Wallpaper

An uncoated wallpaper is a wood fibre sheet that has no detectable surface coating on it. The face of the wallpaper is therefore relatively rough when compared to coated wallpapers. The wallpaper face is calendered (flattened) to give it a degree of smoothness for printing. Uncoated papers are typically rated for their soft aesthetic qualities, as they are not particularly serviceable once hung. They should easily allow surface paste contamination to be wiped off during hanging, however surface glue should not be removed once dry.

These wallpapers are best suited to living rooms, dining rooms or bedrooms where foot traffic and moisture conditions are low. 

A coated wallpaper has the same fibrous backing layer as uncoated wallpaper, but with a very smooth vinyl coating laid on top that will easily accept the majority of print processes.

Coated wallpapers are a good compromise between uncoated and heavy vinyls. They can be used in most environments as the coating gives a reasonable level of protection against moisture. However, it may not be appropriate to use them if the intended area is high in humidity, such as small, poorly ventilated bathrooms or kitchens.

Dirty finger marks and general soiling can be easily cleaned and it’s possible that some of these marks may be removed using a soft damp sponge and a mild soap. Absolutely no abrasives or cleaning detergents should be used. 

Solvent based products such as pens or ink paints will mark this wallpaper as will anything fatty, like cooking oil or peanut butter.

NOTE: As a general rule of thumb, coated wallpapers (light weight vinyl) would be washable.

PVC coated wallpapers, or vinyls as they’re commonly known, consist of a heavy fibrous backing layer with a soft, flexible PVC coating laid on top. The vinyl wallcovering is printed with the design when it is still in a smooth state; it’s not until after it’s been printed that it is ‘embossed’ to create the textured finish. 

Vinyls have significant advantages when it comes to their performance on the wall. Vinyls are generally much heavier than standard papers because they have two layers. Given also that the top layer is PVC it makes the paper particularly easy to handle when hanging.

Vinyls are hard wearing and beautiful to hang, due mainly to the combined weight and strength of the PVC and paper layers. Vinyls have a PVC coating that is resistant to moisture, and when used in conjunction with a light ready mixed adhesive they become particularly suitable for high humidity rooms, such as bathrooms and kitchens. They offer some degree of impact resistance and are therefore better suited than any of the other papers if there are young children in the house.

Heavy vinyls generally have very strong fire ratings and while this makes them relevant for commercial use, hotels, office blocks and hospitals, the opportunity for application in home interiors is huge. Redecorating with vinyl over paper makes the job a lot easier.  The PVC top layer is peelable and will pull off, if not in one complete strip, at least in big pieces. Once this is removed the backing layer can be made wet and easily scraped off.

NOTE: As a general rule of thumb, heavy vinyl wallcoverings would be washable.

Non-woven, often referred to as ‘paste-the-wall’, products do not have paper as the base or web but instead are made of a synthetic blend, making this more dimensionally stable than the paper base products discussed above.

Non-wovens tend to have a comforting soft fabric-like feel to them and have the aesthetic qualities of an uncoated paper.  Their real benefits are in the hanging. Because there’s no expansion when adhesive is applied, there is no need to leave the paper to soak-out like conventional papers. 

So you can paste the wall instead of the back of the paper. This allows it to be hung directly from the roll, making hanging simpler and less messy.

NOTE: Non-Woven Uncoated bases can be layered with a vinyl layer and be printed or embossed, just like the conventional paper based products discussed above.