How to Choose the Right Wallpaper Material

Choosing the right wallpaper material depends on your wall surface, installation preference, room conditions, design colors, and how long you want the wallpaper to remain installed. Use this guide to compare all seven American Decals wallpaper materials.

Always order a sample first. Wall texture, paint chemistry, wall color, humidity, and surface preparation can affect adhesion and appearance. Test your selected material on the intended wall before ordering a full installation.

Which material should I choose?

Easiest peel and stick: Peel & Stick FABRIC
Greater coverage with a matte textile finish: Peel & Stick PREMIUM
Textured luxury peel and stick: Peel & Stick CANVAS
Water-activated installation: Easy-Hang PREPASTED
Smooth, budget-friendly traditional finish: CLASSIC Traditional
Premium PVC-free canvas texture: SIGNATURE Traditional
Decorative textured traditional finish: GRASSCLOTH Traditional

Which peel-and-stick wallpaper is easiest to install?

Peel & Stick FABRIC is our easiest option for most DIY customers. Its flexible polyester construction and repositionable adhesive make it forgiving while aligning, lifting, and smoothing panels.

Peel & Stick FABRIC — Easiest for most DIY installations.
Flexible, lightweight, removable, and repositionable. It can be carefully lifted and adjusted while installing.
Peel & Stick PREMIUM — Best combination of opacity and repositionability.
A more substantial polyester material offering greater coverage than FABRIC. It is not completely opaque, so a uniformly light wall is still recommended.
Peel & Stick CANVAS — Easy to handle but less forgiving after contact.
Its substantial construction can make panels easier to handle. It allows initial positioning, then develops a permanent adhesive bond; it is less forgiving to adjust as that bond builds.

Which peel and stick has a soft textile appearance?

Peel & Stick FABRIC

Choose Peel & Stick FABRIC for its flexible construction, forgiving installation, and soft textile-like matte appearance. It is our easiest peel-and-stick option for most DIY customers.

Flexible woven polyester fabric with a matte textile finish
Approximately 80% opacity
PVC-free
Removable and repositionable during installation
Best over smooth, properly prepared white or very light-colored walls
Dark paint, wall markings, and overlaps may remain visible beneath very light wallpaper designs
Retain the supplied overlap unless American Decals confirms an alternative seam method for your project
Contact us before using additional paste or changing the supplied installation method

Which peel and stick provides greater wall coverage?

Peel & Stick PREMIUM

Choose PREMIUM when you want a more substantial polyester fabric and greater coverage than our standard FABRIC. Test a sample with your design and wall color before ordering.

Premium 7 mil polyester-based material
Approximately 85–90% opacity; not a complete blockout
Smooth matte-white finish with a refined textile appearance
PVC-free
Removable and repositionable during installation
A uniformly white or very light-colored wall is recommended, especially behind pale designs
More substantial construction than Peel & Stick FABRIC
Retain the supplied overlap unless American Decals confirms an alternative seam method for your project
Contact us before using additional paste or changing the supplied installation method

Which peel and stick has a textured luxury finish?

Peel & Stick CANVAS

Choose CANVAS when you want an embossed canvas texture and a substantial vinyl finish for a lasting installation. Its adhesive allows initial positioning and develops a permanent bond.

Approximately 6 mil textured vinyl wallcovering
Textured white vinyl; evaluate printed coverage with a sample
Matte canvas-inspired texture
Permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive with initial repositionability
Choose for a lasting installation; removal may affect paint or the wall surface
Keep the supplied panel overlap intact
Do not double-cut CANVAS
Do not install CANVAS using traditional wallpaper paste

Which material is activated with water?

Easy-Hang PREPASTED

Choose Easy-Hang PREPASTED when you prefer a water-activated adhesive and a traditional wallpaper installation without purchasing separate paste.

Smooth, PVC-free, fiber-based wallcovering with a low-sheen satin finish
Approximately 6.5 mil thickness
Approximately 96% opacity
Pre-applied paste is activated with water
No separate wallpaper adhesive required
Removal depends on wall preparation, primer and installation; follow the supplied removal instructions
Best for bedrooms, nurseries, living areas, and lower-humidity rooms
Not our preferred option for bathrooms or consistently humid spaces

Which materials require traditional wallpaper paste?

