All the traditional papers described in this book have certain qualities that set them apart from vinyls and vinyl-coated papers. Many of today's installers, trained on vinyls or vinyl-coated paper, are unfamiliar with the requirements of traditional wallpaper. This type of substrate is composed of paper which has been strengthened by the addition of resin binder. The inks used also make them less breathable than the other two types. A very heavily coated paper tends to behave like a vinyl.
Wallpapers accept a lot of moisture during the pasting process.
During the pasting, hanging, and contraction process a great deal of stress is put on the paper, which in turn puts a great deal of stress on the wall. Papers readily accept a thin, starchy paste and are easily adhered to the wall. All of these traditional paper types are, to a greater or lesser degree, water-sensitive. This means that although they need to be hung with a high-moisture paste, they need only a certain amount. They can be damaged by excessive amounts of paste, the wrong type of paste, or incorrect hanging techniques.