(edit title) Wallpaper usage in Sweden It's everywhere! Options

[Snood]

Hi Folks,

I wonder if anyone else has noticed how much wallpaper is used here in Sweden? It's something which I find to be quite annoying indeed. I can understand it's use in rented accommodation as it can be used to cover up all sorts of things. I am about to move apartment to a place which was built less than a year ago, the previous and only tenant has lived there for 6 months. To my surprise, the nice new walls in the apartment are, with the exception of the bathroom, wallpapered. Not only are they wallpapered, but it's been done to a pretty shoddy quality with up to 1cm of overlap in places (this seems common in Sweden too).

It's not limited to apartments and houses though. in almost all public places is this odd woven stuff which is then painted. WHY? is there a lack of plasterers? is a smooth plaster wall taxed? I just don't see the reason for it's use in so many places.

There, rant over... for now.

[skogsbo]

It's not limited to apartments and houses though. in almost all public places is this odd woven stuff which is then painted. WHY? is there a lack of plasterers? is a smoot ... (show full quote)

It's not limited to apartments and houses though. in almost all public places is this odd woven stuff which is then painted. WHY? is there a lack of plasterers? is a smooth plaster wall taxed? I just don't see the reason for it's use in so many places.

There, rant over... for now. ... (hide full quote)

in newer places, not sure, perhaps there is a lack of skilled dry liners? Smooth plaster walls don't stay that way forever though!

In older house, or any house made of wood, plasterboarding then skimming just isn't practical. Although invisible to the eye, the houses move through the seasons and any wall would just crack. Plus it is now good to have a solid medium on a wall that you want to breathe, that's why wooden houses last so long.
Those wooden houses that have had a room plastered or tiled, need to have the walls strengthened and a very good tiler etc.. not to mention good sealing/tanking to prevent water getting to the wood. The longer term impact of this on a wooden house won't really show for another 30,40,50 years.. but it's not likely to be good news.

[sometimesinsweden]

From what I've seen amongst friends in Gbg (so outside of this it could be wrong), wallpapering, especially a feature wall, is a relatively new fashion copied from the UK, whereas in the UK, we're reverting back to bare walls and wood!

Not really supposed to wallpaper on plaster walls that are under a year old as they need time to dry out, harden and adjust - use a good quality steamer, rather than a rusty butter knife and hopefully you'll be able to get the paper off without pulling out chunks of plaster.

[gplusa]

That overlapping wallpaper is a common style here in Sweden. I hadn't seen it before coming here. Frankly I think it just looks like someone was either lazy or didn't know what they were doing when hanging wallpaper. The normal, "face to face" wallpaper is called "Easy Up". That being said, even this doesn't seem to be very well mastered. Lot of overlaps in the corners of rooms which I never would have accepted. Many apartment walls are concrete finish, which ar not especially smooth. Function over form. That makes good quality wallpapering a bit tricky without a lot of prep work. Overall, the quality of internal finishing is not very high. In my opinion. But it doesn't worry the average Swede, so I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

[sometimesinsweden]

I personally would never bother wallpapering directly onto concrete - it always looks terrible after a couple of years for the reasons you mention.

I've helped Swedish friends wallpaper, who because they didn't grow up seeing their dad (or mum!) doing it due to different interior fashions of the era, think it's a matter of just slapping a bit of paste on and hanging it - whereas growing up in 1970s with a British father, it's a learned intricate art akin to neurosurgery.

[skogsbo]

yeah, never buy wallpaper that is patterned and needs lining up for your first ever go!

Concrete wall, has to be better to skim them, or use some thick lining paper. I would say plastering is tougher than good wallpapering, but only just.

[gplusa]

I papered over a concrete wall here by putting up something called concrete paper, or something like that. The name escape me now. Anyway, it was a thick heavy construction type paper which covered up a multitude of sins with the concrete wall. Then I could paper over that. I was a bit skeptical about it at first, but figured it was worth the shot as it was only a walk in wardbrobe which I could do over if I needed to, and it was a way to avoid messy plastering dust. Have to say that I was pretty impressed with the result. A nice smooth finish without the mess.

[gplusa]

You can never pay a good plasterer too much money.

