Wallpaper Installation Myths – Busted by Surrey Experts

A reputable wallpaper installation team from Surrey exposes various widespread myths regarding this type of home improvement

Homeowners throughout London and Surrey have recently rekindled their interest in wallpaper as a primary interior design choice. 

The classic floral border pattern from previous eras now has transformed into contemporary designs that showcase geometric elements in Victorian terrace conversions and botanical prints in modern home construction. 

Many homeowners struggle to adopt this innovative finish because of widespread misinformation which causes their home renovations to fail and leads to both substantial costs and wasted resources.

Surrey Painters leads the professional wallpaper installation market in London and Surrey by executing thousands of square metres of wallpaper installations which range from delicate hand-printed silks to heavy-duty vinyls. 

Through our extensive experience and field-tested knowledge we will debunk the top five myths associated with wallpaper installation.

Myths about wallpaper installation that we will debunk include the following:

Myth 1: “Wallpaper is outdated and hard to remove”

Modern wallpaper products do not resemble the challenging vinyl-coated papers from the 1970s.

Leading wallpaper brands including Farrow & Ball and Osborne & Little and Cole & Son use advanced substrates with non-woven backings which provide breathability and dimensional stability and allow for clean removal without harming plaster surfaces. 

The materials used for surface preparation as well as the choice of adhesive determine the success of the installation process. The professional installation process ensures the right outcome (we will explain this further below).

Myth 2: “You can’t use wallpaper in bathrooms or kitchens”

You can install wallpaper in bathrooms and kitchens when you select appropriate materials and follow correct installation procedures.

High-humidity areas such as bathrooms and kitchens require moisture-resistant materials which are covered by vinyl-coated and solid vinyl wallpaper products.

These products provide wipe-clean surfaces and mould resistance and they meet BS 476-7:1997 standards for surface spread of flame classification which makes them suitable for domestic environments. 

Our team has installed beautiful feature walls in: 

• Steamy Victorian bathrooms that require marine-grade adhesive
• Splashbacks protect walls behind kitchen sinks through installation at the lower third of the wall
• Our team installs wallpaper in utility rooms and cloakrooms with proper ventilation and sealant at edges.

Paper-backed wallpapers and uncoated wallpapers do not work in direct water-splash zones. There has to be a better method to achieve stunning visual impact through smart wallpaper placement. 

The visual impact of wallpaper dramatically increases when you place it above a tiled dado or behind a radiator to preserve room functionality. 

Myth 3: “Wallpapering is easy—just paste and stick”

Wallpaper installation requires professional skills to handle large-scale, directional and metallic-patterned installations.

• The material requires precise drop calculations of 90cm pattern repeats to avoid wasting material. 
• The manufacturing of wallpapers with complex corners needs hand-cut mitres because regular overlapping techniques do not work in this situation. 
• The final wallpaper size changes due to fabric-backed materials depending on temperature changes so you must apply paste at the right moment.
• Old lime-plastered walls show unpredictable water absorption patterns which lead to open seams when installers do not properly prime the surface.

The Painting & Decorating Association (PDA) conducted a 2023 survey which revealed that 72% of wallpaper job failures including bubbling and peeling and mismatched joins stemmed from improper surface preparation and wrong application methods rather than product defects. 

Our expert wallpaper hangers perform custom installations for every project. Our company delivers engineering services for custom installation projects as an alternative to standard hanging services. The process starts with laser-levelled starting points which result in tension-controlled pasting that produces flawless gallery-quality finishes. 

Myth 4: “Wallpaper makes a room look smaller”

Proper wallpaper installation actually expands spaces by enhancing light distribution across the room and creating better proportions. 

• Vertical stripes painted on walls help bring viewer attention upward toward the ceiling for period homes with low ceiling heights. 
• The dark moody wall coverings from Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue generate cozy spaces that work best in studies or snug dining areas. 
• The large-scale botanical patterns produce a powerful decorative effect which makes walls visually recede into the background. 
• Metallic and pearlescent finishes produce dynamic light reflection that adds depth to the wall surface.

The main components for success are choosing the right scale and finding the best placement. The four walls covered with small busy prints make the room seem restricted. 

A single statement wall paired with wallpaper on the upper wall section and a dado rail generates visual intrigue in the room without causing excessive visual stimulation.

Myth 5: “Wallpaper is more expensive than paint”

Wallpaper proves itself as an extended investment that provides long-term value rather than a short-term luxury spending.

Now let’s evaluate wallpaper against paint in an unbiased way:

Cost factor	Premium paint	Premium wallpaper
Materials (per m²)	£3–£5	£8–£25+ (depending on design)
Labour (skilled decorator)	1–2 days per room	1.5–3 days per room
Lifespan	3–5 years (before fading/chips)	10–15+ years (with proper care)
Maintenance	Repainting needed after wear	Wipe-clean; local repairs possible

Wallpaper has superior long-term value when compared to paint because of its durability in heavy traffic areas and its decorative usage in key interior spaces. The technique creates decorative surface textures and three-dimensional details that paintbrushes cannot produce.

When should you contact the professionals

If you’re tackling:

• Historic properties (lime plaster, uneven walls)
• Complex patterns (large repeats, metallics, silks)
• Full-room installations (especially with high ceilings)
• Conservation areas where finish quality matters

… then professional installation isn’t a luxury—it’s insurance.

The wallpaper hangers from our company provide protective services alongside their paper application work. The team has refined specialized techniques for both pattern matching and surface handling through their many years of experience.

Our team can complete the following tasks at the same level:

→ Need wooden window painting expertise for surface-perfect finishes?

→ Our office and commercial painters provide seamless transitions between wallcoverings and painted elements for complete room refresh.

Final Thought: Wallpaper Isn’t Back—It Never Left

Skilled artisans discovered the transformative power of wallpaper to create personal architectural stories in homes during the object’s long development process. 

These falsehoods need to stop existing. The pattern requires full acceptance. People who live in London or Surrey should contact us to discover how wallpaper can revolutionize their home environments. 
Contact Surrey Painters today for a free, no-obligation quote—or request an online estimate with just your room dimensions and inspiration images.

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