All three of our Traditional materials are unpasted wallpapers. They have no adhesive backing and require compatible wallpaper paste for installation:

CLASSIC Traditional: A budget-friendly, lightweight, PVC-free wallcovering with a smooth finish.
SIGNATURE Traditional: A premium, PVC-free wallcovering with a subtle canvas texture and a more substantial construction.
GRASSCLOTH Traditional: A heavyweight, fabric-backed vinyl wallcovering with a deep grasscloth-inspired texture.

Choose the finish and construction you prefer. All three require a smooth, properly prepared wall and an adhesive appropriate for the selected material. Professional installation is recommended, especially for large or complex projects.

Which traditional material offers a smooth, budget-friendly finish?

CLASSIC Traditional

Choose CLASSIC for a smooth, lightweight, PVC-free wallcovering installed with wallpaper paste. It is a budget-friendly choice for residential spaces and decorative projects with lower traffic.

Lightweight nonwoven construction using wood pulp and natural fibers
Smooth surface for crisp printed detail
PVC-free and breathable
Unpasted; compatible wallpaper adhesive required
Requires a smooth, properly prepared and primed wall
Professional installation is recommended for large or complex projects

Which traditional material offers a premium PVC-free textured finish?

SIGNATURE Traditional

Choose SIGNATURE for a premium unpasted wallcovering with a subtle canvas texture. Its breathable polyester-and-natural-fiber construction creates a refined finish for residential, designer, hospitality, and professional interior projects.

PVC-free wallcovering with a subtle canvas-inspired texture
Contains at least 31% post-consumer recycled content
More substantial construction than CLASSIC Traditional
Breathable surface that allows water vapor to pass through
Requires compatible wallpaper paste and proper wall preparation
Professional installation is strongly recommended

Which traditional material provides the most texture?

GRASSCLOTH Traditional

Choose GRASSCLOTH when surface texture is an important part of the design. Its deeply textured, fabric-backed vinyl construction creates a grasscloth-inspired appearance with dimension and visual depth. This is a woven-look vinyl wallcovering, rather than natural woven grass.

Heavyweight, Type II fabric-backed vinyl wallcovering
Deep grasscloth-inspired surface texture; this material contains vinyl and is not PVC-free
Requires compatible wallpaper paste
Best for feature walls, bedrooms, dining rooms, offices, entryways, and living spaces
Surface texture can affect the appearance of printed colors and fine details
Professional installation is strongly recommended

Which wallpaper should I use in a bathroom with a shower?

For a bathroom with a shower, we recommend traditional wallpaper installed with compatible paste. Discuss the material, wall preparation, adhesive, ventilation, and room conditions with your installer before ordering.

Discuss these traditional options with your installer:

CLASSIC Traditional
SIGNATURE Traditional
GRASSCLOTH Traditional

If you are considering FABRIC or PREMIUM for a bathroom with a shower, contact us before ordering. Do not add wallpaper paste or change the dry, self-adhesive installation method unless American Decals provides instructions for your exact material and project. An alternative installation method can change adhesion and removal behavior.

DO NOT CHOOSE CANVAS FOR A PASTED INSTALLATION

CANVAS is a textured vinyl peel-and-stick material. It should not be installed using traditional wallpaper paste and is not our recommended material for a bathroom with a shower.

Wallpaper should never be installed inside a shower enclosure or where it will receive direct water exposure. The bathroom must have effective ventilation, and the exhaust fan should remain in use until excess moisture has cleared.

A waterproof or water-resistant base material does not make the completed wall waterproof. Moisture can still reach the wall through seams, edges, fixtures, and unsealed areas.

Which wallpaper is best for a half bathroom without a shower?

A half bathroom does not experience regular shower steam, so any of our wallpaper materials may be considered when the walls are smooth, properly prepared, and compatible with the selected installation method.

