9 Reasons Why Wallpapers Are So Expensive

If you’re the type of person who wants to make a statement with your home, you may choose to use wallpapers on your walls. Of course, realizing any unique, high-quality, eye-catching design feature can cost something.

Wallpapers can be quite expensive, and here are some reasons why:

1. The material that wallpapers are made of can be expensive.
2. Some manufacturing processes are more costly.
3. Expensive wallpapers are usually wider and thicker.
4. Wallpapers are more durable than paint.
5. Additional features make wallpapers more costly.
6. Some brand names are more expensive.
7. The preparation before wallpapering can be extensive.
8. Professional installation is recommended.
9. “Repairing” wallpaper means re-wallpapering the entire wall.

This article explains each reason in detail. You may also wonder if using wallpapers is worth the cost, how it compares to paint, and what alternatives you should consider. This article helps answer all of these questions.

1. The material that wallpapers are made of can be expensive

Wallpapers are not just made of paper. There are various materials to choose from. The most common and easiest to find is vinyl, which is durable and easy to install and clean. Anything other than vinyl wallpapers usually has a higher price:

Grasscloth Wallpaper

This one is handwoven and made of natural materials, which makes it more expensive. This is a way to give your space a natural texture. This type of wallpaper can last a long time and is usually paintable as well.

However, grass wallpapers should be kept away from water and moisture as they can easily leave water stains. Therefore, it’s best not to choose this type for a bathroom, your kitchen, or a nursery.

Here’s one you can get on Amazon.com: Grasscloth Wallpaper by York Wallcoverings. It is easy to install and washable. It also has great consumer ratings.

Foil or Metallic Wallpaper

Foil wallpapers are made, as the name suggests, from a thin metal foil with a paper backing. It’s a way to give your walls some bling and shine.

However, its reflective surface highlights any imperfections on your wall. Therefore, it’s best not to skip good wall preparation and lining paper. It can also accumulate scratches easily.

Metal wallpapers are also made of non-breathable material. This can cause mold to form underneath.

This self-adhesive Art3D Metal Backsplash from Amazon.com is great for your kitchen. It comes in self-adhesive tile sheets, making it easy to install. It also has a modern design.

Flock Wallpaper

This wallpaper has raised, velvety-feeling patterns made of flock. Flock is another way to give your wall surface some texture.

During installation, you’ll need to be careful to vacuum up any stray flock particles that can create undesirable bumps on the surface of your wallpaper. This type is also difficult to keep clean as strong chemicals and scrubbing can quickly affect its appearance.

If you’re looking for chic wallpapers, check out the Graham & Brown Skulls Wallpaper available on Amazon.com. It has skull prints that suit your unique taste.

Fabric Wallpaper

This one is made from fabric panels that you can stick to your walls using liquid starch instead of your traditional wallpaper paste or adhesive. It can be removed cleanly with a damp sponge and is breathable, hence not susceptible to mold.

The installation can be tricky as you need to stretch the fabric while adhering it to the wall. However, excessive stretching can distort the design.

Fabric wallpapers can also yellow and discolor if exposed to too much heat and sunlight.

2. Some manufacturing processes are more costly

Wallpapers can be either handprinted or machine-printed. Handmade designs are labor-intensive and therefore more expensive than machine-printed ones.

• Block printed wallpaper ($$$$): Block printing uses a stamp to hand-print the design/pattern onto the paper. The more colors a design uses, the longer it takes as each color requires a new block and several hours of drying time in between.
• Hand-screened wallpaper ($$$$): This method is also done by hand. Here, the paper is laid out on a long table. A screen with the design is placed on top of it. Ink is then poured over it and smoothed out with a squeegee. Like block printed wallpapers, each color layer needs to dry before the next one is applied.
• Surface-printed wallpaper ($$$): This is the first mechanical manufacturing process introduced for making wallpapers. It’s block printing but with a machine instead of a person. It’s also a wet-on-wet process, so the long wait time for layers to dry is eliminated. Although it’s cheaper because it’s mechanized and takes less time, patterns are difficult to replicate as each color is mixed by the estimation of the human eye.
• Rotary screen-printed wallpaper ($$$): Rich colors are printed onto the paper using a roller, essentially making it the mechanized version of hand-screened wallpaper. Similarly, it’s a dry-on-dry process, so it needs time and more ink compared to your hand-screened method.
• Gravure print wallpaper ($$): It’s similar to rotary screen, but the roller is more sophisticated. It’s made of copper and laser-cut to varying depths depending on the design. Gravure allows transferring different amounts of ink onto the paper, depending on the desired color tone. While the roller is expensive to produce, it’s durable, long-lasting, and can create fascinating and intricate designs.
• Digital printed wallpaper ($): Digital printing is the most cost-effective method for printing wallpaper designs. Modern technology has allowed us to print the most detailed and intricate designs. Anything you can imagine can be printed and stuck to your wall.

However, the quality can vary, and you may end up with lousy wallpapers or pixelated designs if you have a low-quality image or poor printer.

3. Expensive wallpapers are tend to be wider or thicker

To put it simply, wider or thicker wallpapers require more material, hence the higher costs.

Higher-quality wallpapers are usually also thicker to cover some imperfections on your wall without having the bumps or cracks show through the paper. Being thicker also means a professional wallpaper hanger can “bury” the seams of each roll, making them almost invisible.

They are also wider, not just thicker. These make it difficult for normal or inexperienced wallpaper hangers to install them, so you’ll need to hire a professional to achieve the best results.

