Question 1

What size is a roll of wallpaper?

Accepted Answer

A standard European roll of Wallpaper measures 10.05m x 53cm
Less common roll sizes are:
10.05m x 70cm
6.0m x 53cm 
1.00 m x 9.00 meters
.91cm x .9.00 meters
1.300m x 50 meters

Question 2

What are batch / shade numbers and letters?

Accepted Answer

Wallpaper is a printed product and as such, it is produced in specific quantities at a time based on the volume of materials prepared/available and the demand of the product, each production run of wallpaper is noted by using the term batch or shade.
It is essential to have the same batch number for each unique wallpaper pattern to ensure colour, relief and pattern trim match precisely.
The batch number is usually located on the wallpaper label close to the pattern number.
At Durban Wallpaper we will always supply rolls from single batch for your order. Should you need to place a subsequent order, please add your request for a batch including the batch details from your roll label. Repeat purchases cannot be guaranteed however we will contact you if this is no longer available.

Question 3

What does the pattern match on my wallpaper mean?

Accepted Answer

Wallpaper is printed using rollers/cylinders and therefore every wallpaper has a repeat but sometimes on a plain or striped wallpaper, the pattern print repeat does not matter. The label included within the packaging of the wallpaper will tell you how often the pattern repeats itself eg 64cm along with the type of matching needed.

Some common pattern repeats are:

Straight Match
The pattern matches across the width of the wallpaper, usually with half a motif matching on the join or the same motif appearing regimentally over your wall. Be sure to allow yourself sufficient trimming wastage with your first drop/length and you will reduce waste overall.

An Offset Match or Half Drop Match
The match is obtained by halving the pattern repeat measurement, for every subsequent drop or length needed next to the previous piece hung, you will move the pattern up or down by half the pattern repeat measurement.
For example, a label might state a 53cm, 26.5cm or 53/26cm offset match. This means the design repeats every 53cm in total (the diameter of the print roller/cylinder), this figure is then halved to 26.5cm which is how much additional wallpaper is needed to allow the pattern to match and flow correctly over your wall.

Free Match or Random Match
No matching required.
It is the easiest product to hang, as no matter how many strips of wallpaper are hung, you do not need to match any patterns. Just ensure all lengths are hung the same way (unless reverse hang is specified on the roll label) no visible join or seams will need to be worried about here.
Free match also reduces the amount of wastage as this is reduced to just trimming waste.

Question 4

How long will my wallpaper take to dry out?

Accepted Answer

This varies depending on the ventilation in the room and the temperature at the time of year.

Usually, the wallpaper will dry within a week but has it been known to be a few weeks, various factors will affect the drying time including the adhesive, wallpaper material properties and wall surface.

Wallpaper should only be allowed to dry naturally, without any additional heat sources or drafts, should this not be allowed to happen you may experience contraction of the wallpaper and the opening of butt joints.

Question 5

Are all wallpapers rolled the same way?

Accepted Answer

The short answer is no.

Modern manufacturing techniques mean that wallpapers can be rolled either way and in turn may not come off the roll as they should be hung.

There is no right or wrong way that wallpaper will have been rolled during packing.

Please ensure that you have checked the direction of the pattern prior to hanging.

Question 6

What is the difference between "paste the wall" and conventional wallpaper?

Accepted Answer

The difference is in the base layer or "substrate" and how they react with moisture from your paste or adhesive.

Traditional / Paste The Wallpaper has a base made from a pulp of natural paper fibres, this substrate absorbs moisture from wallpaper paste and adhesives and swells over a short period of a few minutes. Once swollen, this is hung and should be allowed to slowly dry in a taught state on the wall.
For removal, the same applies, moisture needs to be added to the wall surface to soften the existing adhesive and natural pulp wallpaper base.

Paste The Wall Wallpaper has a base made from synthetic, man-made fibres mixed into a pulp blend that act like a mesh (non woven). This synthetic base does not react with moisture and as such does not need time to swell and can be hung in the dry state onto a pasted wall. 
For removal, non woven wallpaper is easy to strip when you want to redecorate, it peels off in complete drops/lengths.

Note: You can still apply paste/adhesive onto the back of non woven wallpapers in the traditional way but remember there is no need to allow time to soak, just hang when ready

Question 7

Do I need to prepare my walls differently for "paste the wall" wallpapers?

Accepted Answer

Preparation should be carried out in the same way as you would for a traditional wallpaper, stripping, filling and sanding etc with one final and important step! Your walls need to be of one even and solid colour prior to hanging a paste the wall wallpaper.

This is due to the synthetic substrate produced of man-made fibres being slightly opaque, this may allow any surface colour to be seen through the final hung and dry wallcovering.

You must ensure all bare plastered walls, patched or filled walls, partly painted walls (especially noticed at the ceiling or skirting where paint may have been overlayed onto the walls), walls where a picture rail or dado rail have been removed leaving paint, woodstain or other difference in surface colour.

Question 8

Should I do anything differently when using a rich or dark color wallpaper?

Accepted Answer

When using dark, deep or rich coloured wallpapers, it is good decorating practice to darken the ends of your rolls prior to hanging if the manufacturer has not already done this, otherwise you may see the colour of the wallpapers substrate where the joins meet.

A secondary step of painting the walls in a similar colour where the joins will land is also a good solution to avoid any wall colour showing through should the wallcoverings shrink or move during the drying process.

Question 9

How many rolls do I need?

Accepted Answer

We have an industry-standard wallpaper roll calculator guide available here, this uses two measurements to give you an estimate. Please have your wall width measurement and your skirting to ceiling height measurements to hand to complete this process.
Include (ignore) your doors and windows within the measurements for a standard room layout, this will give you the majority of your wastage allowance for pattern matching.

Should you be decorating a room with a wall of patio glass doors, a hallway full of doors or a stairway then this guide is not suitable. We can help you over the phone or via email when you share your measurements with us.

Question 10

When should lining paper be used?

Accepted Answer

Using lining paper helps to provide a good base to wallpaper onto, resulting in a much better finish and so we do recommend always using lining paper prior to hanging. Cross lining is also recommended.

This is where the lining paper is hung horizontally instead of vertically. This is to avoid the possibility of a wallpaper seam being hung on top of another.

Frequently asked questions