How Many Years Does Wallpaper Last?

A quality wallpaper hung with the right paste on a properly prepared wall usually lasts 10–15 years. What shortens its life is mostly not the paper itself but damp, sunlight and rushed installation.

Four things that decide its life

• Material: vinyl-surfaced and non-woven papers last noticeably longer than thin paper-backed ones.
• Wall preparation: on an unprimed, dusty or damp wall even the best paper opens at the seams within a few years.
• Use of the room: walls in hallways, children's rooms and kitchens wear faster.
• Sunlight: paper with low light fastness loses colour in a sunny room.

Signs that it is time to replace it

Open seams, lifting corners, bubbles on the surface, stains that will not wipe off and a difference in tone between the wall behind a picture and the exposed surface all show that the paper has reached the end of its life. If there is a damp patch on the wall, deal with the source of the damp first, or the new paper will fail in the same place.

To make it last longer

Air the room regularly, keep furniture from rubbing against the wall, wipe stains straight away and have an open seam glued back before it grows. When it is time to redecorate, non-woven paper strips off dry and the wall usually does not need replastering.

Does wallpaper last longer than paint?

Usually, yes. A painted wall is redone more often as it marks and scuffs, while a washable wallpaper costs more at the start but stays up for years without replacing.

If you are not sure about the state of your old wallpaper, Erdağ Yapı checks the wall during the survey and, if needed, gives a quote for removal and re-hanging.