Have questions about our products, their use, or any general questions about personal wall-design? You can find the answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) right here. Just in case your question isn’t answered here, we’ll be glad to answer it by e-mail.
When was ERFURT & SOHN founded?On June 16, 1827, Friedrich Erfurt (1768-1837), paper-maker by trade, received government approval to open “Papierfabrik Friedrich Erfurt & Sohn” in Dahlhausen near Schwelm.
How did ERFURT get its name?The company is currently in the 7th generation of ownership by the Erfurt family.
Does Erfurt have an outlet store?Unfortunately, we do not have an outlet store in Wuppertal.
When was woodchip first produced?The paper factory, Erfurt & Sohn KG, was founded in 1827 by Friedrich Erfurt. In 1864, Hugo Erfurt, grandson of the company’s founder, developed a new product called Rauhfaser. By the twentieth century, Hugo Erfurt’s invention would prove itself a worldwide sensation. The material was used initially to decorate shop windows and as a base paper for size print wallpaper. In the 1920s, its advantages in at-home décor were discovered. Painted in individual colours, it was possible to achieve unique effects in each room.
What are ERFURT wallpapers made of?Our products contain only paper fibres, textile fibres, wood pulp, and wood dust, as well as auxiliary materials. To this end they have been issued a Certificate of Conformity in all areas from the ISEGA (Research and Testing Institute in Aschaffenburg, Germany.) Our wallpapers do not contain PVC, toxic softeners, or glass fibres.
What is EMV 80 Carbon fibre nonwoven?It is a smooth nonwoven wall covering that is manufactured using a proportion of special carbon fibres and helps to absorb high- and low-frequency electrical radiation.
How can I earth EMV 80 Carbon fibre nonwoven?The lengths are connected to the nearest earth line using EMV system earthing tape.
How should I cover EMV 80 Carbon fibre nonwoven?The screening nonwoven can then be painted or wallpapered over.
What is FassadenFit and the ERFURT façade system?With ERFURT external wall systems, you can professionally refurbish and renovate external walls, as well as providing them with long-term crack protection and an attractive plaster look finish in one step. Two coats of façade finish then have to be applied over this.
When working on external façades in Germany, please bear in mind the following: Federal German Energy-Saving Directive (EnEV) 2009
If you plan to refurbish more than 10% of the total external façades of a building, as defined by the Federal German Energy-Saving Directive (EnEV) 2009, you must take into account the new maximum figures for heat insulation. Otherwise you may be subject to a fine! According to the new Federal German Energy-Saving Directive (EnEV), the minimum limits apply only in cases where the refurbished section is at least 10% of the total surface of the building, that is to say all sides added together.
How do I cover FassadenFit and the ERFURT façade system?Apply two coats of weather-resistant emulsion paint, silicon resin paint or flexible façade paint. Silicon resin paints are especially suitable.
What are KlimaTec thermal nonwoven and KlimaTec Pro KV 600 and what is the difference between them?KlimaTec thermal nonwoven and KlimaTec Pro KV 600 are smooth energy-saving interior wall coverings that are produced as a 2-component composite product from special textile fibres. The difference between the two products is down to the quicker heating up of the air in the room due to the different thicknesses of the material.
KlimaTec thermal nonwoven measures 10 m × 0.75 m and is sold in DIY and hardware stores, building outlets and home improvement stores. KlimaTec Pro KV 600 measures 15 m x 1.00 m and is sold through specialist trade wholesalers.
What can KlimaTec thermal nonwoven / KlimaTec Pro KV 600 do?Using KlimaTec thermal nonwoven / KlimaTec Pro KV 600 you will have warm walls and a cosy feeling in your room just short time after you have switched on the heating - no more cold walls. You will be primarily heating the air in the room and not the walls, thereby saving a significant amount of energy when heating rooms intermittently.
How should I cover KlimaTec thermal nonwoven / KlimaTec Pro KV 600?The energy-saving wall covering can be papered over with all conventional wall coverings, such as ERFURT woodchip.
What are the benefits of ERFURT wall tattoos?They are made of 100% nonwoven, are simple and easy to apply, have excellent adhesion (even on rough base surfaces, such as ERFURT woodchip and fine plaster), can be removed without leaving a trace and can be reused.
Which paste is recommended for which wallpaper?
