Opening seams / joins

There are many reasons for seams to spring or open during the drying process of the wallpaper. ALL wall coverings that have paper as their web or base will expand and relax once wetted, but during the drying process will rely very heavily on the preparation of the substrate to have been carried out correctly to hold the wallpaper in place, not allowing the product to move or open.

Opening seams can occur by the installer:

• Not sanding with the correct grit sandpaper, or not sanding at all.
• Not dusting the entire surface, to remove all dust particles.
• Not sizing the entire surface, so to seal off the porosity of that surface.
• Not sizing the surface at all.
• Stretching the product, during the installation.
• Force drying the product, either by putting a heater or a dehumidifier in the room, or by the heat of the sun coming into a room during or even after installation.
• Using the incorrect paste.
• Applying paste too thinly.
• Use of a seam roller.

All these factors can and do have a bearing on whether the seams will or will not open during the drying process.

To prevent the seams from opening, make sure that all the recommended preparation steps are carried out, as per normal trade practice.

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

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