Basic Wall Covering Backings

The surface of wallcoverings products usually commands the majority of attention paid to wallcoverings, but the backing of these products is just as important from a functional value.

The various types of backings are:

• Paper backings -- used on paper backed vinyls, vinyl coated papers and specialty products.
• Woven fabric backings -- commonly referred to as scrim or osnaburg. Scrim is used mostly in light construction areas while osnaburg is installed in medium to heavy usage areas such as commercial corridors.
• Non-woven fabric backings -- in different grades offer improved wallcovering printing techniques while maintaining the tear strength qualities necessary for commercial installations.
• Latex acrylic backings -- used on fabric wallcoverings to allow for stability and improved hanging qualities.

Content Provided by the Wallcoverings Association (WA).