Choose Peel & Stick FABRIC for the easiest and most forgiving DIY installation.
Choose Peel & Stick PREMIUM for greater opacity, especially with white, ivory, pastel, or other light designs.
Choose Peel & Stick CANVAS for an embossed vinyl texture and a lasting adhesive bond.
Choose Easy-Hang PREPASTED for a water-activated installation.
Choose CLASSIC, SIGNATURE, or GRASSCLOTH Traditional for a pasted, long-term installation.

Which wallpaper material is best for a nursery or children’s room?

Peel & Stick FABRIC is our best overall choice for most nurseries and children’s rooms. It is PVC-free, flexible, repositionable, and printed using GREENGUARD Gold certified inks. Its forgiving installation makes it practical for parents completing a nursery as a DIY project.

Choose Peel & Stick FABRIC for easy installation, a soft textile-like matte appearance, and removable decorating.
Choose Peel & Stick PREMIUM for a more substantial fabric and greater coverage than FABRIC; a uniformly light wall is still recommended.
Choose Easy-Hang PREPASTED when you prefer a PVC-free, water-activated traditional installation.
Choose CLASSIC or SIGNATURE Traditional for a professionally installed, long-term nursery design.

Peel & Stick FABRIC is approximately 80% opaque, so it performs best over white or very light-colored walls. PREMIUM offers greater coverage than FABRIC, but wall color and overlapping printed layers may still show through. Compare printed samples on the actual wall.

All American Decals wallpaper materials are printed using GREENGUARD Gold certified inks. Regardless of material, wallpaper should be installed securely on a properly prepared wall. Loose or lifting edges should be corrected promptly in rooms used by young children.

Which materials are best for white or light wallpaper designs?

For white, ivory, pastel, or other very light designs, opacity is especially important:

Peel & Stick CANVAS: textured white vinyl; confirm coverage using a sample
Peel & Stick PREMIUM: greater coverage than FABRIC, but not completely opaque
Easy-Hang PREPASTED: approximately 96% opacity
Peel & Stick FABRIC: approximately 80% opacity

Wall color, markings, and panel overlaps are more likely to remain visible beneath lower-opacity materials. Test samples directly on the intended wall before selecting a material.

Are all peel-and-stick materials removable?

FABRIC and PREMIUM have removable adhesives, but removal depends on the paint, wall preparation, installation conditions, and time in place. Damage-free removal cannot be guaranteed. CANVAS develops a permanent adhesive bond and should be chosen for a lasting installation.

Can wallpaper be installed on textured walls?

Wallpaper performs best on a clean, smooth, properly prepared wall. Texture can reduce adhesive contact, remain visible beneath the wallpaper, and make seams more noticeable.

Suitability depends on the type and depth of the wall texture, the selected material, and the installation method. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is not recommended for heavily textured walls. Even slight texture can affect adhesive contact or remain visible beneath thinner materials.

Review our guide about installing peel-and-stick wallpaper over textured walls and test a sample on the intended wall before ordering.

How should I prepare the wall?

Make sure the wall is clean, dry, smooth, and properly painted.
Remove dust, grease, and cleaning-product residue.
Wait at least six weeks after painting before installing wallpaper.
Allow additional curing time when required for low-VOC or specialty paints.
Test the selected material and installation method on the intended wall.

Paint chemistry can affect wallpaper adhesion. Stain-resistant, washable, low-VOC, and specialty paint formulations may resist pressure-sensitive adhesives even when the wall appears clean.

Where can I learn about your other product materials?

For a concise overview of wallpaper, wall decals, and coordinating non-adhesive polyester fabric, visit our Wallpaper, Wall Decal & Fabric Materials Guide. This page provides the more detailed wallpaper-selection guidance.

Do material options change over time?

We continually review and improve our material collection, adding suitable new options as they become available. Materials may be added, replaced, or discontinued, so the same options may not always remain available. Check your chosen product listing for current options, and contact us before ordering for reorders, phased projects, or a specific material requirement.

Where can I find installation instructions?

Still unsure which material to order?

Order samples of the materials you are considering and test them directly on the intended wall. You may also contact American Decals or start a conversation through our live chat for help choosing the best option for your project.