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Can You Put Wallpaper on Plywood? (Quick Answers)

Long-lasting wallpapers can easily be used on plywood surfaces. Though plywoods are porous in nature, proper sanding and priming make them suitable for home-usage. Because primers make any surface smoother and even.

Wallpaper on plywood

You can easily put wallpaper on plywood. But you need to properly sand and prime your plywood before installing wallpaper. Because the surface of plywoods is porous.  The adhesive glue and tools should be of good quality and brand. Otherwise, the wallpaper would be peeled off from the plywood.

Plywoods basically Plywoods are porous in nature. So, it would not be easy to attach the wallpaper to them. But they are actually considered ideal for wallpaper when appropriately primed.

Proper sanding and priming are necessary before installing wallpaper to smoothen the surface of the plywood. 

Artistic feature:

Plywood is most commonly associated with construction and furniture manufacture. However, the many forms of this wood product have numerous other applications, including those that are less widely known. 

Plywood’s immense surface area and dimensional stability make it perfect for various artistic applications, including installation beneath wallpaper.

Under the wallpaper, they provide a strong and stable base as well as a good surface suitable for installing wallpapers. 

The surface of the plywoods is basically porous. But there are certain materials such as maple, oak and walnut plywood which provide the better result on wallpaper.

Easy to smoothen for wallpaper installment:

Wallpapers usually require a smooth surface for a proper installment. Otherwise, air bumps or uneven surfaces may be visible on the wallpaper. It would obviously minimize the beauty.

For this reason, wallpapers need to be installed on an even smooth surface. Despite plywoods being porous in nature, they can be easily made smooth by sanding and priming. 

For sanding, a good quality tool should be used. Otherwise, the task will be left incomplete and mess. The primer should also be of good quality and brand. Primer is required for a smooth base on which the wallpaper would stick well.

In order to prevent the wallpaper adhesive from soaking too deeply into the wood, it is preferable to use a fast-drying shellac-based primer for this, as an acrylic primer must be exposed for a prolonged duration to allow the paint to finish outgassing.

Does wallpaper adhesive stick to wood? 

You can easily adhere wallpapers to wood. However, some preparation may be required depending on the type of wood. The smoother the wooden surface, the better the wallpaper will adhere to it, and the better the ultimate result will seem. 

Birch plywood is the most effective, considering the texture of its surface. Compared to most other varieties of wood, it is naturally relatively smooth. And for this reason, birch is the widely used plywood for installing wallpapers.

If the wooden surface is not smooth or plain, you must prepare it before applying any wallpaper. This preparation is accomplished by applying primer to the wooden surface.

A primer will prepare the surface for various things, such as painting. Plywoods with too much pores require more primers. 

Can you use vinyl peel and stick wallpaper on plywood? 

If self-adhesive wallpapers are adequately installed and left alone, they sustain for a longer time. So yes, you can use vinyl peel and stick wallpapers on plywood. But make sure that the surface of plywood is smooth and even enough for wallpapers.

Wallpapers sustain longer on an even and smooth surface. So, it doesn’t matter whether you are using a regular wallpaper or peel and stick wallpaper. Your primary task is to sand and prime your base correctly. 

The porous nature of plywood requires proper priming. Otherwise, the wallpaper would peel off from the base in no time. To avoid such inconvenience, sand and prime your plywood well even if you use vinyl peel and stick wallpaper.

Do wallpaper last on plywood walls, floor, and subfloor? 

Yes, wallpapers can easily last on plywood walls, floors and subfloors. Compared to paint, wallpaper can last longer, around 15 years, on walls. Wallpapers have high sustainability and reliability. 

On the other hand, paints can last only 5 to 6 years. They can be damaged easily and need a touch-up every 2 years. Wallpapers don’t have such a risk of damage. So, they can easily sustain on walls. They can also sustain on floors and subfloors. 

The plywood floor can be appropriate for wallpaper by coating three or four layers of polyurethane or another clear hard floor finish. 

However, wallpaper is not the best choice for high-traffic floors. Instead, it can provide a fascinating touch to a bedroom, home office, laundry room, or powder room.

Does wallpaper stick to painted plywood? 

Yes, wallpaper sticks to painted plywood as well. No matter what paint you have on your plywood, you need to ensure that the surface is smooth and primed well.

Painted surfaces are already coated with primer and paint. So you need not worry about installing wallpaper on them.

Wallpapers usually require a smooth and uneven surface for better results. If a painted wall is smooth, then wallpapers can be easily installed on them. If the surface is damaged and uneven, that can be solved by priming them again.

Even if the paint is glossy, luster, plastic or oil-based, wallpapers can be installed on any plywood. The only requirement is to prime thoroughly. Priming creates a smooth base that is water-resistant and required for wallpaper.

Can you wallpaper straight onto plywood?

No, you cannot put your wallpaper directly onto the plywood. The surface of the plywoods is porous. So they will soak the glue into the surface. Besides, the installation will not be perfect; air bubbles and uneven surfaces will be visible.

So, you need to sand and prime your plywood first before installing wallpaper on it. You can use your hand or machine to sand the plywood, but the work should be done well. The surface should be smooth enough for sticking the wallpaper.

Then you need to prime the surface. Priming would enable the surface to grip on wallpaper. The primer or sealer should be of good quality. You can apply multiple coats of primer if needed. But make sure that the surface is smooth enough for wallpaper.

How to prepare and put plywood for wallpaper? 

The surface of the plywood is porous. So the plywoods have the potential to soak adhesive from the sticky wallpaper. To avoid such circumstances, certain measures need to be taken before installing wallpapers.

The plywood needs to be prepared well. The following steps should be followed before putting wallpaper-

Sand the plywood:

The first and most important step is to sand the surface well. If the surface of the plywood is smooth enough, then there is no need to sand it. But, if the surface is not smooth to stick wallpaper, sanding is mandatory.

Some primers do not need any sanding. But sanding makes the surface suitable for priming. So you should not skip this step. Instead, you should do it well.

You can sand the hardwood surface by hand or machine, but you must sand it thoroughly for the best results. After sanding, use a damp cloth or a towel to wipe away any dust.

Allow the wood to dry for a few hours after cleaning it. After that, you can apply any finish. Otherwise, the primer may not adhere correctly.

Prime the plywood:

After sanding and cleaning, the next step is to prime the surface. Primers are basically base that is used to smoothen the surface. On smooth surfaces, wallpapers stick quickly and firmly.

Primers can be applied like paints. You can use a paintbrush or roller to apply primer. Apply as many coats as you need until it covers the whole surface. Leave the primer for drying.

If the surface isn’t smooth enough after applying the primer, sand it using fine-grit sandpaper. It will be as smooth as you need to stick the wallpaper.

Stick the wallpaper:

The final step is to stick the wallpaper on the plywood. There are two types of wallpaper available in the market. One is self-adhering, and another one is regular.

When using self-adhesive wallpaper, just peel off the backing layer and gently push it onto the plywood. It would be best to begin at the bottom and gradually work your way up. While pressing, push the air bubbles out.

Using regular wallpaper, you will need glue to stick on. Apply a thin layer of glue to the plywood surface through the brush. Then start pressing the wallpaper on the surface from the bottom side just like before. Press bubbles out. 

Final thoughts

Plywoods have become very popular as furniture and construction material. Besides, wallpapers are used widely for aesthetic appearance. Plywoods and wallpapers combinedly provide a robust artistic look. With proper preparation, wallpapers can easily be installed on plywoods and removed if required.