Self-Adhesive Vs. Traditional Wallpaper: The Main Differences Between

main differences between traditional and peel ans stick wallpaper

It is often thought that self-adhesive and traditional wallpaper materials only differ when it comes to the application, however, that is not entirely true. There are a couple of important differences that the materials have and that can influence your decision when choosing which would be the best option for your next wallpaper project.

To show you the main differences between our self-adhesive and traditional wallpapers and how they may differ from other materials, here will be the main characteristics for both of our wallpapers.

Why To Choose Polyester Over Vinyl Peel & Stick Wallpaper

Our self-adhesive wallpaper is made of polyester fabric based material, therefore, it differs from other vinyl material based self-adhesive wallpapers. Here will be the main differences.

Self-adhesive wallpaper: polyester vs vinyl

Polyester material based wallpapers in most cases, including our self-adhesive wallpaper, will have a textile texture.
Vinyl on the other hand mostly has a smooth finish.
Polyester material wallpaper gives a more high-end look because of its finish and texture.
Vinyl can shrink and change shape over time.
Vinyl is not PVC-free, so it is not recommended to use vinyl wallpaper in kids rooms.

Why To Choose Non-Woven Over Paper Traditional Wallpaper

Our traditional wallpaper is made of non-woven fiber material, making it different from paper based traditional wallpaper. Here will be the main differences.

Traditional Wallpaper: non-woven fiber vs paper

When installing non-woven wallpaper, the glue can be applied directly to the wall, making it easier to slide the wallpaper in the right position.
When installing paper based wallpaper, the glue has to be applied to the wallpaper, making the process slightly more complicated.
As a result of humidity and temperature change, paper based wallpaper can change its shape, shrink or expand on the wall, making the design look less qualitative.
Paper wallpaper can be very difficult to remove from the wall as it tears in the process.
Non-woven wallpaper can be removed from the wall in one piece, because the fiber material prevents it from tearing.

Wallpaper Material Textures

One characteristic that is in common for both of our materials is the matte finish. However, there is a difference in the texture. Our traditional wallpaper is a non-woven based material that is completely smooth with no texture at all. Our self-adhesive/peel and stick wallpaper on the other hand is a fabric based material with subtle canvas like texture visible from up close.

Wallpaper Material Color

If you put our two materials next to each other, the color difference can be very visible. Our self-adhesive wallpaper is bright white, making the design seem more vivid and cooler when put next to the traditional wallpaper. Our traditional wallpaper, however, appears warmer next to the self-adhesive wallpaper, as its base is slightly more off-white. If you do not compare the wallpaper materials next to each other, then the colors can be seen as simply white. It is important to note that both the texture and the base color affects how the design will look on the wallpaper, meaning the same design will in most cases look different on each material.

Wallpaper Pattern Scale

traditional vs peel and stick pattern scale

In the example above with our Modern Art Deco Style Wallpaper we can see perfectly the pattern scale difference between our self-adhesive and traditional wallpaper. The reason why the pattern scale differs is because of the material size. On the self-adhesive wallpaper, the pattern is made to fit on a 19” panel, however, the traditional wallpaper panel size is 25”, therefore, the design is stretched to fit on a slightly wider panel, appearing in a bigger scale.

Wallpaper Installation

The self-adhesive material is made of two parts - the wallpaper and the backing paper. When installing this wallpaper material, you have to pull back the backing paper gradually while carefully applying the wallpaper to match the wallpaper panel design next to each other. Being a peel and stick wallpaper it does work as a giant sticker.

However, to apply the traditional material you will need paste or glue for non-woven wallpaper, applying it to the wall and not on the wallpaper itself. As it makes the installation process easier by allowing to slide the panel in position before the glue sets, it is a very popular choice for first time DIY wallpaper projects. Even if the traditional wallpaper is applied using glue, our traditional wallpaper panels are also removable in one piece.

We hope these main differences between the self-adhesive and traditional wallpaper materials will help you to decide on which wallpaper would be the best choice for your next project for a perfect result.

Back to How to Newer Post

Self-Adhesive Vs. Traditional Wallpaper: The Main Differences Between The Materials