Wallpapering Ceilings

We do not recommend removable peel and stick wallpapers on ceilings and let me explain to you why…

Never be afraid of anything but consider a wallpaper installation on a ceiling, is the most technical and hard to do. When you install wallpaper over a ceiling you're always fighting against gravity. Over a ceiling a wallpapers needs to be adhered with a strong glue in order to hold properly. 

image via @disrupt.the.disorder

A quality removable wallpaper (like ours) uses an adhesive that’s not glue in the traditional sense. We use microsphere adhesive technology for all our removable peel and stick wallpapers, it works like nano suction cups and that’s why the wallpaper removes damage free from your smooth wall. The same thing that causes it to be removed easily from a vertical surface makes it very susceptible when placed on a ceiling where the adhesive is experiencing high tension all the time.

There are other technical installation aspects for a peel and stick, on a ceiling the alignment is far more complex for a peel and stick material than a traditional paper. 

The glue used in a traditional wallpaper installation allows the wallpaper to “slide” on the wall to smooth the alignment process, while the glue is wet the installer has time to move the wallpaper without lifting it off the surface allowing a more easy matching process. Peel and sticks do not slide on the wall, so if there is any alignment problem you need to lift it in order to reposition it, while on a vertical wall this is way easier to do, over a ceiling is extremely time consuming. 

The Long Term peel and Stick has a strong adhesive to hold on a ceiling but the alignment process will be hard.

If another manufacturer recommends their peel and stick for a ceiling project, and they say it’s going to be easy, my advice is to go with them and see if it works out. Because a manufacturer should guarantee what they promise you should not have a problem getting your money back if the project fails. 

My personal recommendation if you have never done wallpaper before, and even if you have is to hire a pro. for a ceiling project and use a traditional non pasted wallpaper like: Traditional Non Pasted or Traditional Canvas Non Pasted.