Wall covering | Adhesive/Starter | Soaking time |
Rauhfaser 32 medium white Rauhfaser 52 coarse white Rauhfaser 1000 sprint | Metylan spezial 1:20 or Metylan TG for pasting devices 1:35 or Metylan TG Power Granulat 1:30 or Metylan NP New plaster adhesive 1:11 or comparable | 10 minutes |
Rauhfaser 20 fine white Rauhfaser 33 white Rauhfaser 40 cubical medium white Rauhfaser 70 super grain Rauhfaser 79 Exclusive Rauhfaser 80 Prestige Rauhfaser 82 Royal | Metylan spezial 1:20 or Metylan TG Power Granulat 1:25 or Metylan NP New plaster adhesive 1:11 or comparable | 10 minutes |
Rauhfaser Color | Metylan spezial 1:20 or comparable | 10 minutes |
Roll liner paper 88 80 g/m² Roll liner paper 90 60 g/m² | Metylan normal 1:50 + 20 % Ovalit T or Metylan TG for pasting devices 1:35 + 20 % Ovalit T or comparable | 5–10 minutes |
Roll liner paper 95 stripofix (fissile liner paper) | Metylan spezial 1:20 + 20 % Ovalit T or Metylan TG for pasting devices 1:35 + 20 % Ovalit T or comparable | 10 minutes |
Novaboss, Novaboss Basic, Novaboss Colortrend | Metylan secura 1:11 or Metylan spezial 1:20 + 20 % Ovalit T or Metylan NP New plaster adhesive 1:11 or comparable | 10–15 minutes, all strips cut the same length |
Novaboss Pro, Novaboss Color | Metylan secura 1:11 or Metylan spezial 1:20 oder Metylan NP New plaster adhesive 1:11 or comparable | 15 minutes |
Vliesfaser Design, Vliesfaser Ambiente, Vliesfaser Color, Feng Shui | Metylan secura 1:10 or Metylan direct 1:17,5 or Metylan NP New plaster adhesive 1:10 or comparable | no soaking |
Vliesfaser, Vliesfaser Objekt | Metylan NP New plaster adhesive 1:10 or comparable | no soaking |
Rauhvlies | Processing with wallpapering tool Metylan TG Power Granulat 1:25 or Metylan spezial 1:20 or comparable Wall adhesive technique Metylan NP New plaster adhesive 1:11 or comparable | no soaking |
Variovlies 750, Variovlies Objekt 741, Variovlies Plus 752, Trendvlies for covering cracks or wall design | Metylan secura 1:10 or Metylan NP New plaster adhesive 1:10 or comparable | no soaking |
Variovlies 750, Variovlies Objekt 741, Trendvlies for surface redevelopment | Ovalit P or comparable | no soaking |
Variovlies 750, Variovlies Objekt 741, Trendvlies on non-absorbent base surfaces, i.e. walls made of synthetic materials | Ovalit V | no soaking |
Variovlies Basic | Dispersion paints(Washability class 2) or dispersion paste | no soaking |
What do the various certification symbols mean?TÜV Cert DIN EN ISO 9001:2000
Certificate: 04-100 20051404
The TÜV (Technical Inspection Authority) Cert Certification Centre of the RW TÜV Systems GmbH certifies that ERFURT has implemented a quality management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001:200 covering the development, production, and sales of ingrain woodchip, wallpapers and façade systems.
The company, as well as the ERFURT brand stand for quality and reliability.
Ü Symbol
P-MPA-E 06 579
The generic building supervisory test certificate, granted by the MPA (Material Testing Office) NRW, is valid for the production and use of wall coverings “Vliesfaser Basic,” Vliesfaser Classic,” “Vliesfaser Objekt” and “Vliesfaser Design” as flame resistant materials (Class DIN 4102-B1) according to DIN 4102-1. The materials will not drip or fall off when burning. The Ü Symbol with the Nr. P-MPA-E 06 514 (analogue label) is exclusively valid for Variovlies Basic.
The abovementioned ERFURT products are to be considered flame resistant when used on stone base surfaces. One more point of safety for the consumer.
RAL Quality Mark for Wallpaper
RAL-GZ 479
The requirements on wallpaper (wall coverings), particularly with consideration to their health and ecological harmlessness are fulfilled. The requirements are inclusive in the quality mark and are overseen by the goods community of wallpaper.
One more reason to feel comfortable within your own four walls.
FSC Mix
Cert.-Nr. SGS-COC-0431
The Forest Stewardship Council confirms “Fleece Ambiente” and “Fleece Design” as product groups, whose raw materials originate from certified well-managed forests, and other controlled sources. This signifies a “production of wallpapers from certified raw fleece and raw paper with a minimum of 50% certified fibre.” Our products contain up to a 70% fibre count.
EThis product is guaranteed to be environmentally friendly.
Hypo-allergenic
STG-2001/06
Based upon voluntary materials tests, TÜV Nord Systems GmbH & Co. KG certifies that ERFURT-Profi Rauhfaser styles 20, 32, 40, 52, 70, 79, 80, 1000 and the ERFURT-DIY woodchip styles: Elegance, Romantic, Classico, Avant-garde, Rustic, Country and Sprint are produced using materials that have been inspected against allergens and contaminants. The tests entail microbiological, chemical, and emissions investigations in order to test the abovementioned criteria.
