Ink flaking off

From the wallpaper problem solver - quick reference guide

Occasionally the ink on the decorative surface will begin to flake off following installation. Adhesive contamination is the culprit.

In almost every case, ink flaking is a direct result of the decorative surface having been contaminated with adhesive residue that has been allowed to stay on the surface of the wallcovering and dry. In the case of adhesive drying on the surface, this could take between one week to six months to become apparent.

Wallpaper problem solver - ink flaking off
How to avoid ink flaking off your wallpaper

Care must be taken to prevent contaminating the decorative surface of all wallcoverings during the installation process.

It is most important to wash each strip with clean water to remove excess adhesive as you go. When installing wallcoverings with glossy surfaces, the wallcovering should also be dried immediately following the rinsing procedure to wipe off all residue.

Note: Before trying to remove paste from the surface of the wallcovering, check the direction of the embossment grain.

If the embossment is horizontal it is advisable to remove the paste using horizontal strokes. If the surface is washed vertically when the embossment grain is horizontal, the adhesive contamination problem will be increased rather than solved.

Caution: Always test a sample piece on the wall itself in an inconspicuous place before applying any type of cleaning agent or solution. Even clean water can cause a staining problem on some wallcoverings that may actually look worse than the dried paste itself.

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Thank you to Aspiring Walls for providing the information for this quick reference guide.

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