Roll Call: Choose Vinyl Wallcovering for Durability and Style
Vinyl wallcovering can pep up and protect your walls. Learn about the 4 types and which is best for you
Vinyl wallcovering got a bad rap for many years. Although the tough material is notable for withstanding endless suitcase bumps in hotels and wear and tear in corporate corridors, its aesthetic for residential use has usually fallen short. Many of us remember the funky mushroom designs or old-fashioned coffee grinder silhouettes in 1960s and ’70s-era kitchens, but more recently, vinyl wallcovering has maintained its durable practicality while amping up its style appeal.
4 Types of Vinyl Wallcovering
1. Fabric-backed vinyl. This the most durable, hardworking wallcovering — vinyl or otherwise. Its backing is a dense fabric similar to cheesecloth. Common backings are scrim, osnaburg and drill. So don’t get confused and call this a “wallpaper.” There’s no paper in this material.
Because it’s difficult to print intricate details on its surface, fabric-back vinyl is typically solid in color; textured, such as this example; or designed to mimic another material, such as grasscloth.
1. Fabric-backed vinyl. This the most durable, hardworking wallcovering — vinyl or otherwise. Its backing is a dense fabric similar to cheesecloth. Common backings are scrim, osnaburg and drill. So don’t get confused and call this a “wallpaper.” There’s no paper in this material.
Because it’s difficult to print intricate details on its surface, fabric-back vinyl is typically solid in color; textured, such as this example; or designed to mimic another material, such as grasscloth.
Patterns on fabric-backed vinyl tend to be simple, like the one on the wall of this theater room.
Pros: Fabric-backed vinyl gets top marks for being durable and scrubbable. Michelle Draveski, who installed the wallcovering shown here, says that using solid-color, textured vinyls cuts down on waste because there’s no pattern to match. Seams are not readily visible.
Meanwhile, fabric-backed vinyl wallcovering is heavy and endures a lot of abuse. It can last many years, so one downside may be that you tire of it before it needs to be replaced.
Pros: Fabric-backed vinyl gets top marks for being durable and scrubbable. Michelle Draveski, who installed the wallcovering shown here, says that using solid-color, textured vinyls cuts down on waste because there’s no pattern to match. Seams are not readily visible.
Meanwhile, fabric-backed vinyl wallcovering is heavy and endures a lot of abuse. It can last many years, so one downside may be that you tire of it before it needs to be replaced.
Cons: The thickness that makes fabric-back vinyl durable also makes it heavy. The vinyl layer tends to be thick, and the fabric backing adds even more weight. Commercial vinyls are usually manufactured in 48- or 54-inch wide bolts, about twice as wide as standard wallpaper. One bolt of the wallcovering shown in this dining room (Brio in Hunan from D.L. Couch) weighs a beefy 37½ pounds. So its weight can make installation tricky.
Also, the vinyl layer is impermeable to water, and while that’s a good thing for the humidity in a kitchen or a bathroom, it also means that it’s not breathable. Any moisture in or on the back side of the wall is prevented from passing through and evaporating. The vinyl layer is a vapor barrier. This can unknowingly lead to and cover up mold and mildew problems.
Textured, solid-colored fabric-backed vinyls can be limiting, as they tend to work best in contemporary-style homes.
Also, the vinyl layer is impermeable to water, and while that’s a good thing for the humidity in a kitchen or a bathroom, it also means that it’s not breathable. Any moisture in or on the back side of the wall is prevented from passing through and evaporating. The vinyl layer is a vapor barrier. This can unknowingly lead to and cover up mold and mildew problems.
Textured, solid-colored fabric-backed vinyls can be limiting, as they tend to work best in contemporary-style homes.
Best installation locations: The most flexible of the vinyl wallcoverings, fabric-backed vinyl can be installed anywhere in your house. Unlike any other wallcovering, it can stand up to clumsy collisions and humidity, so it’s ideal for hallways, stairways, kitchens and bathrooms.
Preparation: While the walls should be well-prepped and as smooth as possible, heavily textured examples like the one shown here can sometimes help mask slight wall imperfections like undulations or nicks.
