PVC-Free Wall Covering

Installation Guide

Instructions for the installation of our PVC-free TPO wall covering.

STOP! PLEASE READ BEFORE USING. If after applying three (3) strips, there is some question of appearance, stop and contact Materialised Pty Ltd.

Preparation of TPO Wall Covering

Examine wall covering to assure that pattern, colour, quantity, and quality is as ordered. Separate goods by shade lot number and organize in roll number sequence starting with the highest number.

Preparation of Surface

TPO wall coverings can be installed over almost any surface which has been properly prepared.

• Surfaces to be covered must be clean, smooth, dry, and structurally sound. Loose paint or other wall covering must be removed. To ensure maximum smoothness of installation, nail heads, nicks, gouges, and other surface imperfections should be taped, bedded, and sanded smooth.
• Walls should be checked with a suitable moisture meter and moisture content should not exceed 4%. Remove any mildew from wall and treat surfaces to inhibit further mildew growth.
• Do not hang TPO wall coverings over ballpoint pen writing, wax crayon, ink marker, oil-based stains or any foreign matter that may bleed through. It is suggested that a lead pencil be used to mark the wall covering or the wall, as pencil marks do not bleed.
• Glossy surfaces should either be sanded to dull the surface, or an application of professional Heavy-Duty Primer should be made.
• On new drywall use a quality pigmented acrylic primer designed for use with wall covering, along with a Heavy Duty Clay based adhesive if you wish to have a strippable service in the future.
• To prevent strong light and dark coloured areas from drywall joint compounds on lighter coloured wall coverings, use a pigmented primer to give the wall a uniform colour.

Application

• Before hanging, examine pattern for colour uniformity and any repeat in the design.
• Every other strip of the wall covering should be reversed to insure colour uniformity.
• Only full widths of material should be used for the most satisfactory installation.
• All material must be installed in roll number sequence within a shade lot, starting with the highest number first and going in decreasing order, with each strip in sequence as cut from the roll. Piecing or hanging headers with strips cut out of sequence can cause unsatisfactory shading.
• To make acceptable seams overlapping and double-cutting, and pre-trimming the wall covering are recommended. Be careful not to score the drywall when double cutting.
• Apply an even coat of adhesive to the fabric side of the material using a stiff bristle brush, a roller, or a pasting machine in accordance with manufacturer’s label recommendations.
• The wall covering should then be booked prior to application to the wall. (“Booking” – the technique of folding wallpaper strips back-to-back after they have been pasted, allowing the wallpaper adhesive to soak into the wallpaper).
• Smooth the surface, working out air bubbles as you go using a stiff bristle brush or a plastic smoothing tool. A steel broad knife should never be used to smooth the wall covering, since TPO wall coverings are softer than traditional wall coverings.
• As each strip is installed, immediately remove excess adhesive from the wall covering surface using a natural sponge and a soft-bristle brush frequently rinsed in clean warm water. Dry with clean towelling. A professional paste cleaner should be used where adhesive has dried.
• Vertical joints should not occur less than 15cm from outside and inside corners.
• Do not install wall coverings unless a temperature above 12 degrees Celsius is maintained in both areas of installation and storage.
• Permanent building lights should be available for installation.

Please Note: Materialised is not responsible for the appearance and performance of wall covering not applied according to these instructions.