4. Wallpapers are more durable than paint

In general, wallpapers last longer than paint and are more durable. If avoiding damp areas and wallpapers are properly applied and maintained, they can last up to 15 years. Paint typically lasts up to 10 years and may require touch-ups sooner.

Wallpapers do not tear or chip like paint when it’s damaged, and they can withstand heavy traffic as well.

5. Additional features make wallpapers more expensive

Various features make wallpapers easier to install, maintain, or more long-lasting. Each additional feature can increase the cost. Some of these features are:

• Washable or scrubbable: Easier to clean and maintain.
• Moisture-resistant: Makes it better suited for rooms like the bathroom and kitchen.
• Paintable: Makes your wallpaper even more customizable.
• Peel and stick: No need to apply separate adhesive to the wall or the paper.
• Removable: Much easier to remove the wallpaper with this feature compared to other wallpapers that need strong chemicals and a lot of effort to remove or peel off.
• Repositionable: Makes correcting installation mistakes much easier.

This RoomMates Tile Wallpaper from Amazon.com is an excellent choice. It is washable and repositionable. It is also the best choice if you’re temporarily staying in a rental as it leaves no residue.

6. Some brand names are more expensive

Like almost everything manufactured, luxury brands sell their wallpapers at a much higher price than the selection you can find at Home Depot. Brand wallpapers can have a very unique design or much higher quality. Sometimes, it really can just be the brand.

• Ralph Lauren
• Scalamandre
• Schumacher

7. The preparation before wallpapering can be extensive

You may be excited to spruce up your space and hang the new wallpaper on the wall, but for the best results, you need to properly prepare your wall before attempting to put it up.

Usually, this involves:

• Removing old wallpaper from the walls before applying the new wallpaper.
• Applying primer paint to cover up cracks on the wall.
• De-glossing any existing paints on the walls that can prevent the wallpaper from adhering well. This requires sanding all textures.
• Using lining paper to cover minor imperfections and stains on the walls, so they don’t show through your wallpaper. Lining paper also helps reduce the likelihood of your wallpaper shrinking.

8. Professional installation is recommended

With higher-quality wallpapers or wall murals, these tend to be wider, thicker, and heavier. These make it difficult, if not impossible, for an inexperienced wallpaper hanger or just a DIYer to properly install them.

It’s always best to hire a professional to do the installation to achieve the best results. You wouldn’t want to waste the money you spent on buying high-quality paper if your wallpaper is not hung properly.

Professional hangers have the proper equipment and tools, as well as the experience and know-how, to ensure that your wallpaper adheres nicely to your wall.

9. “Repairing” wallpaper means re-wallpapering the entire wall

Proper installation, good maintenance, and additional features will go miles to extend the lifespan of your wallpaper. However, damages and wearing over time are sometimes unavoidable.

Damages can manifest in cracks, scratches, peeling, stains, and discoloration. If that happens only on part of your wall, you can’t just repair that part and replace the wallpaper there.

Even though you buy the same pattern from the same store or the same brand, the new paper will look noticeably different when applied next to the older paper. Patterns can be discontinued or no longer available when you need replacements.

Some wallpapers are handprinted or hand-painted and impossible to replicate as well.

Is wallpaper worth its price?

Wallpapers are worth the cost because they are customizable and last longer than paint. However, it is expensive and costs even more to have it professionally installed. The prices can go even higher depending on the size of the room to wallpaper and the effort for wall preparation.

It is commonly known that decorating a room with good-quality wallpaper costs at least twice as much as using paint.

The expenses for wallpapers are worth it, especially when you consider these benefits:

• Lasts longer than paint: Although the upfront cost of wallpapers is higher, wallpapers last longer, so the replacement is significantly longer. Interior walls need repainting every 5-10 years, whereas wallpapers can last up to 15 years.
• High durability: With today’s technology, wallpapers can be wipeable, washable, scrubbable, moisture resistant, removable, and easily repositionable if installation mistakes are made.
• Very distinctive and customizable: You can’t achieve the same level of detail and design freedom with painted wallpapers. If you can imagine it, you can have it printed and stuck to your wall.

Alternatives to wallpapers

If you still don’t have the budget to wallpaper an entire room, you can save costs by creating an accent wall. Choose only one wall or a portion of a wall to wallpaper. The rest of the walls can be painted.

If wallpaper isn’t for you but you still want to achieve something similar, here are some DIY examples you can apply instead of wallpaper:

Paint Your Pattern

Many hardware and home improvement stores sell rolls, blocks, and stencils that allow you to paint your wall, giving it the look of wallpaper.

The Bueer Paint Rubber Roller from Amazon.com is an excellent example. You can choose from various different patterns that suit your style.

Vinyl Decals

If applying wallpapers to the walls, or even just one wall, seems too much, vinyl decals can be an option for you. They allow you to add all kinds of designs to a part or parts of a room. Decals can be anything from names, quotes, logos, animal silhouettes, to building silhouettes.

If you can’t have wallpaper, why not try this great tree design wall decal from Amazon.com: Wall Decal Studio Queen. The quality and customer feedback are excellent!

Conclusion

The price of wallpaper is generally twice as much as paint. With manufacturing costs, durability, features, size, and brand, it can go even higher. You also need to include professional installation in your budget.

While wallpapers are expensive, they can be worth it. Compared to paint, it lasts longer and offers the opportunity to have more detailed and intricate designs to choose from.

If wallpapers aren’t for you, other alternatives can simulate the look of wallpapers or decorate parts of your wall.