Here's the promise of temporary wallpaper: you buy it for less than traditional wall coverings, remove it from its backing like a sticker, affix it to your wall and, presto, your walls are enlivened, easy. And when it’s time to move, all you have to do is peel it off the wall. No muss, no fuss, no landlord’s permission necessary.
The test strip on a wall (ignore the plaster--this wall needs a paint job)
Earlier this month, I tested out the first part of this claim, and found that I could, indeed, finesse my rental’s walls in a couple of hours—no DIY skills necessary. But how well would the second part of the promise hold up (pun very much intended)?
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Yes, you can peel it off in a flash
My removable wallpaper, which I bought from the New York City-based removable wallpaper purveyor, Chasing Paper, was up on my walls for about three weeks. When I first put it up, I kept a small test strip on a different wall so that I could test the removal process.
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And there's no residue, marks or bits of paper leftover
This weekend, I pulled at a corner and—voila!—it came off smoothly and easily, my walls unmarked. I even stuck up the test strip on a different wall to test Chasing Paper’s claims that their product is reusable. So far, so good (at least with the wallpaper I've tested).
When you're done, you can re-stick the paper elsewhere
I also tried peeling off a corner of the panels I installed in my living room, just in case a larger strip had a different effect on the wall. But there, too, no markings or residue were visible.
Of course, I may see different results if I leave the paper up for months or even years. Stay tuned.
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