﻿Together for life. Always a husband, always a wife.
This sweet and cute wallpaper is in my 1970s kitchen. I’m still debating whether to take it
down because it’s in great condition and it had a lot of sentimental value to the previous owners.
The bathrooms have a gaudier blue wallpaper that I’m definitely going to take down.
I had pink floral wallpaper in my apartment in Dubai when I was young, and never thought it would
come back in style, but here we are. Trends seem to resurface every 30 years when people who were
consumers of a particular culture when they were young, become the creators of culture as adults.
This phenomenon is called “nostalgia pendulum”. Fashion and furniture from the
90s are trendy again, as is wallpaper. Chinese are credited with the invention of
wallpaper in 200 BC. They initially pasted rice paper on walls but eventually replaced
it with smoother, linen wallpaper. By the 12th Century AD, papermaking had spread to the West
via the Silk Route. Some historic wallpaper making companies are A.L. Diament
and Company, Mason & Wolf, Lincrusta, Brunschwig & Fils, William Morris & Company and Thibaut
In this video we’re going to look at the differences between traditional
and peel and stick wallpaper including how they are installed, their removal, where to use them,
price and performance. To demonstrate the differences, I bought these products on Amazon.
One is traditional floral wallpaper that is unpasted or doesn’t have any glue on the back.
The other is minimalist peel and stick wallpaper. I’m going to install them in this future closet of
ours that we’re obviously still working on. To install traditional wallpaper, I bought this
Roman adhesive from Home Depot and these plastic knives. Before sticking the paper on the wall,
we need to prep the surface. Drywall, plaster and mud are extremely porous and hydroscopic.
They absorb water and moisture very easily. If wallpaper paste is applied directly to it,
it will suck the moisture out of the paste before it has a chance to dry fully. The wallpaper
will peel off because it is not properly bonded to the paste and the wall.
To seal this drywall, we need to use a product called Wall Size or Sizing Solution. You can
technically use diluted wallpaper paste to seal up your wall, which is what I did. You can tell
that this part is glossier than the unfinished drywall. Because we have now prepped the surface,
it will not absorb moisture from the next layer of wallpaper paste, the paper will not
peel off and wallpaper can slide on it which makes it easier to position correctly.
Now we can start working on the wallpaper. I’m going to apply wallpaper paste to the back with
a brush, but you can also use a roller. Most wallpaper adhesives are made of starch or
methylcellulose. You can make a homemade version of this product by mixing ½ cup of cornstarch
with ½ cup of sugar and 2 quarts of water. If this wallpaper were prepasted, it would have had
a dried glue backing. I would have sprayed the back with water to activate the glue.
The glue needs some time to cure and the paste and water need to soak into the paper. I’m going to
fold the paper on itself and let it sit for 10 minutes. This process is called booking.
A few moments later. It’s now ready to be pasted on our drywall.
Because we prepped the wall, I can slide it pretty easily to the edge.
I’m going to use this plastic knife to smoothen the paper and push out any bubbles.
Any extra paste can be wiped off with a sponge or cloth.
This was a trickier process than I expected and I ended up with a lot
of air bubbles. But matching the design on the next sheet wasn’t too difficult.
This is just a demonstration so it doesn’t matter if the edges aren’t aligned. I’m not
actually going to put up a glittery wallpaper in my closet with butterflies and birds.
Most traditional wallpaper nowadays is “non-woven” like this product by ArtHouse. It is a mix of
synthetic and natural fibers that allows the paper to remain dimensionally stable when wet.
You can technically skip pasting and booking this before hanging.
You can simply paste the wall, hang and trim it. Non-woven wallpapers are also designed to
strip in full sheets. They also minimize or eliminate damage to the drywall.
My previous home didn’t have non-woven wallpaper, so I spent dozens of hours poking tiny holes in
the paper, spraying it with a wallpaper stripper and scraping it off the drywall.
I ended up damaging the drywall in many spots. It was a horrible process.
