I just wallpapered my library with old book pages, and I'm worried that the wallpaper paste will eventually dry up and peel away from the wall. Should I apply a layer of lacquer on top of the pages?
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3If you do lacquer over it I hope you'll like it forever because it will be very difficult to remove as the lacquer will penetrate the paper and the wall surface.– mikesCommented Apr 9, 2012 at 21:51
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6I have a personal request that anyone who puts something on a wall other than paint should first spend some time removing it from an old home. Pulling off the mirrored tile that was glued to the wall in my home left the wall a complete mess that never has looked completely right.– BMitchCommented Apr 10, 2012 at 0:50
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2That's a silverfish's dream room! (I'd definitely coat it with something to seal it.)– DA01Commented Apr 10, 2012 at 2:42
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1That is an amazing room! To preserve the paper will be difficult. Lacquer will make it shiny and un natural. Try and look into poster glue(paint over the paper) or wallpaper glue but its a bit late now. I would leave it as is,but it could fade over years.– Piotr KulaCommented Apr 10, 2012 at 8:51
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1Lacquer may also dissolve the ink used on some of the paper.. If I was to do such a project, I would use a matte water-based polyurethane to seal the pages to the wall.– ShoeMakerCommented Apr 30, 2012 at 0:48
3 Answers
I'd be tempted to cover them with a decoupage glue or mod podge. Polyurethane may work as well, but I'd test it by gluing some pages to a board and then coating them and waiting a couple of months to make sure it doesn't yellow or mess up the inks.
i would just spray with that sealer you use for drawings and paintings, from the hardware store. it shouldn't damage the walls and won't change the look one little bit, but it will make the paper much less prone to changes in appearance due to normal air moisture changes. nothing will last if the wall has moisture problems to start with. One wall as a feature is fair enough...but imho don't use on lamp shades or other objects, as it stops the feature being a feature. then it starts looking a bit trashy. also an improvement on your existing window covering will improve the perception of your feature wall. just my opinion and nothing to do with original question.
I covered a child’s chair in newspaper comics with mod lodge and it yellowed soon afterward. Could be newspaper or the mod Podge so better check first.