Wallcovering 101: Your Essential Guide to Specifying High-Performance Wallcoverings

At The Wallpaper Company, under our Dress Your Wall brand, we believe that understanding wallcoverings is key to creating truly impactful and enduring interior spaces. Whether you're designing for a bustling commercial environment or a sophisticated residential project, choosing the right wallcovering makes all the difference. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential aspects of contract wallcoverings, their construction, key characteristics, and important considerations for your next design.

Understanding Commercial-Grade Wallcoverings

Contract wallcoverings are specifically manufactured for demanding, high-traffic commercial environments. Think hotels, hospitals, corporate offices, educational institutions, retail outlets, and multi-family residential buildings. These products are designed to meet or surpass the rigorous physical and performance characteristics established by federal guidelines, ensuring longevity and durability where it matters most.

The Federal Specification CCC-W-408D provides comprehensive testing guidelines for contract wallcoverings, focusing on 16 crucial characteristics. These include:

• Colorfastness: Resistance to color change from light exposure.

• Washability & Scrubbability: Ability to withstand cleaning.

• Abrasion Resistance: Durability against rubbing or scraping.

• Breaking & Tear Strength: Resistance to tearing and pulling forces.

• Stain Resistance: Ability to repel and release stains.

• Crocking: Resistance to color transfer when rubbed.

• Blocking Resistance: Prevents adhesion between two touching wallcovering surfaces.

• Coating Adhesion: Strength of the bond between the surface and backing.

• Cold Crack & Heat Aging Resistance: Performance under extreme temperatures.

• Flame Spread & Smoke Development: Critical fire safety measures (like ASTM E84 - Class A).

• Shrinkage & Mildew Resistance: Ensures stability and prevents fungal growth.

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) further categorizes contract wallcoverings by type based on their intended use and durability:

• Type I (Light Duty Commercial Grade): Typically 19 oz or less per 54" linear yard, meeting minimum Federal Specification CCC-W-408D requirements. These are often used in areas with light abrasion, such as hotel rooms, private offices, waiting rooms, and ceilings, or for budget-conscious projects.

• Type II (The Industry Standard for Commercial Interiors): This is the most widely specified category for commercial applications, typically ranging from 20-32 oz per 54" linear yard. All Dress Your Wall Type II Vinyl collections, like our popular Naxos, Milos, Bendor, Palermo, Tahiti, Fraga, and Caladium collections, fall into this superior category. Type II wallcoverings meet higher criteria for abrasion resistance, breaking strength, stain resistance, tear resistance, and coating adhesion compared to Type I. They are ideal for a broad range of heavy-traffic applications including hospitality (lobbies, corridors), healthcare (patient rooms, waiting areas), general office spaces, retail environments, educational institutions, and any interior requiring average to heavy scuff resistance.

• Type III (Heavy Duty Commercial Grade): The most robust contract wallcoverings, typically exceeding 33 oz per 54" linear yard. Type III meets the highest federal requirements for abrasion resistance, breaking strength, and tear resistance. While Type II is sufficient for most applications, Type III may be specified for extremely heavy-traffic locations or wainscot areas prone to severe impact, such as hospital corridors, elevator banks, or industrial settings where movable equipment is present.

Specialty Wallcoverings: Beyond the Standard

While Dress Your Wall focuses heavily on high-performance Type II Vinyl, The Wallpaper Company also offers a wide array of specialized wallcovering materials designed for unique aesthetic or functional requirements. These are often chosen for commercial interiors where a dramatic look or specific performance is desired. In cases where greater durability is required, our vinyl wallcoverings can often simulate comparable high-end looks.

• Acoustical Wallcoverings: Designed for sound reduction on vertical surfaces, panels, and operable walls in spaces like meeting rooms, offices, auditoriums, and restaurants. Made predominantly from man-made polyester and olefin fibers, they are tested for sound absorption, yielding a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) rating.

• Cork Wallcoverings: A sustainable choice made from the bark of cork oak trees. Naturally mildew- and rot-resistant, permeable, and offering some sound resistance and insulation. Features variegated textures and natural colorways.

• Grasscloth: Fibers from rapidly renewable plants like abaca, jute, and sisal, dyed and laminated to a paper backing. Offers refined to coarse fibrous textures with natural imperfections and uneven shading, adding organic charm.

• Linen Wallcoverings: Made from strong, rapidly renewable linen fibers. Our linen and linen blend textile wallcoverings offer anti-static, anti-allergenic properties, excellent breathability, and resistance to insects and microbial growth.

• Paperweave Wallcoverings: Similar to other natural wallcoverings but made from woven paper components (cellulose, rayon) with non-toxic dyes, laminated to paper backings. Offers greater consistency in color than other natural materials.

