Wallpaper types
Harmony Decorating are experts in the hanging / installation of all types of wallpaper and wallcoverings.
We are often asked what the main differences are between the commonly known wallpaper types so we decided to write this blog post as a simple guide to the main types.
Lining Paper
This isn’t a finishing wallpaper as it does not give a decorative finish, lining paper is applied to bare walls or ceilings in preparation for painting, or papering with decorative finish wallpaper. The purpose of lining paper generally used to:
- To cover minor imperfections on a surface before painting it.
or - Hide a strong colour previously applied to walls or ceilings before a lighter colour wallpaper or paint is to be applied.
When the lining paper is to be covered by wallpaper, the general rule is to hang the lining paper in the opposite direction to the top paper.
Woodchip
Woodchip was used extensively in the 1970’s it is a relatively inexpensive wallpaper consisting of small chips of wood (hence the name) bonded to the rear of the paper base. A number of grades of Woodchip paper are available; these range from fine chips of wood to quite course pieces. Woodchip is ideal for hiding small defects in walls/ceiling and is usually finished by applying paint after the paper has fully dried. The finish depends upon the choice of paint used, an inexpensive facelift can subsequently be achieved by repainting.
Pulp
This probably the cheapest type of patterned wallpaper available, it is just a pattern printed onto a basic paper. Pulps are easy to hang (and strip off) although care needs to be taken when hanging them to avoid over stretching them – over stretching any wallpaper will make matching the pattern on adjacent strips difficult, and pulps will stretch very easily.
Washable
These must not to be confused with Vinyl wallpapers described below. Washable wallpapers have a thin plastic transparent coating covering the pattern printed on to the base pulp paper. This coating gives them more resistant to stains and marks and allows them to be regularly wiped down with a damp cloth.
Vinyl-coated
Usually these consist of a pattern printed on to a thin skin of vinyl (plastic) with a paper backing behind. Vinyl papers are easy to hang and fairly easy to strip. They are quite tough and washable making them ideal for use in kitchens and bathrooms.
Vinyl
These are tougher than vinyl-coated wallpapers (described above) as the vinyl
