Pre-pasted wallpaper -- does the adhesive deteriorate in storage?

[Percival P. Cassidy]

We have some pre-pasted wallpaper we bought about 5 years ago and never used. Now, in a new house, we're trying to use it, but it doesn't want to stick -- not just at the edges, but anywhere. Yes, I have followed the instructions: immerse in water -- reverse rolled -- for no more than

15 seconds, then leave for 5 minutes with the wet pasted surfaces in contact.

The layer of paste seems very thin -- almost non-existent -- and the paper doesn't slide around easily for careful positioning like some other pre-pasted paper I used recently.

Or is this just crappy wallpaper?

Perce

[Eric Scantlebury]

Could be crappy paper or old paper. I've decided after many experiences like yours to just paste the stuff with real paste.

[Norminn]

I did the same, and the results were not great. It is still up, but it was cheap stuff that I kept for several years before tackling the chore. Seams want to loosen just a tiny bit. I bought the same paper, different color, and put it up right away. Borth are in bathrooms. The one I papered right away is fine.

An old pro told me to use half-strength paste to put up pre-pasted paper. The paper I used includes those instructions now. Wallpaper is like paint - no point in using cheap versions of either, as it is too much work to do over again. I plan on this paper lasting for my lifetime (I'm old :o)

[bob kater]

[Bonnett Decorating]

It's called pre-paste activator, dry or redid-mixed. HD stocks it as well as some paint stores.