Wallpaper Paste, Glue & Adhesive: Which One to Use and How
Which adhesive our papers need, how much of it to buy, how to apply it properly, and the three products people reach for that will cost them the wall
For Claret & Key wallpaper, use a ready-mixed paste-the-wall adhesive. Nothing else is needed. Our traditional and heavy-grade papers are non-woven and hung paste-the-wall, so the adhesive goes onto the wall rather than the paper, and our removable peel and stick paper needs no adhesive at all.
That is the whole answer. What follows is why, how much to buy, how to put it on, and what to avoid.
What wallpaper paste actually does
Paste is not glue in the way most people picture it. It is a starch or cellulose-based adhesive suspended in water, and it works by soaking slightly into both surfaces and then drying. As the water leaves, the paste holds the paper to the wall.
Two things follow from that, and they explain most paste problems.
It needs something absorbent to work into. On a sealed, glossy or greasy surface it has nothing to key to, which is why silk paint needs sanding and bare plaster needs a mist coat.
It needs time to dry properly. Force the drying and the water leaves before the bond has formed. That is what opens seams.
Ready-mixed paste-the-wall adhesive
This is what we recommend, and it is sometimes labelled for non-woven wallpaper. It comes in a tub ready to use, so there is no mixing, no lumps and no waiting, and it is consistent from the first length to the last. For a single feature wall or a whole room, it is the simplest thing you can buy.
Powder paste
Mixed with water in a bucket and left to stand before use. It is cheaper by volume and it is what many decorators use, but it has to be mixed to the right strength, and too thin is the commonest cause of paper that will not stick. If you use it, buy one specified for paste-the-wall or non-woven papers and follow the ratio on the box exactly.
Fungicidal paste
Ready-mixed pastes intended for kitchens and bathrooms usually contain a fungicide. Worth choosing for a bathroom, a kitchen or any room that gets humid.
Overlap or repair adhesive
A stronger adhesive in a small tube, for sticking down a lifted seam or edge later on. Useful to have in a drawer, but not something you hang a wall with.
What not to use
- Neat PVA. It is not a wallpaper adhesive and it is not a good sealer under wallpaper. It dries to a glossy, non-porous film that paste struggles to bond to, and it can soften again when it meets wet paste. It causes more lifting than it prevents.
- Spray adhesive. For crafts, not walls.
- Any paste at all on our removable paper. The adhesive is already on the back, and adding paste stops it working.
- Old paste from a previous job. Mixed powder paste does not keep. A part-used tub of ready-mixed will, if it has been sealed properly and has not been left to freeze, but check it is smooth and has not separated before you trust a wall to it.
Which of our papers needs what
- Traditional, 150gsm. Ready-mixed paste-the-wall adhesive, applied to the wall.
- Heavy-grade, 300gsm. The same adhesive, and more of it. A heavier paper takes longer to hang, so the wall has to stay wet while you work.
- Removable, 180gsm. None.
How much you'll need
Buy by the coverage figure on the tub, which is usually given in rolls. Two things push the figure up: heavy-grade paper, which drinks more, and a porous or newly sealed wall, which drinks more again.
Buy more than you think you need. Running out halfway up a wall means the pasted section dries before you can hang into it, and a part-used tub keeps for the next job. We supply wallpaper only, so the adhesive comes from your local decorating merchant, and any good one will know what a paste-the-wall non-woven paper needs.
How to apply it
- Stir a ready-mixed paste before you start, and again if it has stood for a while.
- Cut in the edges with a brush, into the corner, up to the ceiling line and down over the skirting.
- Fill the middle with a short-pile roller, evenly, without puddles.
- Cover an area about 60cm wide for a 48cm length, so the paste extends past where the seam will fall.
- Paste one length's width at a time. Do not paste ahead, because the wall skins over while you are hanging, and the last section you reach is the one that lifts.
A dry strip at the very edge of a length is the single most common cause of a seam lifting a fortnight later. Take the paste wider than you need it.
If you are using powder paste
- Measure the water into a clean bucket first, then add the powder while stirring. Powder into water, never the other way round.
- Follow the ratio on the box for the paper weight you are hanging.
- Stir until smooth and leave it to stand for the time stated, usually a few minutes.
- Stir again before use.
- Mix a fresh batch rather than watering down what is left. Thin paste is weak paste.
Getting it off the paper
If paste gets onto the face of the paper, take it off straight away with a clean, slightly damp white cloth and a light touch. Never scrub, never use a coloured cloth, and never a soaking wet sponge. This is paper and ink, and paste left to dry on a super-matte surface leaves a mark you will see in daylight.
Keep a clean cloth in your pocket and check your hands and tools between lengths. Paste on a smoothing brush transfers to the next length.
Why paper lifts, and when it is the paste
Paste is blamed for a great deal that is not its fault. Look at the back of a length that has come away. If the paste is on the paper, the wall never bonded, because of dust, an unkeyed sheen paint, old adhesive residue or bare porous plaster. If the paste is on the wall, the paper let go, which points to heat, damp, or paste that was mixed too thin.
What paste do I use for paste-the-wall wallpaper?
A ready-mixed paste-the-wall adhesive, sometimes sold as non-woven wallpaper adhesive. It is the only type our pasted papers need.
Do I paste the wall or the paper?
The wall. Our traditional and heavy-grade papers are non-woven and hung dry onto a pasted wall.
Is ready-mixed paste better than powder?
Not better, but simpler and more consistent. Powder is cheaper and works perfectly well when it is mixed to the right strength, which is where it usually goes wrong.
Can I use ordinary PVA glue?
No. PVA is not a wallpaper adhesive, and as a sealer under wallpaper it does more harm than good.
Do I need special paste for a bathroom or kitchen?
Choose a ready-mixed paste containing a fungicide for humid rooms.
How long does wallpaper paste take to dry?
Twenty-four to forty-eight hours in ordinary room conditions. Keep the windows shut and the heating at its normal setting.
Do I need paste for peel and stick wallpaper?
No. The adhesive is already on the back of the paper.
Can I keep leftover paste?
A sealed tub of ready-mixed usually keeps. Mixed powder paste does not, so make a fresh batch next time.
