Decorative spunlace fabric is a category of hydroentangled nonwoven textile engineered specifically for architectural and interior finishing applications. Unlike conventional woven fabrics, which are constructed through interlacing yarns on a loom, spunlace nonwoven is formed by directing high-pressure water jets through a web of loose polyester fibers, causing them to mechanically entangle into a coherent, dimensionally stable sheet structure — without any chemical binders, adhesives, or thermal bonding. The outcome is a fabric with a smooth, uniform surface, controlled weight distribution, and consistent tensile behavior across its full width, all of which are properties that wall covering and curtain manufacturing demand but that conventional materials often fail to deliver consistently at industrial production scales.
The Home Improvement Series from Zhejiang Aojia Nonwoven Technology Co., Ltd. represents a purpose-built application of spunlace technology within the interior decoration sector. The series currently encompasses two product categories — polyester nonwoven wall cloth and nonwoven fabric for curtains — each tailored to its specific end-use requirements through distinct weight ranges, width specifications, and finishing processes. Both share the 100% polyester fiber system that underpins Aojia's decorative fabric platform.
The performance characteristics that make spunlace fabric attractive for decorative interiors applications are inseparable from the manufacturing process that produces it. Raw polyester staple fibers are opened, blended to ensure consistent fiber length distribution, and formed into a uniform web through a carding and cross-lapping system. The weight and isotropy of this web are controlled at the forming stage, because nonwoven structure — unlike woven structure — cannot be corrected downstream. The web then passes through a hydroentanglement zone, where multiple banks of precision water-jet nozzles direct pressurized water streams through the fiber mass from both sides.
The entanglement generated by these water jets creates a three-dimensional fiber interlock that provides tensile strength in both the machine direction (MD) and cross direction (CD). For decorative interior fabrics, balanced MD/CD tensile performance is particularly important: a wall cloth that has significantly higher strength in one direction than the other will exhibit anisotropic dimensional behavior when exposed to the temperature and humidity cycling inherent in built environments, leading to uneven shrinkage, surface distortion, or delamination from wall substrates. Hydroentanglement, by contrast with parallel-lapping processes, can be configured to produce fabrics with close MD/CD tensile ratios, making it the process of choice for applications requiring flat, stable, long-term surface behavior.
After hydroentanglement, the fabric passes through a drying system and, in the case of curtain substrate production, through an additional sizing application stage. This finishing distinction — plain hydroentanglement for wall cloth versus sizing-finished construction for curtain fabric — is a deliberate engineering decision that aligns each product's surface and structural properties with its specific converting and end-use requirements.
The wall cloth product is a 100% polyester spunlace nonwoven produced in basis weights ranging from 60 to 130 g/m² and in widths from 2,850 mm to 3,250 mm. This weight range and width specification reflect the structural demands placed on wallcovering base materials: they must be heavy enough to provide meaningful reinforcement and surface uniformity to the decorative layer applied over them, yet consistent enough in thickness and fiber distribution to prevent print or texture irregularities from telegraphing through to the visible face.
The selection of 100% polyester as the fiber substrate for wall cloth is technically deliberate. Polyester (PET) is inherently hydrophobic, meaning it does not absorb atmospheric moisture and does not undergo the fiber swelling and relaxation cycles that cause hygroscopic fibers such as viscose or cotton to expand and contract with ambient humidity changes. In a wall-mounted application, where the fabric is bonded to a rigid substrate and constrained from free dimensional movement, hygroscopic fibers generate internal stress during humidity cycling that can cause delamination, bubbling, or edge curl over time. A 100% polyester construction eliminates this failure mode. Its dimensional stability under humidity variation is one of the primary engineering reasons it is the material of choice for nonwoven wallcovering base fabrics globally.
The smooth, uniform surface of the wall cloth fabric serves a direct functional role in the printing and coating processes applied by wallcovering converters. Wallpaper manufacturers apply decorative layers — whether printed patterns, embossed textures, vinyl coatings, or foil laminates — to the nonwoven base using gravure printing, rotary screen printing, or extrusion coating equipment. The quality of the printed or coated surface depends critically on the uniformity and smoothness of the base: surface irregularities, thickness variation, or fiber tufting create print defects, coating holidays, and texture inconsistencies in the finished product. Aojia's wall cloth delivers the smooth, consistent surface that converter equipment requires to produce visually clean, commercially acceptable decorated wallcovering rolls.
Tear resistance is a further technical requirement driven by the manufacturing process downstream of fabric production. During lamination, coating, and printing, wallcovering base fabric is subjected to significant machine-direction tension through converting equipment nip rolls and web guides. Insufficient tear strength causes web breaks on the converting line, generating production losses and waste. The wall cloth's hydroentangled fiber structure provides tear strength adequate for high-speed converting lines across its full weight range. Additionally, after the finished wallcovering product reaches the installation site, the base fabric must withstand the mechanical stress of paste application, repositioning on the wall surface, and smoothing with installation tools. A fabric that tears or stretches out of shape during installation undermines the finished wall appearance regardless of the quality of the decorative surface.
Good adhesion for lamination and coating is the third key technical property of the wall cloth. Because polyester fiber is chemically inert — it does not react with water-based adhesives in the way that natural fibers do — adhesion between the nonwoven base and applied coatings depends on the mechanical keying of the coating into the fabric's surface fiber structure. The uniform, open surface texture of spunlace fabric provides consistent mechanical anchorage points for adhesive and coating layers, ensuring even bonding and preventing localized delamination in service. This property is equally relevant when the wall cloth is used as a backing substrate for decorative panels, where it must bond reliably to rigid panel substrates through pressure-sensitive or heat-activated adhesive systems.
