Last Updated on January 3, 2026 by Stewart

Using wallpaper to transform the appearance of a house is a great and often cost effective way to decorate a home.

What Are The Different Kinds Of Wallpaper?

The great thing about it is that there are various different kinds of wallpaper. It can be fabric or vinyl wallpaper, which will impact the overall look of it. In addition to this, it is also possible to get it in a solid colour, as well as in different colours.

Similarly, it can also be purchased with different patterns on it which really do change the overall appearance of the wall that it is hung on.

Using wallpaper is a great option for those that really want to easily change the appearance of the wall, and do not feel comfortable about mixing several colours of paint on the same wall and making patterns with it.

How Is Wallpaper Stuck To The Wall?

Generally speaking, wallpaper is stuck to the wall using a special adhesive. It acts as a glue between the wallpaper and the wall and forms a strong bond when fully cured. For anyone that has tried to remove wallpaper, they’ll know that the adhesive really does put up a fight when just using a hand scraper.

A more recent form of wallpaper is peel and stick. This is wallpaper that has a special backing to it, which, once removed, can be positioned directly onto the wall. For those that do not have the confidence to use wallpaper paste and hang it that way, peel and stick is a great option for them.

The downside with peel and stick wallpaper though is that it is generally more expensive than normal wallpaper due to it already having this adhesive pre-applied to it.

Wallpaper Removal Is Also An Option

There are also instances whereby wallpaper needs to be removed. This could be because the wallpaper is getting tatty and it needs to be replaced. In this instance, it would be much better to start it on a clean state as opposed to wallpapering over a layer that’s already there.

Likewise, if the wall is going to be painted, it is a much better option to remove the old wallpaper. The reason for this is that the paint could end up absorbing into the wallpaper, giving it an uneven finish. This would require several coats of paint in order to have a level finish from it.

How Can Wallpaper Be Removed?

Wallpaper can be removed by applying a wallpaper removal solution. This involves scoring the paper, and then spraying this solution onto it. This solution will then break down the adhesive that is holding the paper onto the wall. After this has been given an adequate amount of dwell time, it can then be removed using a dedicated wallpaper scraper tool.

Using a removal spray can be quite a time consuming process, as well as expensive.

An alternative to this is to use a wallpaper steamer stripper instead.

These work by filling the tank with water and then letting it boil the water to generate steam. The steam is then channeled through to a steam pad which is placed again the wall. This is then held on the wall for a few seconds before using a scraper to remove the wallpaper.

This is a much quicker option than using a removal spray. The prices of these are also reasonable and it is my personal preference when it comes to removing wallpaper.

There are quite a few of these wallpaper steamer strippers available, and I have tried several of these to give a rounded opinion on what the best ones are.

I have also written a separate review of the Black & Decker Wallpaper Stripper.