How-to-Guide
Grasscloth Wallpaper with paper-backing
DESARDI’s Natural Collection show natural irregularities in weaving and colour because of its natural fibre texture. All of our grasscloth wallpapers are handmade from plant based resources, making each roll unique. These factors contribute to the characteristics and decorative charm, but can make installation more challenging than traditional wallpaper.
Follow the steps below for the best results or download here our Installation instructions.
Surface preparation
Hanging surface must be smooth, undamaged, and free of dirt and moisture.
Thoroughly clean surface of all dirt, grease, and anything that might adversely affect proper installation. Make sure the surface is uniform coloured.Use a primer on porous and absorbing surfaces.
Installation
Slightly moisten the back of the wallpaper with a sponge and cold water and leave it for a few minutes to make the wallpaper more flexible.
Use a strong, preferably pre-mixed adhesive with a low water content and apply this directly to the wall using the paste-the-wall technique. Apply the adhesive evenly to the wall - but as thinly as possible - and not to the wallcovering. Do not use too much adhesive to avoid tears and stains on the wallcovering, but also to prevent the adhesive from penetrating the "paper-back" of the wallpaper and causing stains on the decoration side. Immediately remove excess adhesive with a dry soft cloth.
Further installation guidelines
Carefully inspect the rolls and see if the colours match to your satisfaction. Because of using real natural fibres, leaves and stems, you will definitely notice colour differences and minor imperfections in the materials used. No two bamboo stems are alike, just like no two wooden planks have exactly the same drawing in the wood, no two rolls of wallpaper are identical.
In addition, the fibres, leaves and stems are collected by hand and also woven by hand. Even when the colours match perfectly, there can be colour difference between the rolls. For example, when more fibers are applied, the colour of the fiber will dominate. When fewer fibers are applied in places, the colour of the background will dominate. By checking the rolls for colour differences beforehand, you can use this during the installation.
For example, a somewhat dark roll can be applied next to a window while a more lighter roll is better suited for a dark corner.
In principle, all panels are hung in the same direction. However, if there are slight colour differences visible on similar areas, it is recommended to reverse hang the wallpaper. Reverse hang wallpaper means every panel of wallpaper must be installed in opposite directions from how it comes off the rolls.
Also keep in mind that some fibers are very flexible and others are not at all. If you have a wallpaper with a stiff fiber, small gaps may occasionally remain visible between two panels. With a large colour difference between the back wall and the wallpaper, the most minimal gap can still become visible. In such a case, the advice is to reduce this colour contrast only at the location of the seams of the wallpaper and to colour the back wall.
Stiff fibers cannot be folded and can therefore cause problems with corners or difficult angles.
Do not fold the natural wallpaper, or fold around a corner unless the wallpaper itself is very smooth and flexible. Never work with extra glue to make the wallpaper and the fibers on the wallpaper more flexible, as this will stain the decorative side of the wallpaper.
FAQs
In that case, use the original factory-cut edges to butt up panels together and to avoid seams.
Immediately remove excess adhesive with a dry soft cloth.
Grasscloth, while not as durable as vinyl or printed paper, is more susceptible to stains due to the natural fibers' lower resistance and their relatively delicate nature.
Nevertheless, advancements in manufacturing and stain-resistant technology have mitigated this concern in contemporary products. When cleaning, exercise caution by using a damp cloth, but refrain from excessive rubbing to prevent color removal from the wallpaper.
