It's a guessing game, based on experience. PWC spoke with several specialty wallcovering manufacturers, as well as some experienced contractors. Following are their top tips on some of the products you might not see everyday. Keep it clean. Paste, dirt, and even oils from your hands can damage delicate fabrics like silk.
Some contractors wear white cotton gloves to minimize the risk.
Keith keeps a supply of cornstarch nearby. When working with fabrics, Keith finds it helpful to dry-hang, applying the paste to the wall. Don't put pressure on the wall with a fingertip or a tool point, because then you'll have adhesive bleedthrough at that point. Another way to minimize the amount of adhesive bleedthrough, said David Welker, is to make sure the application of paste is not thicker than the fabric itself. Back it up.