To prepare for fabric-backed vinyl, the correct primer(s) for the situation must be used and applied properly. When you want to redecorate later, fabric-backed vinyl is one of the easier wallcoverings to remove. If the wall has been primed properly, fabric-backed wallcovering comes off in a single strip.
Preparation: While the walls should be well-prepped and as smooth as possible, heavily textured examples like the one shown here can sometimes help mask slight wall imperfections like undulations or nicks.
To prepare for fabric-backed vinyl, the correct primer(s) for the situation must be used and applied properly. When you want to redecorate later, fabric-backed vinyl is one of the easier wallcoverings to remove. If the wall has been primed properly, fabric-backed wallcovering comes off in a single strip.
Durability and fire ratings: For some vinyls, you’ll see a “vinyl type” advertised, followed by a Roman numeral. This indicates commercial durability. Type I is considered light-duty, Type II medium-duty and Type III heavy-duty.
Although typically not a focus for residential projects, fabric-backed vinyl is designed for commercial use, and it carries a fire rating against ignition and flame spread. Class A is the highest, followed by B and C.
Many of these heavier vinyls are now recyclable through reclamation and have low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions, making them more environmentally friendly.
Although typically not a focus for residential projects, fabric-backed vinyl is designed for commercial use, and it carries a fire rating against ignition and flame spread. Class A is the highest, followed by B and C.
Many of these heavier vinyls are now recyclable through reclamation and have low VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions, making them more environmentally friendly.
Swirls Wallpaper, Brown and Silver - $43.00
2. Paper-backed vinyl (aka solid sheet vinyl): This type is a vinyl sheet, usually patterned, with a pulp substrate. Although it’s an all-around durable residential wallcovering, it’s not suitable for commercial installations and is a bit less robust than its fabric-backed vinyl cousin.
Pros: Because the vinyl layer is printed, it offers a wide variety of patterns and colors to choose from. Overall, it has a more varied, residential appearance than fabric-backed types. It resists stains and grease, and it can be scrubbed. Most paper-backed vinyls come in standard, more manageable 20½- or 27-inch bolt widths.
Cons: Removal can be painstaking because the vinyl top layer peels away from the paper backing, which then has to be soaked and scraped off as a second step. This is what manufacturers refer to as “peelable.” Like removing the shell from a hard-cooked egg, the vinyl layer sometimes peels off in large sheets — or in annoyingly small pieces that make the process even more time-consuming.
Best installation locations: Paper-backed vinyl can be installed anywhere except in bathrooms that frequently experience a high buildup of steam. Excessive moisture enters and wicks up at the seams, eventually weakening the paste or causing the vinyl layer to separate from the paper backing.
Pros: Because the vinyl layer is printed, it offers a wide variety of patterns and colors to choose from. Overall, it has a more varied, residential appearance than fabric-backed types. It resists stains and grease, and it can be scrubbed. Most paper-backed vinyls come in standard, more manageable 20½- or 27-inch bolt widths.
Cons: Removal can be painstaking because the vinyl top layer peels away from the paper backing, which then has to be soaked and scraped off as a second step. This is what manufacturers refer to as “peelable.” Like removing the shell from a hard-cooked egg, the vinyl layer sometimes peels off in large sheets — or in annoyingly small pieces that make the process even more time-consuming.
Best installation locations: Paper-backed vinyl can be installed anywhere except in bathrooms that frequently experience a high buildup of steam. Excessive moisture enters and wicks up at the seams, eventually weakening the paste or causing the vinyl layer to separate from the paper backing.
3. Vinyl-coated paper. This technically isn’t vinyl wallcovering, but rather a wallpaper with a mist of liquid vinyl sprayed on the top surface. Nevertheless, Draveski says some manufacturers advertise this product as being vinyl. The amount of vinyl on the top can vary, but you can’t tell from looking at it, nor is it spelled out in the product information.
Pros: Because this is technically a wallpaper, intricate patterns like leafy tendrils and detailed flowers are possible. Compared with traditional wallpaper, the vinyl top layer offers some, albeit minimal, protection against staining and marring.