• Silk Wallcoverings: Luxurious and richly colored wallcoverings made of 100% silk. Their shimmering appearance is due to the silk fiber's unique structure, refracting light beautifully. Often features a natural horizontal weave with characteristic slubs.

• Textile Wallcoverings (Synthetic Blends): High-performance synthetic blends (polyester, olefin, rayon) generally laminated to an acrylic backing and treated with stain-resistant finishes. Many meet ACT performance standards for abrasion, flame resistance, and crocking.

• Wood Veneer Wallcoverings: Genuine wood wallcoverings made from veneers of various tree species. Options include flat-cut, quarter-sliced, and reconstituted wood veneers like BildenWood (reconstructed authentic species) and WonderWood (engineered veneers from sustainable farms), offering enhanced consistency in grain and color.

Wallcovering Construction: Layers of Performance

Most Type I, II, and III wallcoverings, including those from Dress Your Wall, consist of three integral layers, each contributing to the product's overall function and performance:

1. Decorative Layer: The topmost and often thinnest layer, where inks are applied to create the design and color. Produced using methods like rotogravure, flexography, or screen printing. This layer may also feature a protective polymer coating for enhanced durability and performance.

2. Intermediate Layer (Ground): Provides the surface onto which the decorative layer is printed. It also sets the background color, which can be white or any other hue depending on the design. The thickness of this layer varies, from less than 1 mil for lighter products to as much as 20 mils for heavyweight, solid vinyl items.

3. Substrate or Backing: This is the foundational layer that adheres directly to the wall. Its composition is crucial for determining the wallcovering's suitability for specific applications and its overall hanging characteristics.

Common Types of Backings:

• Paper Backings: Used on paper-backed vinyls, vinyl coated papers, and various specialty products.

• Woven Fabric Backings: Often referred to as scrim or osnaburg. Scrim is typically used in lighter construction areas, while poly cotton osnaburg backing, as used in all our Type II Vinyl collections, is installed in medium to heavy usage areas, such as commercial building corridors, due to its enhanced stability and tear resistance.

• Nonwoven Fabric Backings: Available in different grades, these offer improved printing techniques while maintaining the necessary tear strength for commercial installations.

• Latex Acrylic Backings: Primarily used on textile wallcoverings to provide stability and enhance hanging qualities.

Pattern Matching and Dye Lots: Ensuring a Flawless Finish

For wallcovering designs with a repeating pattern, understanding pattern match and dye lots is crucial for a seamless installation. The repeat is the vertical distance between one point on the pattern to the next identical point. Patterns may also repeat horizontally.

• Pattern Matching Types:

  • Random Match: Designs with no specific match point. Each strip can be positioned randomly. Examples include stripes, textural patterns, and grasscloths. Often installed with a "Reverse Hang" technique (alternating the top and bottom of each successive strip) to minimize shading or color variations. Random match wallcoverings produce less waste.

  • Straight Match: Design elements align precisely on successive strips. The top of each wallcovering strip starts at the same ceiling line. Typically dictates a "Straight Hang."

  • Drop Match: Patterns where elements align, but not in a straight-across manner.

    • Half Drop Match: Each adjoining strip aligns halfway between the vertical pattern repeat. Every other strip will start at the same ceiling line, creating a diagonal flow.

    • Multiple Drop Match: Requires four or more strips before the vertical design fully repeats.

  • Straight Hang vs. Reverse Hang: Depending on the pattern and/or embossing, each strip may require either a Straight Hang (all strips hung in the same direction) or Reverse Hang (alternating directions) to achieve the best visual result and minimize shading.

    
    

• Dye Lots (Run Numbers): During manufacturing, a dye lot number identifies a specific batch of wallcovering rolls printed together. Different dye lot numbers can signal slight variations in tonal color, vinyl coating, or embossing consistency. It is critically important for installers to check each roll in a shipment to ensure uniformity in color and pattern before installation. Always record pattern and dye lot numbers for future reference. The industry standard recommends hanging three panels and inspecting them for correctness before proceeding with the full installation.

Adhesives: The Foundation for Success

The type of wallcovering adhesive used is vital for a successful and long-lasting installation. Adhesives vary in wet-tack, solids content, open-time (how long it remains workable), strippability, and ease of application. Other considerations include low VOC levels and antimicrobial resistance. Adhesives are typically applied to the back of the wallcovering using a roller or pasting machine. Always consult the manufacturer’s installation instructions for the specific wallcovering and adhesive.

• Cellulose Adhesives: High water content (around 97%), least tacky. Best for lightweight materials like murals, grasscloths, paper-backed corks, and silks.

