Wallpapering Bathrooms

Wallpapers in bathrooms are a personal favorite! A pretty boring space can become an absolute statement with a bit of wallpaper, but be mindful of a few recommendations we have for you….

This article is intended for wallpaper installation in full bathrooms, if you are installing in a half bath consider it as any other room at home.

Full bathrooms are complex areas, where temperature and humidity conditions can change swiftly in a brief period of time. Bathrooms are also subject to periodical cleanings with hard chemicals, causing stains and discolorations in many wallpaper types.

Removable peel and stick wallpapers like our Removable Peel and Stick or our Canvas Peel and Stick performs optimally with regulated and stable temperature between 65℉ and 80℉. Drastic temperature or humidity fluctuations will affect the long term performance of the material, and for this reason we cannot guarantee they will stay put in optimal conditions for a long period of time.

All scenarios are different, there are no equal conditions even in bathrooms form the same household, if you really need a removable peel and stick in a full bath you can go for it but with an open mind, it might work, it might not. Ventilation, wall conditions, amount of traffic and humidity levels will influence the looks of your wallpaper over time. 

Our Long Term Peel and Stick holds under hard conditions and can be installed within bathrooms avoiding walls with vents (water tends to condense around vents), walls with water exposure, or walls with cleaner agents exposure.

Avoid installing Traditional Pre-pasted inside a bathroom, as this wallpaper has a water activated glue, too much humidity will cause the adhesive to re-activate lifting off sections around corners and seams. 

Traditional Options for Bathrooms 

Our recommendation for a safe and lasting installation inside a bath is a traditional non-pasted wallpaper with a quality mold-resistant glue and apply a sealant or varnish after installation.

Our Traditional Non Pasted is a non woven wallpaper, recommended for humid environments because it is breathable, but inside a bathroom environment this means water can soak through the paper, damaging the adhesive, lifting sections or even creating mold. A sealant or varnish is needed.

Our Traditional Canvas Non Pasted is a grade II commercial wallcovering, it has a vinyl coating on top but because it is fabric backed, any sitting water can filter through a seam or edge, soaking the wallpaper, causing mold and damaging the adhesive. Also use a sealer in this one to avoid troubles.

When installing a traditional wallpaper inside a bath, consider using a secondary bath for a few days since the glue in the wallpaper needs to dry completely before applying any varnish, but also the varnish needs to be let dry before using the shower again.

How to seal the wallpaper

Sealing your wallpaper will protect it first from water but also from hard cleaners often used inside bathrooms. 

Varnishes or sealers are applied only after the wallpaper glue has dried completely. Avoid bathing until the varnish has dried, all brands have different times, check the varnish label for the amount of days to dry. The recommendation is to apply 3 coats for maximum protection, and let it dry before use. 

Wallcovering sealants are available across Amazon, or at your local wallpaper store. Your installer might prefer a specific brand, so asking your installer might also help choosing one brand.

Sealants come in different finishes: Dead Flat, Satin and Gloss. 

While the Dead Flat finish is the most matte one and preferred during application, it is often the less resistant finish, for this the general recommendation is to apply one layer of other finish like Satin or Gloss and then apply 2 more layers of the Dead Flat for the best protection.

Do not try to seal peel and stick

Do not apply a traditional wallpaper sealer to a peel and stick, this can generate unexpected reactions as the peel and stick might not be compatible with the sealer.