PRE-PASTED WALL COVER AND A METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME

1 . A wall covering comprising

a planar substrate having a front and a back facing opposite the front; and

an adhesive layer which at least partially covers the back of the substrate, wherein the adhesive layer includes a separate polymer layer, formed by a polyvinyl alcohol polymer.

2 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the polyvinyl alcohol polymer is cold-water soluble.

3 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the polyvinyl alcohol polymer comprises a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol polymer which optionally contains comonomer(s).

4 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the polyvinyl alcohol polymer, comprises a partially hydrolyzed alcohol polyvinyl polymer exhibiting a hydrolyzation degree of 50 to 90%.

5 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , comprising

the planar substrate,

a first layer on the back of the substrate, and

on top of the first layer a second, polymer layer which includes a cold-water soluble polyvinyl alcohol polymer capable of conferring adhesive properties to the second layer.

6 . The wall covering according to claim 5 , wherein the second layer contains a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of hydrolysis of 50 to 90%.

7 . The wall covering according to claim 5 , wherein the second layer contains a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol together with at least one additional component selected from the group of cross-linkers, pigments, talc, viscosity modifying agents, wax, or sizing agents and combinations thereof.

8 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the back of the substrate is coated with a coating colour containing at least a binder and a pigment.

wherein the coating colour forms a barrier layer separating the back of the substrate from the polymer layer containing cold-water soluble polyvinyl alcohol polymer;

wherein the barrier layer has a grammage of 3 g/m 2 to 50 g/m 2 .

9 . (canceled)

10 . (canceled)

11 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer comprises a film of a polyvinyl alcohol; and

comprising a laminate formed by the planar substrate and the polyvinyl alcohol film;

wherein the polyvinyl alcohol film is attached to the back of the planar substrate directly or by a glue layer.

12 . (canceled)

13 . (canceled)

14 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group of nonwoven substrates, papers and boards.

15 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises cellulose pulp at about 20% to 100% by weight and natural fibers or synthetic fibers at 0% to 80% by weight, said substrate having a basis weight of from about 50 g/m 2 to about 300 g/m 2 .

16 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the adhesive layer is about 1 μm to 150 μm, for cxamplc 5 μm to 150 μm.

17 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer contains 0.1 to 5 g/m 2 , of polyvinyl alcohol polymer.

18 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer is transparent and

comprising on the back side of the substrate markings which can be detectable visually or with UV light from the side of the adhesive layer.

19 . (canceled)

20 . The wall covering according to claim 1 , being a pre-pasted wallcover.

21 . A method of preparing a wall covering comprising the steps of

providing a planar substrate having a front and a back facing opposite the front; and

providing, as a separate layer, an adhesive layer which at least partially covers the back of the substrate,

wherein the adhesive layer is formed by a polyvinyl alcohol polymer.

22 . The method according to claim 21 , comprising the steps of providing the planar substrate,

applying a first layer on the back of the substrate, and

applying on top of the first layer a second, polymer layer which includes a polyvinyl

alcohol polymer capable of conferring adhesive properties to the second layer.

23 . The method according to claim 22 , comprising applying on the first layer 0.1 to 5 g/m 2 , of polyvinyl alcohol polymer to form the second layer.

24 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the second layer contains a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol having a degree of hydrolysis of 50 to 90%.

25 . The method according to claim 22 , wherein the second layer contains a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol together with at least one additional component selected from the group of cross-linkers, pigments, talc, viscosity modifying agents, wax, or sizing agents, and combinations thereof.

26 . The method according to claim 21 , comprising coating the back of the substrate with a coating colour containing at least a binder, and a pigment;

wherein the coating colour forms a barrier layer separating the back of the substrate from the polymer layer containing the polyvinyl alcohol polymer; and

comprising applying 3 to 50 g/m 2 of the coating colour on the back of the substrate so as to form the barrier layer which separates the polymer layer from the substrate.

27 . (canceled)

28 . (canceled)

29 . The method according to claim 21 , comprising applying on the back of the substrate a film of a polyvinyl alcohol;

wherein a laminate is formed, comprising the planar substrate and the polyvinyl alcohol film attached to the substrate;

comprising attaching the polyvinyl alcohol film directly onto the back of the planar substrate or attaching the polyvinyl alcohol film to the back of the planar substrate by a glue layer.

30 . (canceled)

31 . (canceled)

32 . (canceled)

33 . The method according to claim 21 , comprising applying on the back of the substrate a film of a polyvinyl alcohol, having a thickness of about 1 μm to 150 μm.

34 . The method according to claim 21 , comprising applying on the back of the substrate an adhesive layer which is transparent

comprising forming on the back side of the substrate markings, which are detectable visually or with UV light from the side of the adhesive layer.

35 . (canceled)