Peel-and-stick wallpaper has grown popular in the past few years, and for good reasons. It’s versatile, easy to apply, and can be used to redecorate many areas of your home.
However, peel-and-stick wallpaper is not perfect, and you should weigh these pros and cons if you are considering using this type of wallpaper to redecorate your home.
What are the pros and cons of using peel-and-stick wallpaper? The first advantage that attracts a lot of people is how easy it is to apply and remove, which makes it very renter-friendly. However, peel-and-stick wallpaper can be expensive and will require some prep work as well.
In this article, let’s learn more about the pros and cons of peel-and-stick wallpaper to see if this is the right option for your next home decor project!
Advantages Of Peel-And-Stick Wallpaper
The main advantage of peel-and-stick wallpaper is right in its name – it’s super convenient since it’s no different from applying a sticker. However, there are plenty of other advantages that you may not know about. Let’s take a look at some of them below.
Big Selection Of Designs
First of all, there are so many different designs available for peel-and-stick wallpaper that you just can’t get with any other design choice. You’ll find options ranging from floral prints to modern geometric patterns, as well as everything in between.
When it comes to texture, there are also plenty of choices available for peel-and-stick wallpaper. Some feature textured surfaces that give them more depth, while others have smooth surfaces that allow them to blend seamlessly with other types of wall coverings.
The patterned designs come in various styles as well — some are printed directly onto the surface, while others use special printing methods that create an embossed effect on the wallpaper.
This means no matter what your style is; you can always find just the right wallpaper design for your aesthetic!
Simple Application
The reason peel-and-stick wallpaper is so attractive to beginners is because of how easy it is to apply! Just peel off the backing paper, apply the adhesive side of your wallpaper to the wall, smooth out any air bubbles and trim away excess paper with a utility knife or scissors, and that’s it!
This type of wallpaper is also very forgiving for errors. If you misalign the wallpaper or place it in the wrong spot, you can just peel it off, realign it, and reapply the wallpaper since the adhesives will still be intact.
Peel-and-stick papers are self-adhesive, which means there’s no mess when applying them! The paper will stick directly onto your walls without any additional prep work.
Compared to traditional wallpaper, where you need to mix and apply the glue (which can cause a big mess if you are a wallpaper novice), peel-and-stick wallpaper is undeniably a more convenient and beginner-friendly option.
Removable & Reusable
If you are renting a home, then you’ll also love this type of wallpaper as it can be easily removed and reused once you move.
Unlike traditional paper, which can be hard to remove, peel-and-stick wallpaper is easy to install and just as easy to peel off when you need to return your rented home to its original state. Peeling off the wallpaper won’t damage the wall or the paint underneath, so it’s stress-free!
If you want to reuse the wallpaper in your new home, that’s totally possible too! You just need to take extra precautions when taking off the wallpaper and try to preserve the adhesive when you move to your new home. Then, you can just reapply the wallpaper to your new home!
This is a big plus for renters since it’s much better than painting or using other types of wallpaper that can damage the wall or make it hard to restore to the original state.
Easy To Maintain
Peel-and-stick wallpaper is very durable, so it will maintain its colors and textures for many years. If you have kids or pets in your home, this is an advantage because their nails won’t damage the surface of the wall.
Some peel-and-stick wallpapers are made from high-quality PVC materials that are easy to clean as well. That means spills, stains, or even crayon drawings from your kids can be easily wiped away without damaging the wallpaper.
To clean the surface of peel-and-stick wallpaper, you only need a mild cleaner and a microfiber cloth to wipe away most stains and dirt. This makes keeping your walls clean quite easy, and it’s ideal for homes with pets or young children.
A Disadvantages Of Peel-And-Stick Wallpaper
Although there are plenty of advantages to peel-and-stick wallpaper, there are also a few disadvantages that you will need to consider as well. Here are some of the factors that may deter you from using peel-and-stick wallpaper in your next project.
Expensive
Peel-and-stick wallpaper can be expensive. While there’s a large price range (you can get a roll of peel-and-stick wallpaper for as low as $30), high-quality peel-and-stick wallpaper can cost up to $250 or more per roll.
This means if you are looking to cover a big wall or an entire room, it can really rack up a large bill for your project.
In addition, unique patterns can also be expensive as well. Some peel-and-stick wallpapers have unique patterns that will really make a focal point in your room.
However, these unique designs can also drive up the price of your project because unique patterns made by designers are more expensive than generic patterns that you can find in stores.
Keep in mind that even though the upfront cost can be very expensive, it doesn’t take anything at all to keep the wallpaper well-maintained. While paint may fade and other types of wallpaper may crack, or chip, high-quality peel-and-stick wallpaper can last without much maintenance.
This means if you want the wallpaper to last for a few years, the upfront cost of the wallpaper may be worth it because it doesn’t cost anything to maintain the wallpaper.
Require Smooth Surface
Although the peel-and-stick wallpaper doesn’t require a lot of effort to apply, it does require a smooth surface.
To ensure that the paper adheres to the wall properly, most manufacturers recommend using semi-gloss or eggshell paint to paint over your wall first. This type of paint creates a smooth surface and covers any imperfections before you apply the peel-and-stick wallpaper.
If you have a bumpy and textured wall that you need to cover with wallpaper, then peel-and-stick wallpaper won’t stick to it very well, unfortunately. In that case, you will need to carry out quite a bit of prep work before you can apply the peel-and-stick wallpaper.
Without all of these prep work, the peel-and-stick wallpaper simply won’t stick, and there’s a high chance that it will peel off after only a few months.
Difficult To Match Seams Of Design
One important requirement of any type of wallpaper is the fact that you probably need to use several rolls of wallpaper to cover up an entire wall, which means there are going to be visible seams between the rolls.
If you have a big and bold pattern, you will need to line up the seams so that the design flow smoothly from one roll of wallpaper to another, so that the seams look “invisible.”
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to match the seams with peel-and-stick wallpaper. Since the adhesive back is very sticky, you simply won’t be able to slide the wallpaper in place until the seams match perfectly.
You can easily do this with traditional wallpaper since the applied adhesive allows some room for sliding the wallpaper around before sticking it in place where the seams match.
Fortunately, since peel-and-stick wallpaper is quite forgiving, it’s still possible to peel it off and stick it back to the wall if you make a mistake.
Not Eco-Friendly
One big disadvantage of peel-and-stick wallpaper is that it’s not eco-friendly. It’s made from PVC plastic, which is not friendly to the environment.
Peel-and-stick wallpaper isn’t recyclable or biodegradable — which can pile up in landfills if you decide to throw it away. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option for your walls, consider using paint instead.
If you are environmentally conscious, you may want to consider removing and reusing the peel-and-stick wallpaper to get the most use out of it before throwing it away.
Not Heat-resistant
Because peel-and-stick wallpaper is made from PVC, which is essentially plastic, it is not heat-resistant and can potentially melt under high heat.
Therefore, if you’re planning on using peel-and-stick wallpaper on the kitchen wall, you may want to reconsider. Areas that are subjected to high heat, like the stove or the fireplace, are not suitable places to apply peel-and-stick wallpaper.
Related Articles
How To Make Glitter Wall Paint
How To Paint Venetian Plaster – Complete Guide
