The Difference Between Adhesive or Peel and Stick Wallpaper.

As a beginner DIYer I had NO idea how to use wallpaper when I bought it. I didn’t even realize there were multiple ways to apply it. I learned a ton from both experiences and I’m hoping my realizations might help you to discover the difference between adhesive or peel and stick wallpaper and which one you should use for your project.

If you’ve followed me on Instagram, you might have learned that I tend to learn things the hard way. This is exactly how it went down with my experience in Wallpaper. 🙃

So, if you’re considering what type of wallpaper to buy, let me give you my 2 cents before you spend your $$. Maybe it will persuade you one way or another.

Let’s compare the two.

Adhesive Wallpaper:

• Long Lasting – If applied correctly, I believe this will last a lot longer than peel and stick and the quality will not deteriorate as fast. [When I did my faux Brick adhesive wallpaper, I ended up having to start over and it was a … (not Godly appropriate word insert here) to take off. I had to run to the store to actually buy tools to remove the wallpaper quicker… lesson learned…] but I was super confident that once done right, it would stay up as long as I wanted it to. When applying my peel & stick wallpaper, I noticed how easy it was to remove from the wall, maybe a little too easy. So the durability is stronger with adhesive.
• Good quality paper – this wallpaper seemed to be sturdier and heavier than my peel and stick. I could tell that once I put that baby up on my wall, it would look and feel expensive. (Even though it was nearly the same price as my peel & stick).
• Greater Pride – Say what Kayla? Well have you heard the phrase ‘The greater the work, the greater the appreciation’?? Maybe not, because I literally just made that up. But that seriously was me. The harder the project is for me, the greater the hurdle, etc, once I overcome it, I have the greatest pride and appreciation for what I created. You’ll get that sense of pride with adhesive wallpaper. So if you like that feeling of overcoming challenges, I think Adhesive wallpaper will give you what you’re looking for. 😉

Peel & Stick Wallpaper:

• Faster & Easier to Apply – Adhesive, though nice in quality takes a heck of a lot more time. You need to apply the adhesive to the wallpaper, let it sit so that it expands, and then apply it to the wall. You have to work quick so that the adhesive doesn’t dry. Otherwise you need to apply more adhesive while you’re applying it to the wall.
• Less Messy – When applying adhesive wallpaper, you need to have a bucket of warm/hot water & a rag on hand. Adhesive will get on the front side of your wallpaper, and you’ll need to wash it off before it dries. It gets messy. You’ll go through a lot of rags and multiple trips the sink to refresh your bowl with warm/hot water. With peel & stick, that’s not even necessary, and it’s SUPER nice.
• Less Bubbles– When applying the adhesive I constantly had issues with bubbling. Maybe it’s because my adhesive application was either too little or too much. However, with peel & stick wallpaper, I literally used my hand to smooth out the wallpaper. It rarely created bubbles. It was such a relief!
• Easier to cut – Cutting peel & stick was like cutting through a warm temperature slab of butter. Whereas with the adhesive wallpaper, it felt like trying to tear a hole in a shirt sometimes. The reason being is you need to cut the wallpaper while the adhesive is wet, and that was messy, and not as clean of a cut as my peel & stick wallpaper.
• Renter Friendly & Great for Temporary home projects – I have heard that most peel & stick is easier to remove, and thus would give you a great option if you don’t want to move towards a more permanent fix in your home.

Well there you have it! I hope this article gives you a little insight on what to expect with your first wallpaper project. I may have left some things out, but what I wrote down is what I experienced and wanted to share.

Any other questions, leave a comment or send me a DM on Instagram @ourfamilymaison 😘