Wallpaper facts for kids

Wallpaper is a special kind of paper used to cover the walls inside homes and other buildings. People use wallpaper to decorate rooms instead of paint. It comes in rolls and is put onto a wall using a sticky substance called wallpaper paste. Some wallpapers are plain, so you can paint over them, while others have cool pictures or patterns already on them.

The word "wallpaper" also means the background picture you see on a computer monitor or phone screen!

The Story of Wallpaper

Wallpaper first appeared in Europe around the year 1500. Early wallpapers were made to look like fancy rugs or tapestries that people hung on their walls. These wall hangings were popular because they added beautiful pictures to a room.

Soon after, countries like England and France became big producers of wallpaper. For a short time around 1650, wallpaper wasn't used much in England because a religious leader didn't like it. But by 1750, wallpaper was back in style! More and more people started using it, and the ways to make it got much better.

How to Remove Old Wallpaper

Sometimes, you need to take old wallpaper off the walls. Here are a few ways to do it:

Using Water

Water is often the easiest way to remove wallpaper. When water soaks into the wallpaper, it makes the paste underneath less sticky. This helps the wallpaper peel right off the wall.

Using Special Chemicals

If the wallpaper paste is very strong, water might not be enough. In these cases, special chemicals are used. These chemicals are designed to break down the strong paste, making it easy to remove the wallpaper. Usually, only newer types of wallpaper need these stronger chemicals.

Using Steam

Very hot water, or steam, can also make removing wallpaper much easier. There are special machines that turn water into steam. You hold this machine against the wallpaper, and the hot steam helps loosen the paste, allowing you to scrape the wallpaper off.

Images for kids

• 

  The traditional hand-blocking technique, France in 1877

• 

  Hand-painted Chinese wallpaper showing a funeral procession, made for the European market, c. 1780

• 

  "Artichoke" wallpaper by Morris and Co, designed by John Henry Dearle

• 

  Wallpaper on the wall of the apartment

• 

  'Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique', panels 1-10 of woodblock printed wallpaper designed by Jean-Gabriel Charvet and manufactured by Joseph Dufour

See also

In Spanish: Papel pintado para niños