When it comes to redecorating a room with wallpaper, there are two major decisions to make. The first is the design of the wallpaper – you need to choose a style in keeping with your tastes, the look you want to achieve and the style of your home. The second decision is less obvious but just as important – the type of wallpaper adhesive that you will use to keep your wallpaper in place. Here we look at the different varieties of wallpaper adhesives on the market and how they differ. Traditional Powder Based Adhesives At one time, powder based adhesives were the only wallpaper adhesives available. Starch based, typically made from wheat paste, cellulose and potato or tapioca starch and you need to mix them yourself using the correct quantity of water. Although powder based wallpaper adhesives are usually cheaper than other varieties of wallpaper paste, their bond is less aggressive and makes them only suitable for wallpaper which is made of actual paper.  Powder based wallpaper adhesive is most commonly applied directly to the wall but it can also be tricky to get the right consistency due to the self-mixing requirement. A paste which is too thin will lead to peeling of the wallpaper after drying whilst paste which is too thick will lead to a lumpy finish of the wallpaper once hung and dry. Clear and Clay Based Wallpaper Adhesives Clear and clay based wallpaper adhesives have similar properties and are more commonly used today than powder based wallpaper adhesives. Clear adhesives came onto the market in the 1980s due to the increased popularity of DIY to save money on decoration, whilst keeping up with frequently changing wallpaper styles. Clear adhesives are relatively slow drying which allows you to carefully position your wallpaper whilst on the wall for the perfect finish. Although there are a few variations of clear wallpaper adhesives, they are as close to ‘one product fits all’ as you can get. Clay based wallpaper adhesives are better suited to heavy vinyl wallpaper although can be used on other types of wallpaper too. They are generally more useful when applying low-moisture products as they offer a much faster drying time than clear adhesives. However as clay based wallpaper adhesives can cause staining, they are most commonly only used by professional decorators on thick wallpaper varieties. Speciality Wallpaper Adhesives Due to recent technological advancements in the design and manufacture of wall coverings, many brands now offer speciality wallpaper adhesives which are designed for more specific use. Wallrock Thermal Liner Adhesive for example has been specially designed for use on thermal lining paper or wallpaper applications. This is because thermal liner adhesive ensures that thermal wallpaper has the right amount of wall contact for the best performance. Other speciality wallpaper adhesives include vinyl adhesive and pre-paste activators which are used on pre-pasted wallpapers. It is important that you choose the right wallpaper adhesive for your needs to get the best possible finish to your walls.