Breathable wallpaper paste?

[lizziecupcakes]

Hi all,

We have lime plaster walls (original) and when we took off the old wallpaper bits of lime plaster came off, so we have filled those superficial gaps and cracks and holes with polyfilla and smoothed that down.

The wall is ready for wallpaper now, but just wondering if I should be using breathable wallpaper paste to apply the wallpaper? Is there such a thing?

We bought a small tub of this one (link below) from B&q to test, but then I started thinking about it where it would hinder breathability

https://www.diy.com/departments/volden-ready-mixed-wallpaper-adhesive-5kg-5-rolls/5059340614434_BQ.prd

My house doesn’t really have damp problems (so far). The previous owner has wallpaper everywhere from the 1970s or 1990s and I highly doubt they used breathable wallpaper paste

I’ve come across the following and they seem quite expensive:

Metylan (methyl cellulose) 720g powder for £22

Earthborn (methyl cellulose and free from a lot of chemicals and synthetic compounds) 500g powder £76

Thank you

 

[Cubist]

Its purely a personal opinion but sometimes I feel that we, or at least many of us, take this 'breathability' issue far too far and a few to the extent of the kind of 'hard core zealotry' best likened to those of the MAGOOns in the US. Whilst I am fully sympathetic to the long term needs of our ancient monument homes I do like to salt that meat with a little cynical realism.

Frankly put, I cannot bring myself to believe that any wallpaper paste that claims to be 'breathable' could possibly demonstrate a level of effectiveness that offers even the slightest advantage or greater efficacy over even the most basic alternate product. Bluntly I would regard any such claims as equivalent to those of the 'snake oil' promotions of the Chemical DPC outfits.

Best to disregard this rather thin, and forgive the pun, 'pasty' hype @lizziecupcakes - the pain for the gain just aint worth it.

Just my opinion you understand and no 'tongue in cheek' here but.... I'm half expecting the PP Puritans to be jumping all over me sometime soon. We'll see.

 

[lizziecupcakes]

Thanks @Cubist! . We kinda agree with you. I was thinking last night that the wall will already have the adhesive paste that the previous owner used, and it’s been ok so far. We just werent sure if maybe we should treat the external walls differently though, but I’m hoping our new gutters (6months old now) will prevent damp in the first place.

Keen to know what others think incase they’ve had a different experience.

 

[fernicarry]

Bog standard Solvite says its cellulose based, so that's the same methyl cellulose as the fancy ones but cheaper. It might contain other nasties, can't find any more detailed information on it other than it contains a fungicide, but that is necessary. Works perfectly well for lining paper and keeps for a couple of weeks in a sealed tub after you knock it up in case your rate of progress is as slow as mine...

If you are hanging a delicate paper that calls for a starch (wheat) based paste then Beeline seems to be the one. I haven't used it.

 

[lizziecupcakes]

Thanks @fernicarry !

I think after hearing from yourself and Cubist, we will continue then!

One tip I wished to share (you all may know about it already though!) is our dried and smoothed polyfilla was still a bit dusty to touch and we worried this would affect adherence to the wall and patchy air bubbles. We did a bit of research and found that if you use the wallpaper paste on those spots of polyfilla first, let it dry thoroughly, it will lock in the dust and won’t be dusty anymore - this worked for us. Then you can proceed with putting the wallpaper up (we haven’t done this latter part yet).

 

[Cubist]

Thanks @fernicarry !

I think after hearing from yourself and Cubist, we will continue then!

One tip I wished to share (you all may know about it already though!) is our dried and smoothed polyfilla was still a bit dusty to touch and we worried this would affect adherence to the wall and patchy air bubbles. We did a bit of research and found that if you use the wallpaper paste on those spots of polyfilla first, let it dry thoroughly, it will lock in the dust and won’t be dusty anymore - this worked for us. Then you can proceed with putting the wallpaper up (we haven’t done this latter part yet).

When called upon to paper walls - not one of my favourite tasks, oh and don't get me on about papering ceilings, in particular the one previously treated with a textured paint that almost led to divorce proceedings - but I, like many before me, have 'sized' old walls using that technique to both limit the effects of dust AND, provided you don't let the size/paste dry, to help move the new pair as needed to better meet its neighbours and smooth out the odd wrinkle or bubble.

 

[fernicarry]

use the wallpaper paste on those spots of polyfilla first

Yeah, that's what I do on any areas of new skim. I go over the wall first with a dusting brush on the vacuum or one of those microfibre noodle things. Be aware that with wet or partly wet paste on the wall more filler won't stick, it just goes into a lumpy emulsion and smears around, so make sure you are definitely ready to move on to the next stage.

I remember my Dad sizing bare walls more decades ago than I'd care to admit. It absolutely stank. Made from actual boiled bunny rabbits in those days I imagine.

 

[Cubist]

Yeah, that's what I do on any areas of new skim. I go over the wall first with a dusting brush on the vacuum or one of those microfibre noodle things. Be aware that with wet or partly wet paste on the wall more filler won't stick, it just goes into a lumpy emulsion and smears around, so make sure you are definitely ready to move on to the next stage.

I remember my Dad sizing bare walls more decades ago than I'd care to admit. It absolutely stank. Made from actual boiled bunny rabbits in those days I imagine.

I was told once - but I'm still not sure I wasn't having my leg pulled - that someone had used a paste made of flour and water to hang their wallpaper. Foolishly though they left the paste hanging around in a bucket before using it and the stuff had started to ferment before it was used and produced some interesting lumps and bumps under the paper. Sourdough anyone?

 

[a twig]

I was told once - but I'm still not sure I wasn't having my leg pulled - that someone had used a paste made of flour and water to hang their wallpaper. Foolishly though they left the paste hanging around in a bucket before using it and the stuff had started to ferment before it was used and produced some interesting lumps and bumps under the paper. Sourdough anyone?

One part flour to two parts water. Beat the wotsits out of it to avoid lumps and add salt to avoid mould. No different to kids papier mâché recipe - but there’s a reason other better products exist