Your wallpaper world: Discover the variety of wallpaper types
Wallpapers are more than just wall coverings - they are an expression of personality, style and functionality. From classic designs to innovative wallpaper materials, there is the right wallpaper for every room idea. Here we present the most important wallpaper types and show you what advantages they offer. Get inspired and find the perfect solution for your home!
EMC wallpapers - protection against electrosmog
This type of wallpaper protects against electrosmog and eavesdropping and generally offers a high level of shielding in many areas. It consists of a full-surface, electrically conductive layer that contains no metals or pollutants. The wallpaper is permeable to water vapor, can be painted over, can be wallpapered over and TÜV-tested.
Fiberglass wallpapers - robust and versatile
Fiberglass wallpapers have many advantages. The glass fabric is waterproof, hygienic and easy to clean. They are also available in many interesting wallpaper structures. Their high tensile strength means that cracks can be bridged. Fiberglass is glued with a fabric adhesive, which is usually applied to the wall. After drying, the wall covering can be painted individually, for example with latex paints, emulsion paints or emulsion varnishes. Fiberglass is used particularly as wallpaper for the entrance area, stairwells, corridors, sanitary areas, wallpaper for hospitals, wallpaper for doctor's offices, department stores or lounges because of its durability.
Smooth vinyl wallpaper on a paper backing - stable and durable
Paper backing material with a full-surface plastic coating, high light resistance, abrasion-resistant and extremely hard-wearing, can be split and removed dry.
Smooth vinyl wallpaper on a nonwoven backing - the uncomplicated choice
Backing material made of nonwoven with a full-surface plastic coating, high light resistance, abrasion-resistant and extremely hard-wearing, uncomplicated wall design, best processing properties, can be processed using wall adhesive technology, dry wallpaper strip on the pasted wall, done. Dimensionally stable, no stretching, no shrinking, no tearing, therefore no soaking time required, problem-free in the seam area, high wet strength, absolutely dimensionally stable, bridges small cracks, no fraying with double cuts, can be completely removed dry during renovation.
Smooth fleece - modern and universal
Smooth fleece is a smooth wall covering that is particularly hard-wearing, crack-bridging and dimensionally stable. Smooth fleece can be painted with latex paints and emulsion paints like woodchip or glass fiber wallpaper. Woodchip is increasingly being replaced with smooth fleece. Due to the unlimited design options, smooth fleece is becoming increasingly popular. Wall stickers also stick better to smooth fleece than to woodchip. Woodchip has coarse structures and so the wall stickers come off after a while. However, with smooth fleece, the surface should not have any unevenness. Unevenness would show through. The surface should be pre-treated with a wallpaper primer, as with other types of wallpaper. With smooth fleece, there is no soaking time, as with nonwoven wallpaper, and the adhesive technology is the same as with nonwoven wallpaper.
Plastic wall coverings - 3D effect for the wall
Plastic wall coverings are 3-dimensional, the surface of which has been processed with expanded plastic. All wallpapers that are plastic-based, that are not laminated onto a paper carrier or that do not require a carrier material, belong to the group of plastic wall coverings.
Metal effect wall coverings / metal wallpapers - elegance with a metal effect
Almost exclusively, metal wallpapers are made from thin aluminum foil, which is laminated onto fleece or paper. Optical effects are achieved with translucent color coatings or by etching and oxidizing the surface. Metal wallpapers are expensive because of their complex processing; such wallpapers are niche products and are only sold to higher clientele.
Natural material wallpapers - a piece of nature at home
Natural material wallpapers are made from various grown, processed and post-treated natural materials, from wallpapers with cork, wallpapers with grass to leaves, there are no limits. This is why the surface always looks lively. Some of these are still made by hand. The different growth conditions of the natural material wallpaper and its handcrafted processing into wallpaper means that every roll and every strip cut from it is unique. This wallpaper was very popular in the 80s.
Paper wallpaper - classic and environmentally friendly
Paper wall coverings include all normal wall coverings made of crumpled, printed and embossed paper. Paper wallpapers are often made from recycled paper that is printed in multiple colors.
The quality of paper wallpapers is judged by their raw weight:
110 g/m² = light paper wallpaper
110-140 g/m² = medium paper wallpaper
140 g/m² = heavy paper wallpaper
Paper wallpapers have a soaking time of approx. 3-5 minutes. This time should not be exceeded as the embossed surface of the wallpaper can be lost. Due to their high breathability, moisture-regulating and environmentally friendly properties, paper wallpaper is often used in children's rooms. In addition, paper wallpapers are free of harmful substances. The two-layer paper wallpapers are particularly high quality and are also known as duplex wallpapers.
Embossed wallpaper – relief structures for character
Consists of two or three breathable paper layers glued together. In a special process, a strong relief structure is embossed onto a paper layer, often printed in color and then given a coating.
Paper embossed wallpaper
Simultaneously printed and embossed paper wallpaper, breathable and moisture-regulating. This wallpaper consists of two or three layers of paper glued together, with the back often made of recycled paper. The structure is created using a special embossing process. They have a short soaking time and are environmentally friendly.