Luckily, new non-woven wallpaper is very easy to remove even after several years.
In addition to solid paper wallpaper, you can find a vinyl coating on paper backing,
vinyl coating on fabric backing, solid vinyl, grasscloth, molded linoleum, and more.
Now let’s move on to the newer Peel and Stick wallpaper. As the name suggests, you simply
peel the backing off and stick on your walls. However, it’s not recommended to put it directly
onto unprimed drywall or even matte paint. Your wall and paint might get damaged when you peel
it off. For the sake of this demonstration, I’m just going to stick it onto this drywall. First,
we need to wipe the wall with a cloth to get rid of any dust. Don’t peel off the entire sheet,
just a couple of inches. Find a straight edge, and slowly remove the backing as you work downwards.
You can use a cloth or plastic knife to smoothen it out. If you make a mistake, you might be able
to remove and reposition it. Peel and stick wallpaper is very
similar to contact paper, which is often used to line kitchen shelves and drawers.
Contact paper doesn’t adhere to surfaces as well,
it’s very removable. It’s also cheaper and it only going to last you a few years.
Before we move on to the other properties of traditional and peel and stick wallpaper,
I’d like to introduce the sponsor of this portion of the video. Brad Hedges is an architectural
sales consulting company based in Georgia. They help designers specify terrazzo, stair treads,
railings, pavers and resin wood laminates for architectural applications. They specialize
in high end residential and commercial projects like the Graduate Nashville, a funky and floral
boutique hotel. The luxe lobby and guest rooms have a dash of Opry opulence. Wallpaper, retro
neon signs, colorful terrazzo floors and bright colors make the interiors playful and energetic.
Head to bradhedges.com to check out their detailed, exquisite work
and contact them for your project. Alright, now let’s compare traditional and
peel and stick wallpaper. Traditional wallpaper should ideally be installed by a professional.
Peel and stick wallpaper is extremely simple to use and is DIY friendly.
Traditional wallpaper is a superior product that has a longer lifespan.
Peel and stick will only last you a few years. For that reason, traditional wallpaper is better
for homes and residences where you plan on living for several years. Peel and stick is
better in apartments as a temporary solution. You can remove it easily when you move out.
Traditional wallpaper is more durable. It can handle humidity and moisture in kitchens
and bathrooms. Peel and stick wallpaper is more susceptible to moisture and humidity.
It can peel off the walls if your bathrooms aren’t properly ventilated.
Traditional wallpaper can be found in a variety of patterns. Solid colors, floral patterns, large
abstract patterns, stripes, embossings and murals. Peel and stick wallpaper used to have limited
options, but companies like Limitless Walls now offer a wide variety of designs and murals.
Now let’s compare their costs.This traditional wallpaper from Amazon cost $20 and covers 58
sq ft, so it’s 35 cents per sq ft. This tub of wallpaper paste cost $7 at home depot.
Luxury wallpaper with custom designs and materials can cost more than $3 per sq ft,
not including labor. This peel and stick wallpaper, from Amazon cost $4 for 11 sqft,
so it’s also 35 cents per sq ft. Irrespective of which wallpaper you choose,
you must be careful of airtight products like vinyl wallpaper. Any dampness at all that is
trapped behind the paper will not be allowed to evaporate out. This could turn to mold over time.
Toxins produced by fungus growing on the wallpaper can contaminate the air leading to sick building
syndrome and other health issues. When using vinyl wallpaper, it is best to prepare the walls by
mixing some fungicide in the wallpaper paste. It’s interesting to see how solid colored painted
walls are being replaced with geometric patterns, abstract designs, faux tile, faux brick and
faux concrete. If you’re looking for a high quality product that will last you a long time,
I’d recommend buying traditional wallpaper. Let me know if I should make videos on other interior
design products. I’ll link my Patreon page in the description. If you can support me, I’d really
appreciate it. A big thank you to everyone already supporting me. Don’t forget to hit that like
button, subscribe button and the notification bell too. Thanks for watching. See ya.