Wallpaper on Foam

[TPA5]

Hey all!

Sorry if this has been covered somewhere, but I tried searching the forums and couldn't really find anything on this.

I'm planning a light-weight foamie build (I guess light-weight and foamies do go hand-in-hand!), and this forum continues to be a veritable treasure-trove of information. One question I do have: has anyone tried gluing wallpaper directly to the foam on the inside cabin? There's a cool wallpaper my wife really likes, and wants in the trailer. I'm just unsure if I have to glue canvas to the inside, then stick the wallpaper to it, or if I can simply glue the wallpaper straight to the foam and have it stick. Does anyone have any experience with this?



Thanks so much!

[Pmullen503]

Maybe, the issue will be the adhesive. If you pre-sand the foam it will grip better. A small test piece is a good idea. The paper will impart significant strength to the foam but it will dent easily.

[GPW]

TPA5 ... Depending on the type and material makeup of the wallpaper or the “paste” .... it probably would work fine.... We glued (TB2) thin chipboard directly on the foam walls of our trailer ,and it came out fine.
Does she love the wallpaper “forever" or does she want it removable for the occasional re-decorating...? That makes a difference ... What may look Cool now might look out of place and “dated” in 20 years (remember Disco ? )... and a Foamie' should easily last that long...

... and like PM said ... testing is a good idea

[KCStudly]

Put two and two together. I had the thought of suggesting the chip board to toughen up the foam, then applying the wall paper over it. Should be no problem at all. In fact, you might even consider dry fitting the chipboard, taking it back out, then putting the wall paper on it in the flat before final install. It would be much easier to hang that way, though you might have to do a little work to overlap/hide seams.

[TPA5]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! PM, that's a good point about sanding before hand, I hadn't thought of that. GPW and KCStudly, thanks for the tips on combining the chipboard and wallpaper! It would certainly be a heck of a lot easier to wallpaper on a horizontal board, then stick the whole assembly to the foam. Also GPW, I had considered the wallpaper looking out of date one day. I figure by the time that happens, I can either paint over it, or maybe I'll even be looking at building a new teardrop! I've heard these things can get addicting. Thanks again for the tips, if you have any more I'm all ears! I've never attempted to tackle a project of this size before, so I'm all ears when it comes to advice.

Sadly besides planning and saving money, all I can do now is wait for warmer days. Today the mercury is reading -31C (-24F), and I have about 2-1/2 feet of snow on my yard. Not having a garage really sucks some days!

[GPW]

-24F BRRRRR!!! A nice insulated , heated garage would be Nice eh !!!

[TPA5]

-24F BRRRRR!!! A nice insulated , heated garage would be Nice eh !!!

That is the truth! I've thought about building a garage, but the place my wife and I are living now isn't necessarily our long-term residence, so I'm reticent to construct a nice heated garage in a place we may leave in a few years. I asked her she would mind me moving the couch and working on the foam sides in the living room, but for some reason she wasn't too keen on that

[GPW]

TP, it took many years (50) to get my own Garage/man cave/Studio/workshop/ etc. .... but it sure was worth the wait ... Now I have a place to store and work on my “stuff” ... away from the wife’s "stuff” ... Heated and cooled , I spend a lot of time there (like now)...
Hint: when you build one , make it big enough to put a Standy in .... Tall door !!! That way you can put Anything inside ...
Lots of insulation is a Good thing too , especially where you live eh ?