Woodchip wallpaper - the classic for every room
Woodchip wallpaper is available in three different structures: fine, medium and coarse. Wood fibers are firmly incorporated into the structure and are now made from three layers of paper. The Woodchip wallpaper can be painted over several times and does not have to be replaced every time you renovate. The coarser the structure, the more often the woodchip wallpaper can be painted, as the grain/structure remains visible for longer. The Woodchip wallpaper can be removed dry if the surface has been pre-treated with the appropriate primer. Today, woodchip wallpaper is also available on a fleece backing. This variant is becoming more and more popular because it is easier to work with.
Structural profile wallpapers - expressive and durable
According to DIN 4102 B 1, structural profile wallpapers are flame-retardant, highly washable and in some cases even scrub-resistant. The disadvantage is that the foam layer can be quickly damaged by a sharp object. The structural profile wallpapers are easy to work with. They require the same surface preparation and adhesive as vinyl wallpapers. The paste should not be applied as thickly and evenly. As usual, the first strip should be folded 1/3 to 2/3 after applying the paste and then rolled up. The soaking time is also around 8-12 minutes. Like almost all types of wallpaper, they are glued end to end. It is then important that the air bubbles are rolled out so that the wallpaper can dry evenly. One advantage of the wallpaper is that it forgives unevenness in the surface. The structural profile wallpaper has a foamed wallpaper surface and therefore bumps do not appear so quickly.
Structured vinyl wallpaper on paper backing
Wallpaper with foamed plastic surface on paper backing that has a 3-dimensional, very expressive, relief-like effect, can be split, is washable, can also be painted over later with acrylic, latex or emulsion paints, must be glued butt-to-butt, is stable and touch-resistant even after the soaking time.
Structured vinyl wallpaper on non-woven backing
Foamed plastic surface on non-woven backing, very expressive, has a three-dimensional effect, excellent processing properties and can be processed using wall adhesive technology. Dry wallpaper strips are applied directly to the pasted wall. They are dimensionally stable, do not stretch, do not shrink, do not tear, so no soaking time is required and are problem-free in the seam area. They impress with their high wet strength, are absolutely dimensionally stable, are used to bridge small cracks, do not fray with double cuts, can be completely removed dry during renovation, can be painted over with solvent-free acrylic and emulsion paints.
Textile wallpapers - tradition meets elegance
Textile wallpapers have maintained their place in interior design throughout all eras and fashion trends. They are one of the oldest types of wall decoration. Textile wallpapers are made from a combination of thread systems on paper or non-woven backings. The variations are, however, diverse: felt, small cords, raffia, natural or synthetic fibers, but also feathers are used. A distinction is made between warp thread wallpaper and fabric wallpaper. With warp thread wallpaper, the threads are only glued to the backing in the lengthwise direction. A fabric wallpaper consists of crossing or woven threads. They can also be printed with motifs using the screen printing process.
Paintable wall coverings - creative and flexible
Paintable wall coverings can be made of many different materials such as paper, fiberglass, plastic or textile. They only get their finish when they are painted. Here too, the fleece backing is becoming increasingly popular. Due to the easy processing and the practically unlimited design options, it is often combined with structural elements.
Uni-coloured wallpaper – minimalist and modern
Patternless, single-coloured wallpapers, which can, however, have an embossed structure or a sculptural material application.
Velour wallpapers - velvety elegance
The pattern of velour wallpapers is printed with glue and electrostatically flocked with very short natural or chemical fibers. The superfluous fibers are vacuumed away, only the fibers that stick to the motifs printed with glue remain. With this process, the flocks are almost impossible to remove. The wallpaper surface is velvety soft but the versatile patterns also give the wallpaper a distinctive touch.
Vinyl wallpaper / satin wallpaper - robust and easy to clean
Vinyl wallpaper is particularly hard-wearing and scrub-resistant. The surface is suitable for heavily used walls such as hallways, stairwells or even kitchens. Dirt can be easily removed with water or a brush. It not only offers practical advantages. Vinyl wallpaper is available in various structures, colors and patterns, so it offers numerous design options.
Non-woven wallpaper – the all-rounder for modern walls
Non-woven wallpaper is particularly easy to work with. It consists mainly of textile fibers and cellulose, which are then solidified with a binding agent. The material can bridge/cover up small cracks because it is dimensionally stable and it is usually flame-retardant according to DIN 4102 B1. The non-woven wallpaper can be used immediately after pasting, there is no need for soaking time. In wet rooms or kitchens, non-woven wallpaper is also popular because of its water and steam resistance. It also has the advantage that it can be completely removed dry during a new renovation. However, only if the substrate has been pre-treated with a wallpaper primer. The wallpaper primer also gives you a single-colored substrate. Light non-woven wallpapers can show through, even slight color differences on the background can become visible.
Wall mural wallpaper / photo wallpaper - your wall as a work of art
Wall mural wallpaper is a large motif with photographic representations or paintings. Like the traditional panorama wallpaper, it is made up of several parts. Before digital printing, murals were produced using flat screen printing or photo prints. Digital printing created new freedoms thanks to its flexibility and individual production. Artists and designers realize their most diverse visions as unique pieces using digital printing technology.
