Will wallpaper bubbles go away on their own?

Often, yes — bubbles in freshly hung paper are usually the paper still expanding, and most flatten as the paste dries over a day or two. Bubbles still there after 48 hours will not disappear.

Why is my paper bubbling in one room only?

Look at what is different about that wall. A newly plastered wall, a previously glossed wall or an external wall that runs cold all behave differently under paste from an ordinary internal wall.

Can I paper over bubbling paper?

No. The new paper adds weight and moisture to a layer that is already failing, and the bubbles telegraph straight through. The old paper has to come off.

Low risk

Updated 30 August 2026

Wallpaper Bubbling

Bubbles or blisters have appeared across freshly hung wallpaper, or in paper that has been up for years.

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Painting and decorating, illustrative image

What's happening?

A bubble is a pocket where the paper has lost contact with the wall. In freshly hung paper the usual cause is soaking time: most pastes need the paper to expand fully before it goes on the wall, and paper hung too soon keeps expanding once it is up, with nowhere to go but outwards. Bubbles are also caused by paste missed at that spot, air not brushed out from the centre, or a wall too absorbent or too shiny to hold. In older paper, bubbling means moisture has got behind it — from condensation, a leak or from painting over paper that was hung with too little adhesive. Many drying bubbles disappear on their own within a day or two.

What usually causes it?

Paper hung before the paste had soaked for the time the manufacturer specifies, so it expanded on the wall
Paste missed or too thin in that area, especially near seams and cut edges
Air not worked out from the centre of the length towards the edges when hanging
A wall that was never sized or primed, so the paste soaked straight in and dried before it could grab
Hanging over old gloss, vinyl or a chalky surface the paste cannot key into
Painting over existing paper, softening the original adhesive
Moisture from condensation, steam or a leak reaching the back of the paper

Is it dangerous?

No. The only reason to move quickly is that a bubble caused by moisture will keep growing and can lift a whole length, and paper that stays damp against a wall grows mould behind it.

Can I fix it myself?

Give newly hung paper 24 to 48 hours first — drying bubbles often pull flat. If a bubble remains, slit it with a sharp blade along the pattern line, work a little paste in behind it with a fine brush or a glue syringe, press it back and roll the edge lightly. Wipe surplus paste off the face straight away. Do not do this if the wall behind the bubble feels damp: the paste will not hold and the paper will lift again.

When should you call a painter and decorator?

Call a painter and decorator when bubbles appear across several lengths, when the paper is lifting rather than blistering, when it is a wide-width or delicate paper that will tear if you cut it, or when the wall behind is damp. Widespread bubbling usually means the wall preparation was wrong, and that is fixed by stripping and re-preparing rather than by patching.

What will the painter and decorator actually do?

Check whether the bubbling is drying movement, missed paste, or moisture behind the paper
Test the wall for absorbency and for old coatings the paste cannot key into
Inject and re-lay isolated bubbles where the wall is sound and the paper will take it
Strip, wash off the old paste and size or prime the wall where the failure is widespread
Rehang with the paste and soaking time specified for that paper, cross-lining first where the wall needs it

Frequently asked questions

We’re happy to answer all your questions.

Sources & References

Wallpaper Seams LiftingLow risk Paint Bubbling Or BlisteringLow risk Damp Patch Appearing After DecoratingCaution

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