Seams separated

[qabflo]

Pre-pasted solid vinyl wallpaper was installed with seams butted up against each other (per manufacturer). After drying, seams separated, as much as 1/16 inch in spots. any ideas of what went wrong? any quick fixes without starting over? Thanks.

[ProWallGuy]

What primer was on the walls, and what adhesive was used on the paper?

[Bill Archibald]

I assume this was a residential install. When you say "solid vinyl" I would have to wonder about that, especially since it was prepasted. I would venture an assumption that it was a paper backed vinyl. And this is not an uncommon occurance, although not such a wide seam split.

Reasons for it happening. The paper substrate gets wet and expands. The paper is installed with seams butted. The installer sweeps out the wrinkles and the air away from the seam just laid. Paper is stretched. Paper dries and shrinks, pulling away from the seams.

Fixes now? Not sure with that wide a gap. If it were 1/64 or so, then sometimes wicking in a thinned (to ink consistency) acrylic paint (mixed to the correct color) or wiping in correct color chalk helps disguise.

Fixes for future: don't sweep so hard away from the seam just laid. Be careful when handling the wet paper not to stretch it. Set your seams and sweep up and down. Once paper is smooth, do your final sweeps and washes and wipes from the "outside" edge toward the seam just laid, this causes the paper to compress a little so that shrinkage is not a factor.

If this is in fact a pure vinyl, stretching it in the installation process is most likely the cause. Again, be gentle with your sweeping and compress toward the seam just laid.

Anolther trick is "velcroing" the seam. Put a coat of clay adhesive only where the seams will be and let it dry. Clay will absorb the moisture of the paste at the seams and "lock" them so when the rest of the paper dries and shrinks, the seams should not part.

Still another trick is to "wire edge" your seams. Overlap just a hair, a real thin hair. When the paper dries and shrinks, the seams will be good. I personally do not like this method.

-Bill