Yes, You Can Use Wallpaper in the Bathroom

Using wallpaper in bathrooms can add unexpected color and design appeal to the space. It’s common to think that wallpaper can’t be used in a humid, wet bathroom but with proper preparation and the right type of product for the environment, you can use wallpaper in the bathroom. Learn how to incorporate wallpaper in the bathroom during your next remodel.

Is Wallpaper in the Bathroom a Good Idea?

Bathrooms are inherently prone to humidity, water splashes, heat, and mold, all of which are unfriendly to paper wallpaper. Organic materials like wood and paper do not work well with water. However, preparing the bathroom wall correctly, using the correct wallpaper, and managing moisture and temperature make wallpapering a bathroom a possibility.

Bathroom Wallpaper Pros and Cons

Types of Wallpaper to Use in the Bathroom

Use either treated paper wallpaper or 100 percent vinyl wallpaper in the bathroom. Here are the qualities and differences of each type of wallpaper.

Paper Wallpaper

Traditional paper wallpaper applied with paste (adhesive) has the greatest range of designs and choices, including gorgeous and unique designer papers. It’s also the type of paper most prone to water damage.

Paper wallpaper can either be dry-backed (requiring separate adhesive) or pre-pasted (not self-adhesive but a type of adhesive that’s activated by water).

Treat the wallpaper’s surface with flat or satin decorator’s varnish after it’s installed, which protects and seals without changing the look of the paper. Seal all edges to make sure that water does not seep in through the back.

Vinyl Wallpaper

Peel-and-stick wallpaper has long been a favorite of renters and anyone who wants to keep their wallpaper choice flexible. Vinyl wallpaper comes in enough colors, designs, and textures to suit every style—every solid color, plus patterns and images like damask, grasscloth, marble, masonry, linen, and more.

Peel-and-stick’s low-tack self-adhesive backing does make it easier to remove when the time comes. But its main value for bathrooms is that it’s 100 percent vinyl. With no paper content to degrade or develop mold, peel-and-stick wallpaper is ideal for high-moisture environments like full baths.

Bathroom Wallpaper: Concerns and Fixes

It’s important to manage bathroom humidity, water, and heat to use wallpaper successfully in the bathroom. Here’s how to handle wallpaper in a bathroom.

General Bathroom Humidity

• Install a high-velocity bathroom exhaust fan.
• Install a built-in infrared heater in the ceiling.
• Wire the fan and light switch in tandem to automatically turn on the fan when anyone uses the bathroom.
• Use a dehumidifier.

Water Splashes Near Shower/Tub

• Maintain a wall buffer alongside the shower/bathtub.
• Paint the buffer with interior paint or cover with tile.
• Avoid wallpapering the space between the ceiling and the shower/tub surround.

Water Splashes Above Sink

• Install a high backsplash behind the bathroom sink.
• Make sure the sink faucet has a properly working aerator to minimize splashes.

Bathroom Heat

• Turn down the water heater temperature setting.
• Install a window or skylight in the bathroom.
• Install an exhaust fan only, minus the infrared heat component.
• Crack open the bathroom door to help the exhaust fan draw air.

Bathroom Wallpaper Installation Overview

Hanging pre-pasted paper wallpaper in the bathroom means correctly preparing the wall.

1. Prepare Wall

   Avoid applying the wallpaper to porous or textured walls, unpainted drywall or plaster, or high-gloss paint. Start with a smooth, flat surface. The wall must be spotlessly clean.

   Tip

   It’s always a good idea to use wallpaper primer for your bathroom walls. Read the product’s label to make sure you are getting the right primer for the type of wallpaper you are hanging.

2. Dampen Wallpaper

   Spritz the back of the wallpaper using water in a spray bottle. Cover all areas, especially the edges.

3. Book Wallpaper

   The technique called booking activates the adhesive while preventing the glue from drying out. Drape each panel inward on itself. Leave it like that for about five minutes.

4. Lay and Smooth Wallpaper

   Using a laser line as a guide and starting at the top, lay the wallpaper panels on the wall. Use the wallpaper smoother to help the paper stick and to push out air bubbles.

5. Coat Wallpaper

   Brush or roll the decorator’s varnish over the wallpaper for long-term protection. The varnish will apply milky-white but dry clear.

6. Protect Wallpaper Edges and Seams

   Use clear silicone caulk to fill between the wallpaper and baseboards. Fix all curling or lifting seams with seam sealant.