Before proceeding, it’s important to assess and test your surface before applying peel and stick wallpaper to your textured walls. The best way to test your surface is to purchase a sample, especially if you are dealing with very thick and textured walls. We recommend keeping your sample on your wall or intended surface for a few days before deciding to move forward with a purchase. This step will allow you to see how much of the texture will peek through and if the wallpaper is able to stick to your walls for an extended period of time. Shop our peel and stick temporary wallpaper designs at Tempaper!
Will Peel and Stick Wallpaper Stick to Textured Walls?
There are many pros associated with peel and stick wallpaper. One main benefit is that our paper can stick to slightly textured walls.
While we can’t guarantee that the rough texture will be completely hidden from view, we can share a few tips and tricks for you to keep in mind if you would like to learn how to cover up textured walls without paint.
Many people choose to embrace textured walls in their homes and some wish to cover it up as best as they can. Those who have chosen to embrace their bumpy walls have found that wall texture does have a few benefits. Textured surfaces can increase visual appeal and help hide surface flaws and imperfections, bulges, etc. For those who are looking to cover unfavorable wall texture, peel and stick wallpaper can be a quick and easy solution.
Understanding the Different Wall Texture Types
Before you begin to wallpaper over your textured walls, it is important to first assess your surface. If it has a light texture, such as a very slight orange peel, your wallpaper will have an easier time sticking and staying. For thicker textures, such as popcorn walls, bumps may still show through the paper or, in some instances, your wallpaper may not stick at all. Here are a few of the most common drywall texture types:
- Popcorn Wall Texture — Gaining its popularity in the early 1960s, popcorn or “cottage cheese” textured walls and ceilings feature bumps with high peaks and low valleys. While this texture is great for concealing imperfections on your wall, it can be difficult to paint or cover-up due to its rough appearance.
- Orange Peel Wall Texture — Just like its name says, this “splattered” wall type resembles the texture of an orange peel. Yet even though it is rough to the touch, this dimpled surface is much smoother than the popular popcorn wall.
- Knockdown Wall Texture — Similar to orange peel, the Knockdown technique goes one step further by flattening any peaks and bumps for a more naturalistic appearance.
- Skip Trowel Wall Texture — This distressed and uneven texture is typically applied with a special curved knife and resembles the popular wall surface type mentioned above, knockdown texture.
- Swirl Wall Texture — While this technique is commonly seen on ceilings, walls may also have the appearance of swirled patterns of half circles.
All wall surfaces and textures vary so it is important to keep in mind that our peel and stick wallpaper may not adhere to any of the above textured wall types. The best thing that you can do is to test the surface with a sample first.
While there are several reasons why wallpaper may not adhere to your textured walls, one of the biggest issues is that too much air gets behind the self-adhesive backing, preventing your wallpaper from sticking. When testing a textured surface, we recommend placing your sample over the area that has the highest amount of texture.
If your sample test is successful, you can move forward and follow our application steps for applying Tempaper removable wallpaper.
Make sure that you thoroughly clean the surface and remove any dirt or debris with a damp cloth. Then, wait until it is completely dry before you begin your project. If there are large bumps noticeably bulging out from the wall, try to use a scraper to remove before applying the wallpaper.
Finding the Best Peel and Stick Temporary Wallpaper for Textured Walls
Even if our wallpaper ends up sticking to your wall, the texture still may show through the print. While we can’t 100% guarantee that you will be able to avoid this, we can share a few recommendations when it comes to finding the best peel and stick wallpaper for textured walls.
First, it is important to mention that quality matters. You’ll want to make sure that you choose thicker wallpaper which will conceal imperfections much better than thinner paper. Next, we recommend choosing a dark color over a lighter one and a busy print over a simple print. If you are looking for the best wallpaper for bumpy or textured walls, here are a few of our wallpaper recommendations for textured walls:
You will find a wide selection of dark patterns on tempaper.com that will work best with your textured walls.
If you prefer brighter colors for your space, we recommend choosing one of our bold and elaborate prints such as Birds of Paradise and Flamingo.
Our eye-catching maximalism wallpaper options at Tempaper demand attention so you can feel more confident that bumps or imperfections will be hidden from sight.
We also suggest textured wallpaper for bumpy or rough surfaces. You’ll discover a wide selection of textured peel and stick wallpaper on our website including Grasscloth and Burlap Wallpaper.
Shop our full selection of textured and shiplap wallpaper here.
Why It’s Important to Try a Sample First
Whether your walls are smooth or textured, we always recommend ordering a sample first. All of our Tempaper wallpaper prints have an option of ordering a sample, which allows you to run multiple tests on your textured wall before making a bigger purchase. Ordering a sample allows you to:
• Compare the design next to your paint swatches and accent pieces
• See how the colorway appears in natural light
• Compare metallic and non-metallic finishes to find the best option for your space
• Determine which corresponding paint colors will look best for adjacent walls or areas
Jaime from C.R.A.F.T chose our Peonies floral peel and stick wallpaper to help cover up a textured wall in her master bedroom. Learn about how she used our self-adhesive wallpaper on her textured walls here.
“Via the Tempaper site, they say not to apply wallpaper to textured walls. Oopsie. I’ve got a toddler and an infant, and no time to un texture my walls. Honestly, though, I have lightly textured walls and it turned out great.” – Jamie from C.R.A.F.T
Try Peel and Stick Temporary Wallpaper From Tempaper
Ready for a change? Tempaper offers a variety of peel and stick temporary wallpaper and wall decals to choose from, no matter your style! So, even if our wallpaper doesn’t work on your textured walls, our durable designs can stick to stair risers, furniture, inside desk drawers and so much more.
You can feel more confident in your buying decision by visualizing how our wallpaper will look in your space before making a purchase. Learn how to use our Wallpaper Visualizer.
How to Apply Peel and Stick Wallpaper
It's easy to transform your space with peel and stick wallpaper. Just peel, place, and embrace transformation.
Before you begin your DIY home project with Tempaper, gather your tools. There are only a few household items required for applying peel and stick wallpaper. We recommend the following:
- Cutting mat
- Straight edge
- Tape measure
- Craft knife
- Squeegee
Next, prep your walls by cleaning the surface with a damp cloth. Then, measure the width and height of your space and cut your panels to size. Make sure to align the pattern!
Remove all outlet covers before getting started. Peel away the self-adhesive backing slightly and begin applying to your wall. Use your squeegee to smooth out any air bubbles, removing more of the self-adhesive backing as you go. You can easily reposition the paper if needed.
Trim around molding and outlets, discarding the excess paper. Replace all outlet covers and enjoy your new space!