[klubbnika]

Hi Folks, I wonder if anyone else has noticed how much wallpaper is used here in Sweden? It's something which I find to be quite annoying indeed. I can understand it's ... (show full quote)

Hi Folks,

I wonder if anyone else has noticed how much wallpaper is used here in Sweden? It's something which I find to be quite annoying indeed. I can understand it's use in rented accommodation as it can be used to cover up all sorts of things. I am about to move apartment to a place which was built less than a year ago, the previous and only tenant has lived there for 6 months. To my surprise, the nice new walls in the apartment are, with the exception of the bathroom, wallpapered. Not only are they wallpapered, but it's been done to a pretty shoddy quality with up to 1cm of overlap in places (this seems common in Sweden too).

It's not limited to apartments and houses though. in almost all public places is this odd woven stuff which is then painted. WHY? is there a lack of plasterers? is a smooth plaster wall taxed? I just don't see the reason for it's use in so many places.

There, rant over... for now. ... (hide full quote)

My advice, Snoody. Stop comparing Sweden to the underdeveloped Britain with its hideous housing standard and irrational and poor interior design.

[skogsbo]

You can never pay a good plasterer too much money.

as a youth I made a bit of pocket money as a plasterer / brickies mixer. I learn a few bits off them, but when I started renovating my own houses over the past 20 years I came to the conclusion that whilst I can plaster, I'm slow and the finish isn't perfect. I was better off paying someone else who I knew was quick and neat, and I went back to being a mixer boy again for them. You're right there are some good ones and they are always in demand.

I will have a look out for that heavy duty liner.

[Bender B Rodriquez]

in almost all public places is this odd woven stuff which is then painted. WHY? is there a lack of plasterers? is a smooth plaster wall taxed? I just don't see the reason ... (show full quote)

in almost all public places is this odd woven stuff which is then painted. WHY? is there a lack of plasterers? is a smooth plaster wall taxed? I just don't see the reason for it's use in so many places. ... (hide full quote)

That woven stuff is a fashion that died out about 20 years ago. The reason for using it was to create texture, i.e. the complete opposite of a plastered wall. The woven wallpaper is usually put on a plastered wall and then painted.

PS. Walls in Swedish homes are rarely plastered, instead one uses ready made plaster boards.

[Snood]

My advice, Snoody. Stop comparing Sweden to the underdeveloped Britain with its hideous housing standard and irrational and poor interior design.

Oh, It's back.

Where did I make a comparison to Britain? now that you mention it, when wallpapering is done in the UK, from what I have seen, it is done to a much better standard, Including the one feature wall that I have done. The attention to detail in finish is also much better from what I have seen.

I never mentioned anything to do with housing standard specifically and for the record almost everything technical about Swedish building standards is, as much as I hate to agree with you, miles (kilometres) better than the UK. However to describe the standard in the UK as hideous indicates you haven't seen many properties owned by middle to high earners or seen much by way of new builds. It is true that old buildings in the UK which haven't had a decent amount of money spent on them... you live in London if I recall? not a great sample I'm afraid.

It is however a very specific part about interiors which I am complaining about here, not building standards.

That woven stuff is a fashion that died out about 20 years ago. The reason for using it was to create texture, i.e. the complete opposite of a plastered wall. The woven wallpa ... (show full quote)

That woven stuff is a fashion that died out about 20 years ago. The reason for using it was to create texture, i.e. the complete opposite of a plastered wall. The woven wallpaper is usually put on a plastered wall and then painted.

PS. Walls in Swedish homes are rarely plastered, instead one uses ready made plaster boards. ... (hide full quote)

20 years ago? wow things haven't been re-decorated round here!

I include plasterboard as plastering too

[gplusa]

And I include plasterboard stopping and finishing as something I will happily pay to have done. If that's wrong, there's no hiding it.

[johnjohn]

Sweden has a long tradition of wallpapering dating back to the 1700's. I have had several houses where the paper was tacked over the wood and after 200 years the colors are vibrant as new due to the use of poisonous pigments like cobalt and arsenic. Ingestion of small amounts can be deadly.

[entry]

They paint over textured wallpaper in Sweden!