Woodchip is a smart solution, even for ”sensitive” customers, who suffer from allergies.
ÖKO-Test „Very good“
Issue: Kompakt, Wohnen & Garten Nr. O6
The ÖKO-Test Publishing House GmbH in Frankfurt a.M. gives Rauhfaser 52/Classico a final rating of “Very good.” The total rating is based on an assessment of content (price, composition, and presence of contaminants) and in-home product sampling (tear strength when wet, processing, opacity and opacity after the first coat of paint.)
The Öko-Test seal stands for trustworthiness, and awards Rauhfaser its seal of approval.
Blue Angel
RAL-UZ 35
The environmental seal is awarded through the RAL e.V. and is valid for wallpapers made from base paper according to DIN 6730:2003 and for ingrain woodchip according to DIN 6730:2003. This entails the fulfilment of requirements of the production of products made predominantly out of recycled paper and for the ecologically friendly, low emission production of awarded product.
Das Unternehmen sowie die Marke ERFURT stehen für umweltorientiertes und ökologisch sinnvolles Handeln.
CONCLUSION:
”ERFURT - Proven safety: Just for you” is a small demonstration of our internal quality assurance efforts, and our obligation to have these continually approved by third parties.
How can I wallpaper an archway?First, hang the stretches of wallpaper beside and above the archway with ca. 2-3 cm overlap. Then, cut several slits into the overlapping paper, fold over and adhere in the archway. Finally, adhere the cut-out soffit-strip into the soffit. It is recommended that when using heavier wall coverings or patterned papers, to use corner-molding that can be fit easily onto rounded surfaces.
Does a repeating pattern on a roll of wallpaper affect the number of rolls I should purchase??Yes. When purchasing wallpaper with a repeating pattern, an adjustment must be made when calculating the number of rolls to buy. As a rule, therefore, you should plan to purchase ca. 1 to 2 more rolls, because only 3, instead of 4, strips of wallpaper per roll can be cut.
What is the wall adhesive technique?When using the wall adhesive technique, paste is applied to the walls, and the dry strips of wallpaper may be laid onto the pasted wall and pressed onto the wall. This is only possible with wallpapers that that hold their dimensions, such as fleece wallpapers. This is not possible with paper wall coverings.
What causes bubbles, and how can they be avoided?Bubbles can appear for varying reasons:
1. Base surface
· The base surface is too absorbent (ie. gypsum plaster board.) Since the paste may soak too quickly into the wall in places, the wallpaper on these places may loosen and create bubbles.
Absorbency can be reduced by using a solvent-free primer.
· The base surface is clogged. This can occur when too much primer has been applied, which may be evidenced by a greasy appearance on the base surface following priming. Water can then bead on the walls. Since a closed layer has been formed on the wall, the paste cannot adhere to the wall. Therefore, this layer must sanded away using either sandpaper or a polisher
· The base surface is too coarse
· The base surface is not stable
2. Soaking time
· It is necessary for paper wallcoverings to soak, because paper is made of wood fibres, which swell when in contact with moisture (paste.) This causes the wallpaper to become wider and longer. If the wallpaper is not allowed to soak for the recommended amount of time, the wallpaper will stretch when hung on the wall, which causes bubbles.
3. Paste
· Incorrect paste
· Paste is too thin, as a result of mixing too much water
· Layer of paste is applied too thinly
· Layer of paste is applied to thickly
· Additional paste applied to wall before hanging wallpaper strip (in the case of paper wallcoverings)
4. Other reasons
· High humidity, due to closed windows and doors
· Low temperatures (at temperatures lower 10 °C, the wallpaper dries too slowly).
What are Variovlies and Trendvlies? And what are the differences?Variovlies and Trendvlies are smooth, crack-resistant, dimension-holding materials, which are made of wood pulp and textile fibres.
Variovlies weighs 160g per square metre, measures 25m long x 0.75m wide and is available in professional stores. Trendvlies weighs 140g per square metre, measures
20 m long x 0.75 m wide and is available in do-it-yourself/home improvement stores.
Which wallpapers must be painted?All white wallpapers and Rauhfaser must be painted. We recommend dispersion paints marked DIN EN 13300. The best paints to use are satin-gloss and high-gloss paints, because they enhance the appearance of the textures better than do matte paints.
What is the difference between Novaboss Pro and foam wallpaper?The main difference between the two is in the material. Novaboss Pro is a three-layer embossed wallpaper. It is a good alternative to foam wallpapers, because they contain PVC and are not as resistant to abrasion. Foam wallpapers are based on a PVC film laminated with a paper or fleece layer.
