one near a window, it’s advisable to choose a wallpaper with a high light fastness rating.
Wallpaper Removability
When examining a wallpaper label, you may encounter a symbol indicating the removal technique for that wallpaper. Understanding the appropriate strategy for removing your wallpaper in the future can save you significant time and effort in the long term. There are three primary wallpaper removal techniques.
Peelable: This refers to the ability to dry-peel the decorative surface and backing from the wall, leaving a continuous layer of the substrate. This remaining substrate can serve as a liner for applying new wallpaper.
Strippable: Strippable wallpaper allows you to remove the entire wallpaper in one strip while it is dry. When removing the wallpaper, both the front and back layers will come off the wall simultaneously.
Wet removable: This type of wallpaper can only be taken off the wall with a liquid solution like a stripping agent or by soaking it with water. Then, you’ll have to manually scrape off the excess paper.
Paste Instructions – Wallpaper Symbols
With standard wallpaper there are 3 different paste instructions. It’s crucial to pay attention to the paste wallpaper symbols on your paper. Failing to adhere to the specified instructions may result in bubbles, creases, improper adhesion of the wallpaper, expansion of the design on the wall leading to bubbles, and even tearing of the wallpaper.
Paste the paper: This symbol is the most frequently encountered paste instruction. It involves applying paste directly onto the back of the wallpaper. Thus allowing it to soak for the recommended time, and then affixing the pasted strip to the wall.
Paste the wall: This is regarded as the easiest of the 3 options. Simply apply the paste to the wall and attach the strip of wallpaper. Some manufacturers may not include the symbol but will alternatively label the wallpaper as ‘non-woven’ which means the paste the wall.
Ready pasted: Ready pasted or pre pasted is when the wallpaper already has paste applied to the back of it. All you then have to do it place it in water to active the adhesive. For a more in depth blog post on different pastes, please go here to What’s The Difference Between Paste The Paper & Paste The Wall?
Pattern Match
Understanding your wallpaper’s pattern match is crucial when hanging wallpaper. Pattern match simply refers to how the patterns align horizontally between adjacent strips of wallpaper. If you don’t get it right or understand it, you might end up hanging the wallpaper incorrectly, which can be frustrating and a waste of both time and money. There are four main types of pattern match.
Free match: In a free match design, no alignment is necessary, making it the simplest pattern match to hang. You can place adjacent strips however you like, and the pattern will still line up. Free match results in the least amount of wasted paper compared to other available pattern matches.
Straight match: A straight match means that the design aligns horizontally across adjacent strips. The pattern from left to right on one strip will match that of the next one and continue in the same manner.
Offset match: An offset match design requires that every second strip be shifted or dropped by the distance specified in its drop match in order for adjacent strips to align. Essentially, the edge of the wallpaper will only match the edge of the second strip when it is dropped by a specific distance. The most effective technique for hanging offset match wallpaper is to cut and align the strips on a pasting table before pasting and hanging them. Offset match wallpaper typically results in the most waste.
Reverse alternate lengths: Reverse Alternate Lengths, also known as reverse hang. This is a technique commonly used with plain or lightly textured wallpaper. It involves placing adjacent strips in alternating directions, so every other strip is reversed in direction. This method is particularly employed with plain wallpaper to prevent shading.