• Clear Adhesives: Based on natural or synthetic polymers (e.g., wheat, cornstarch). Often "strippable" for use on bare drywall. All-purpose, suitable for a wide variety of wallcoverings from light to heavy types. Offers more open-time and easier cleanup than clay-based adhesives.

• Clay Adhesives: Starch-based with added clay for increased wet-tack and solids. Higher wet-tack and more difficult to clean up than clear adhesives. Developed for hanging fabric-backed, commercial vinyls and wallcoverings requiring superior hold. Lowest water content (40-50%).

• Vinyl-Over-Vinyl (VOV) Adhesives: Intended specifically for commercial applications where new vinyl wallcovering is applied over existing vinyl, or for Mylar and foil materials. Extremely tacky. Important Note: Hanging vinyl over existing vinyl can significantly impact flammability and smoke generation, potentially non-compliant with fire standards. Consult fire safety guidelines before proceeding.

Mold and Mildew Prevention: Addressing Moisture

While wallcovering is sometimes incorrectly blamed for mold and mildew, nearly all instances are due to excessive moisture. To prevent discoloration or wall deterioration, the source of moisture must be identified and eliminated. If moisture infiltration cannot be entirely prevented, considering wallcoverings with higher permeability ratings may be necessary.

Mold and mildew often occur in humid regions when moisture penetrates an outside wall and gets trapped behind non-breathable wallcoverings. Condensation can also form on the backside of non-breathable wallcoverings due to drastic temperature and humidity changes (e.g., in unconditioned hotel rooms).

Factors influencing moisture levels in buildings:

• Building tightness preventing moisture escape.

• Liquid water infiltration from leaks or structural failure.

• Moisture condensation on cold surfaces.

• Moisture generated within the building by occupants.

Strategies to reduce mold and mildew likelihood:

• Use airflow and vapor retarders in exterior walls to keep them dry.

• Avoid multiple layers of wallcoverings to prevent creating multiple vapor retarders.

• Require hydrophobic construction materials with low moisture content.

• Provide positive air pressure to reduce moisture infiltration.

• Exhaust high-moisture areas (e.g., shower rooms) directly outside.

• Balance HVAC systems to maintain constant temperature and low humidity.

• Consider vapor permeable wallcoverings that are breathable.

It is crucial that specifiers, installers, architects, and property owners understand moisture vapor control and its relationship to different wallcovering constructions.

Permeability: Understanding Moisture Flow

Permeability measures the amount of water vapor (moisture) that can pass through a specified material over time, expressed in "perms." Materials with higher perm levels allow more moisture to pass through.

Conventional vinyl wallcoverings offer excellent durability, cleanability, and wall protection due to their low moisture permeability. However, if a building has design or maintenance deficiencies leading to moisture accumulation within a wall, vinyl wallcoverings can act as a vapor barrier, trapping moisture and increasing the risk of mold or damage.

Before installing any wallcovering, all moisture issues and sources of accumulation must be corrected. Mold inhibitors in vinyl, adhesives, or primers will not prevent mold if moisture accumulates. The permeability of conventional vinyl wallcoverings can be enhanced through high-quality perforation or microventing. When properly perforated and installed on a permeable, well-maintained wall surface, vinyl wallcovering will have increased permeability. The ASTM E-96 is a commonly used test procedure for measuring permeability.

NSF/ANSI 342: Your Guide to Sustainable Wallcoverings

In 2008, the Wallcovering Association (WA) partnered with NSF International, an accredited public health and safety organization, to develop the NSF/ANSI 342 Sustainability Standard for Wallcovering Products. This comprehensive, consensus-based standard addresses environmental issues across the entire life cycle of wallcovering products, from raw material extraction through end-of-life disposal.

NSF/ANSI 342 evaluates products based on a point system across six key areas:

1. Product Design

2. Product Manufacturing

3. Long-Term Value

4. End-of-Life Management

5. Corporate Governance

6. Innovation

A unique aspect of this multi-attribute standard is that both a qualified manufacturer and distributor must be certified for a specific product. Points gained by both parties determine the product's certification level: Compliant, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. This standard allows specifiers to quickly and easily identify wallcoverings that meet sustainability criteria and make informed, environmentally conscious decisions.

Partner with The Wallpaper Company for Your Next Project

At The Wallpaper Company, our Dress Your Wall brand is committed to providing industry-leading, high-performance wallcoverings that meet both your aesthetic and functional demands. From our durable Type II vinyl collections like Naxos, Milos, Bendor, Palermo, Tahiti, and Fraga, to our diverse range of specialty options, we have solutions for every commercial and residential application.

To order samples or products and to explore all our wallcovering offerings, please contact your local showroom or visit TheWallpaperCompany.com