What is the difference between Rauhfaser and Rauhvlies?Rauhfaser contains recycled paper and wood pulp (high-quality paper fibres.) The wood fibres, which create the texture, are made out of solid fir tree wood (from well-managed forests in Germany.)
In the production of Rauhvlies, textile fibres are also added. These additives give Rauhvlies its stability in dimension and its tear-resistance.
Which ERFURT wallpapers may be used in rooms with high moisture?All ERFURT wallpapers may be used in any room of your home. In the bathroom, the water should not be allowed to spray onto the wallpaper (directly inside the shower) or the paste will loosen. Water splashed from the tiles or onto the ceiling will not loosen the wallpaper.
Which types of paints are most appropriate for use?We recommend dispersion paints that are in accordance with DIN EN 13300. Satin gloss or high gloss paints are most suitable, because they enhance the appearance of the wallpaper texture better than matte paints do.
What are silicate paints?Mineral paints - also called silicate paints, water glass paints (because of the binding agent used) or Keim paints (after the inventor) – are paints that, in addition to using inorganic dyes as binding agents, also use alkali-silicate water glass (also known as potassium water glass, liquid potassium silicate, or liquor silicon.) These paints are generally high quality, long-lasting and expensive. They are usually intended for professional use, and are therefore mostly found in specialty stores, and not in do-it-yourself/home improvement stores. These paints are divided into two categories: Pure silicate paints or two-component silicate paints – that must be stirred before using – and silicate dispersion paints – that, like synthetic resin dispersion paints, are usually available ready-to-use in a 10 liter, oval-shaped bucket.
What are dispersion paints?Dispersion paints are viscous coatings that consist of a chemical dispersion (usually an emulsion) of adhesives and solvents; colorants (usually pigments) and other additives. In such a general sense, the majority of liquid paints would be categorized as dispersion paints. In layman’s terms: this includes most of the approx. 20 kg barrels with white paint in an oval-shaped 10 litre bucket, which can be found in any home improvement store. More specifically, these are synthetic resin dispersion paints. Also on the market are products with a similar composition. These are usually non-synthetic and do not include mineral oil, and are - somewhat vaguely – categorised as “natural dispersion paints.”
What are the differences between different interior dispersion paints?Interior dispersion paints are differentiated by their washability (Class 2: scrubbable, Class 3: washable.)
Is it possible to wallpaper over styrofoam?It is not possible to apply wallpaper directly onto styrofoam. Before application, a primer must be applied. Dilute styrofoam paste with 20% water, and then apply with a brush or a paint roller. Otherwise, a smooth piece of fleece wallpaper can be applied directly to the styrofoam base surface using Ovalit V adhesive.
Is it advisable to paste over old wallpapers?Old wallpaper must be thoroughly removed. If it is not removed, the paste may loosen the wallpaper underneath, which may create bubbles.
When must the various base surfaces be primed? And with what?New plaster board surfaces must be primed with a solvent-free primer; Wood materials with a solvent-based primer. For all other absorbent base surfaces, see table (PDF).
The base surface must still be absorbent following priming.
Overview: Use of primer
PDF file (36 KB)
How do I obtain an evenly colored, and consistently absorbent base surface?With a pigmented (white) primer.
How can I inspect the base surface?Inspect base surface for | Testing methods | Characteristics | Remedy |
Alkalinity | Moisten with distilled water and place a strip of indicator paper on surface | If the pH level is greater than 8, the base surface is alkaline | Allow to dry |
Efflorescence | Visible to naked eye | White salts are often visible | Determine cause and remove. Allow to dry using ventilation and heat. Brush away dried salt granules |
Moisture | Visible to naked eye | Visibly moist surfaces or appearance of discolourations or water rings | Determine cause and remove. Allow to dry using ventilation and heat |
Surface strength | Rub with hand Scratch with a hard, sharp object | Dusty or chalky grit | Wash surfaces thoroughly with water |
Fungal decay | Visible to naked eye | Dark fouling | Determine cause and remove, may need to remove and treat chemically |
Cracks | Visible to naked eye | – | Depending on type of crack, spakle entire surface, then reinforce with crack covering or elastic fabric |
Absorbency | Moisten with water | Too absorbent: turns dark quickly Not absorbent enough: Water forms beads | Too absorbent: apply primer Not absorbent enough: sand or apply primer |
Sinter layers | Scratch or sand layer, then moisten with water | In case of dry base surface: glossy surface and minimal absorbency. After water test, scratched area turns darker | Sand away sinter layers |
Why is it necessary to inspect the base surface? And for what should it be inspect?In order to wallpaper a surface, the surface must be appropriate for papering. Otherwise, there may be difficulties with adhesion. The base surface must be dry, clean, firm, absorbent and smooth. Fleece wallpapers (that are not painted over) require a base surface that has a consistent colour.

