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How to use non-woven wallpaper paste

Updated: 17 October 2026

You have the paper and a pack of paste, and the first length is the one that teaches the rest of the wall. Non-woven wallpaper hangs dry onto paste on the wall. You do not soak the back, and you do not set up a pasting table for this backing. Mix only to the table on the packet in your hand, paste one length at a time, and wipe the face while the adhesive is still wet. If the plaster is blown, the drop is a stairwell, or mould is more than a small patch you can wash and dry, stop and book a decorator before you mix. Product ranks stay on the [non-woven wallpaper paste comparison](/hub/painting-supplies/non-woven-wallpaper-paste).

You have the paper and a pack of paste, and the first length is the one that teaches the rest of the wall. Non-woven wallpaper hangs dry onto paste on the wall.

Our top picks

Decex SupaDec ready mixed 2.5 kg

Best overall

Decex SupaDec ready mixed 2.5 kg
10.0/10about £19.99
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Solvite Solvite Paste the Wall 5 roll

Rank 2

Solvite Solvite Paste the Wall 5 roll
9.4/10about £7.28
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Solvite Solvite Paste the Wall 10 roll

Preis-Tipp

Solvite Solvite Paste the Wall 10 roll
9.2/10about £11.00
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On this page
  1. 1.Paste the wall, not the paper
  2. 2.Prepare the wall, then stop if it is damp
  3. 3.Mix what this packet says
  4. 4.Hang one length and wipe the face

Paste the wall, not the paper

The method is short. Stir the paste, coat the wall slightly wider than the length, offer the dry paper to the wet wall, and work the air out from the middle. Cloudberry Living’s notes say paste one drop plus about 10 to 20 cm, do not paste the whole wall in advance, butt the joins, and do not stretch the edge to close a gap. John Mark Ltd warns that paste on the face damages the print. Sponge it off while it is still moist. Your sachet can follow the same geometry if the packet says paste-the-wall or non-woven. A length that you stretch can open again as the wall dries. If the wall is still gloss, bare filler, or visibly damp, prep comes first. The buying guide is where you confirm the packet matches the backing.

Prepare the wall, then stop if it is damp

Strip old paper, wash off old paste, fill cracks, and let the filler dry. A wall that is still drinking water out of the paste will grab the edge and starve the middle. Milton and King say not to hang on new or absorbent plaster until it is primed. Gloss and silk paint need a key, or the length slides and then lets go. Stop if the wall is damp or mouldy. Do not paper over mould. A small washable patch can be treated with a fungicidal wash that carries an approval number, then left to dry. Blown plaster, or a stairwell you cannot reach safely, is a decorator’s job before any paste is mixed. Ventilate while you mix and hang, and do not breathe the powder.
Decex SupaDec ready mixed 2.5 kg

Testsieger

Decex SupaDec ready mixed 2.5 kg
10.0/10about £19.99
View offer

Mix what this packet says

Use the water printed on your sachet or tub. Do not borrow the ratio from another brand or from a different pack weight. The amazon.co.uk bullets for Solvite paste-the-wall say a 20-second mix and ready in about 2 minutes. They do not print the litres. Home Care Essentials prints 6 litres of cold water for a 230 g flake pack, with a 90-second stand, for about 3 to 5 rolls. That table is the wrong number to tip into a Metylan pack, and the 474 g listing is a different fill. If your Metylan pack has no English table, stop. UK review texts say the insert was not in English. Stir through the bottom of the bucket. Lumps follow a quick stir on the Solvite 230 g reviews.

Hang one length and wipe the face

Paste a band a little wider than the paper. Cloudberry’s 10 to 20 cm past the length is enough to meet the next drop, not a whole wall that skins over. Set the top, smooth from the centre, and butt the seam. Do not pull the edge sideways to hide a gap. Wipe paste off the face with a damp sponge while it is moist. If the paste is lumpy on the wall, pull that length off while it is wet and remix. The Solvite extract includes a ceiling where the length would not slide. One length at a time keeps the open time honest. Do not force the heating onto a wet hang and then shut the door. When you are counting a second room, use the coverage page.

Common questions

Do I paste the wall or the back of the non-woven?
Paste the wall. The length goes up dry. That is the paste-the-wall method Cloudberry, John Mark, and the Solvite paste-the-wall listings describe for non-woven. Pasting the back and soaking it is the older paper method, and it can over-wet a non-woven that was not made for a soak. Paste a little wider than the drop, hang, and butt the join.
How much water for Solvite paste the wall?
The amazon.co.uk bullets in this set do not print the litres. They say the paste mixes in about 20 seconds and is ready in about 2 minutes. Home Care Essentials prints 6 litres of cold water for a 230 g flake pack, with a 90-second stand and a cover of about 3 to 5 rolls.
Can I use the same water for Metylan?
No. Metylan’s bullets say ready in 3 to 5 minutes and state grams and square metres, not Solvite’s retailer litres. Copying 6 litres into a 180 g or 360 g Metylan pack is how you get a thin mix. UK reviews on those listings say the instructions were not in English, and one 180 g review describes a first mix that was too thin.
Should I use a roller or a brush?
Either tool can spread paste-the-wall adhesive, and the packet rarely makes the choice for you. A roller is what several ROMAN reviews mention for covering a drop quickly and evenly. A brush is what comes in the SupaDec bundle, and it is easier in corners and behind a radiator. Whichever you use, keep the coat even.
What if the paste goes lumpy?
Stop and stir. UK reviews on the Solvite 230 g sachet say lumps follow a mix that was not stirred through. Fish the lumps out or whisk again after the stand the packet asks for. If you have already hung over a lump, take that length down while it is wet, clean the wall, and rehang.
When should a decorator take over?
Book one before you mix if the plaster is blown or damp, if mould is more than a small patch you can wash and dry, or if the drop is a stairwell or ceiling you cannot hang safely. Also stop if the wallpaper label names a specialist adhesive you do not have, or if the only instructions in the box are in a language you cannot mix from.

Related pages

Wallpaper paste comparison

Non-woven wallpaper paste

Best non-woven wallpaper paste for a normal UK room

Paste the wall adhesive: the checks before you buy

How much wallpaper paste do I need for non-woven paper

Ready mixed wallpaper paste or powder for non-woven

Sources

Public UK sources on biocidal labelling, CLP, ventilation, indoor air, consumer rights, a Solvite mix table and hanging limits. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines in the seven listings dated 16 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. HSE, biocidal product labelling (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSE, GB CLP enforcement (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. HSE, coatings and painting FAQ (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. DEFRA, indoor air quality review (2022) (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Home Care Essentials, Solvite Paste the Wall flakes 230 g (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Milton and King, non-woven installation sheet (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Rhondda Cynon Taf, condensation and mould leaflet (retrieved 16 October 2026)