Ready mixed wallpaper paste

[petek]

I've just bought some wallpaper from a local paint/paper decorating shop, and the assistant said that I should be using ready mixed paste for the paper I was buying as it was a "heavyweight" vinyl. In fact on looking again at the rolls of paper on the shelves, practically all of them regardless of "weight" had a little sticker on recommending that ready mixed paste should be used.

I asked him why and he said the ready mixed paste is PVA based and the manufacturer of the paper would not consider any complaints of poor adhesion unless it was used.

I told him that in 40 years of doing my own decorating I had never had a need to use ready mixed paste whatever the paper, and so I bought a packet or two of Solvite as usual.

I have never come across this stipulation before and wondered if others have any experience of it, or can offer some logical explanation (other than there is more profit margin on ready mix)

Pete

[Simon]

Well he has said the adhesion is better. Also, some vinyl papers are not very absorbent which may cause a problem ? But I wonder how easily you could strip a wall with PVA'd paper on it. Would it "melt" like the normal stuff does with a steam stripper ? Simon.

[Stuart Noble]

AFAIK Solvite is just CMC (carboxymethylcellulose) which IME doesn't always do a good job on the edges of vinyl paper

[NT]

I found that edges stay stuck better if theyre _not_ rolled down. Rolling squeezes most of the glue out, so I guess you end up with less paper to plaster contact area.

Manufacturers love their high margin extras.

NT

[NT]

if you want the pva you can always add a little.

NT

[JohnW]

It took me best part of a day to strip a border I had stuck with Border Adhesive, which is probably the same sort of PVA. I will try never to use such stuff again.

John