Cons: It’s not as durable and cleanable as you would hope. Vinyl-coated paper can be lightly and infrequently wiped. Jim Parodi of Jim Parodi Wallpapering cautions that vinyl-coated wallpaper in dark colors — navy, forest green or cranberry — have a tendency to burnish, or become shiny, where it has been wiped or where children run their hands along it. Like paper-backed vinyl, this wallpaper must also be soaked to be removed.
Best installation locations: Vinyl-coated wallpaper is a good choice for rooms that don’t get a lot of wear and tear. Bedrooms and home offices are good bets. Avoid installing vinyl-coated wallpaper in bathrooms, kitchens and high-traffic passageways.
Pros: Because this is technically a wallpaper, intricate patterns like leafy tendrils and detailed flowers are possible. Compared with traditional wallpaper, the vinyl top layer offers some, albeit minimal, protection against staining and marring.
Cons: It’s not as durable and cleanable as you would hope. Vinyl-coated paper can be lightly and infrequently wiped. Jim Parodi of Jim Parodi Wallpapering cautions that vinyl-coated wallpaper in dark colors — navy, forest green or cranberry — have a tendency to burnish, or become shiny, where it has been wiped or where children run their hands along it. Like paper-backed vinyl, this wallpaper must also be soaked to be removed.
Best installation locations: Vinyl-coated wallpaper is a good choice for rooms that don’t get a lot of wear and tear. Bedrooms and home offices are good bets. Avoid installing vinyl-coated wallpaper in bathrooms, kitchens and high-traffic passageways.
4. Digitally printed vinyl. This is a liberal label since most digitally printed wallcoverings are custom and can be fabricated with a variety of materials. Vinyl, such as this large-format mural style by Black Crow Studios, as well as fibrous nonwoven backings, are common for digitally printed wallcoverings. Technically, this group hovers between wallpaper and wallcovering.
Pros: With regard to pattern, color and even photo-realistic imagery, the sky is the limit. Seams also tend to be less visible. The vinyl wallcoverings with nonwoven backings are dry-strippable, meaning that they don’t need soaking for removal and leave minimal paste residue. They are also breathable — theoretically circumventing mildew problems. However, Parodi says, “We’ll just have to wait a few years to see how the nonwovens handle mildew.”
Pros: With regard to pattern, color and even photo-realistic imagery, the sky is the limit. Seams also tend to be less visible. The vinyl wallcoverings with nonwoven backings are dry-strippable, meaning that they don’t need soaking for removal and leave minimal paste residue. They are also breathable — theoretically circumventing mildew problems. However, Parodi says, “We’ll just have to wait a few years to see how the nonwovens handle mildew.”
For folks with chemical sensitivity or who desire green products, fumes emitted from vinyl wallcovering (called off-gassing) can be a concern. Some manufacturers print on commercial-grade, PVC-free, POA (olefin)-free materials that are also low VOC-emitting.
Cons: The large-format sizes are wide and can make installation in tight spaces challenging. Also, many digitally printed wallcoverings are smooth, which can amplify any wall imperfections. Thin vinyls, Draveski says, may require a liner paper underneath it before installation. A liner paper is a separate paper layer installed on the wall to create a smooth surface and a more durable installation, and to reduce staining and shrinking.
More
See How Wallpaper Can Transform a Room
How to Get Past Your Fear of Bold Wallpaper Prints
Cons: The large-format sizes are wide and can make installation in tight spaces challenging. Also, many digitally printed wallcoverings are smooth, which can amplify any wall imperfections. Thin vinyls, Draveski says, may require a liner paper underneath it before installation. A liner paper is a separate paper layer installed on the wall to create a smooth surface and a more durable installation, and to reduce staining and shrinking.
More
See How Wallpaper Can Transform a Room
How to Get Past Your Fear of Bold Wallpaper Prints
“Vinyl wallcovering” is a catch-all term for wallcovering made with a vinyl layer to provide additional protection that traditional papers do not. When most people think of vinyl wallcovering, they think that it’s appropriate for kitchens and bathrooms. While this is true for many vinyl wallcoverings, it’s not the case for all.
Unfortunately, many manufacturers don’t disclose the specific materials the product is made from, so shoppers often have to put on their detective hat.