Wallpaper Paste, Glue & Adhesive: Which One to Use and How
The Simple Truth About Wallpaper Paste
Choosing a wallpaper adhesive sounds more complicated than it is. Walk into a DIY shop and you'll see paste, glue, ready-mixed tubs, powder sachets and specialist seam adhesives, and it's easy to feel unsure which one you actually need. The good news: with the right kind of paper, it's genuinely straightforward. This guide explains what wallpaper paste is, which type to buy, and how to use it for a strong, lasting finish.
At Claret & Key, every design is printed on a non-woven, paste-the-wall base and made especially for you in our Cheshire studio, so the adhesive you need is simple and easy to find.
What wallpaper paste actually is
Wallpaper paste, glue and adhesive are all names for the same thing: the bonding agent that holds paper to the wall. It comes in two forms. Ready-mixed paste arrives in a tub, ready to use straight from the pot. Powder paste comes as flakes or granules that you mix with water yourself. We recommend a ready-mixed, pre-mixed paste — it saves the mixing, gives a consistent result every time, and is the simplest option for a lovely finish.
Which paste to use with our wallpaper
Because our paper is non-woven and hung paste-the-wall, you want a paste-the-wall adhesive — sometimes labelled for non-woven wallpaper. That's all you need. There's no requirement for a heavy-duty glue, a specialist seam adhesive or a fungicidal paste for a normal interior wall. A good-quality, ready-mixed non-woven paste, applied evenly, gives a firm, durable hold, which is why it's the one we recommend. This is for our Traditional and Heavy-Grade papers, both of which are hung with paste; our Removable peel and stick finish is self-adhesive and needs no paste at all.
How much you'll need
A single tub or box of paste covers a generous area — always check the coverage on the pack against the size of your room. As a rule, one standard tub is plenty for a feature wall, with more for a whole room. It's worth having a little spare so you're not caught short mid-drop.
How to apply it
Paste the wall, not the paper. Using a roller, apply an even coat of adhesive to the wall, covering an area slightly wider than your first drop. Keep the coat consistent — not too thin, not pooling — and take it right into the edges and corners. Then hang the paper dry, straight onto the wet paste, and smooth it into place. Wipe any adhesive off the paper's surface or the skirting straight away with a damp cloth, before it dries.
A cleaner, easier method
The beauty of paste-the-wall is how clean and forgiving it is. There's no pasting table piled with sticky paper, no soaking time, and no folding drops while you wait. Because the paper goes up dry, it won't stretch, shrink or bubble as it dries the way older paste-the-paper types can, which makes for a smoother finish and a much easier afternoon.
Order a sample first and you can try the whole process on a small piece before you commit to the room.