The curtain substrate is a 100% polyester spunlace nonwoven produced in a lighter weight range of 32 to 60 g/m², with widths spanning from 400 mm to 3,200 mm. The lower weight range compared to the wall cloth reflects the functional differences between the two applications: a curtain substrate must fall and gather gracefully under its own weight rather than lying flat and rigid against a surface. Excessive fabric weight in a curtain creates stiff, non-draping folds that undermine the visual character of window treatments and reduce their functionality as light-modulating or privacy-creating elements.
The defining technical feature of the curtain substrate is its sizing finishing process. After hydroentanglement and drying, the fabric passes through a sizing bath in which a controlled amount of sizing agent — typically a water-soluble or water-dispersible polymer — is applied to the fiber surface and then dried in place. This sizing layer modifies the surface characteristics of the fabric in two important ways. First, it stiffens the individual fiber intersections within the entangled structure, increasing the fabric's bending rigidity and giving it the crisp, structured drape characteristic of quality curtain fabrics. Without sizing, a lightweight polyester spunlace fabric may feel limp and collapse unevenly when hung, producing irregular, unsupported folds rather than the clean, organized pleats that define the appearance of a well-made curtain. Second, the sizing process smooths the fabric surface at the microscopic level, filling small surface irregularities and creating a more uniform, printable face.
Superior printability is the technical property that most directly expands the commercial application range of the curtain substrate. Interior curtain products are sold principally through their decorative visual design — the pattern, color, and print quality are what consumers and specifiers evaluate at point of sale. A curtain substrate that cannot accept sharp, color-accurate print will limit the design range available to curtain manufacturers, reducing their commercial competitiveness. The sized surface of Aojia's curtain fabric provides the print receptivity that digital inkjet, rotary screen, and flatbed printing systems require to produce crisp graphics with accurate color gamut and minimal dot gain. This print-readiness is not incidental — it is a designed functional property achieved specifically through the sizing finishing step.
Dimensional stability in the curtain fabric is maintained through the combination of 100% polyester fiber composition and the sizing process. Polyester's low moisture regain prevents fabric relaxation under humid conditions — when curtains absorb atmospheric humidity or are exposed to steam from nearby cooking or bathing areas, a moisture-sensitive fiber such as cotton or viscose would elongate or distort, causing the curtain to lose its intended length and drape profile. Polyester remains dimensionally stable under these conditions. Shape retention across repeated hanging cycles — removal for washing, reinstallation — is equally important in domestic and commercial curtain applications. The fiber integrity maintained through hydroentanglement, combined with polyester's inherent elastic recovery, ensures that the curtain fabric returns to its original dimensions after washing and reinstallation without permanent elongation or distortion.
The width range of 400 to 3,200 mm accommodates the full spectrum of curtain panel formats. Narrower widths serve vertical blind slats, café curtains, sheer panel strips, and specialty applications such as photographic backdrop fabric and exhibition display drapes. Full-width rolls up to 3,200 mm allow curtain manufacturers to cut full-length panels for floor-to-ceiling window treatments without seams — a feature highly valued in hospitality projects where seamless curtain panels are a standard specification.
Although both the wall cloth and the curtain substrate share a 100% polyester spunlace foundation, their technical profiles are deliberately differentiated to match their respective application demands. The wall cloth prioritizes basis weight (60–130 g/m²), dimensional rigidity, moisture resistance, and surface adhesion — properties that serve a static, surface-mounted application where the fabric must lie flat, bond reliably, and resist environmental stress over a multi-year service life. The curtain substrate prioritizes light weight (32–60 g/m²), drape, print receptivity, and shape retention under handling — properties that serve a dynamic hanging application where the fabric must move, gather, and present a decorative surface to observers at close range.
Width specification also reflects application logic. The wall cloth's minimum width of 2,850 mm ensures that a single web covers the full height of a standard interior wall with a single pass, eliminating vertical seams that would interrupt the visual continuity of a wallcovering installation. The curtain fabric's wider width range starting from 400 mm reflects the diversity of curtain formats — from narrow specialty strips to full floor-to-ceiling panels — that the product must serve across residential, hospitality, and commercial interior markets.
Both decorative fabric products in the Home Improvement Series are produced in plain surface structure as the standard specification. The plain structure delivers the smooth, uniform surface that both wallcovering and curtain converting operations require, with no regular aperture pattern to create visual interference with applied print designs or surface coatings.
Beyond the standard specifications, Zhejiang Aojia Nonwoven Technology Co., Ltd. operates two dedicated spunlace production lines — one for consistent commercial-scale production and one for new product development — that support a range of custom functional treatments relevant to interior decoration applications. Flame retardancy finishing meets fire performance requirements mandated for curtain and wallcovering products in commercial and public-use buildings under standards such as EN 13773 (European curtain fire performance classification) and various national building codes. Anti-static treatment reduces surface dust attraction on wall cloth installed in environments with elevated particulate levels, extending the time between cleaning cycles. Anti-ultraviolet (UV) treatment improves the color fastness and structural durability of curtain fabrics installed in sun-exposed window positions where unprotected polyester can be susceptible to photo-oxidative degradation over time. Anti-aging finishing similarly improves long-term color and structural stability. Water repellency treatment adds a layer of liquid resistance relevant to curtains installed in kitchens, bathrooms, or other moisture-prone spaces.
Special composite properties can also be developed for customers requiring multi-layer constructions — for example, a wall cloth laminated to a barrier film for moisture-critical environments, or a curtain substrate bonded to a thermal insulation layer for energy performance applications. Customers with specific performance requirements or OEM development needs are encouraged to initiate a technical consultation through the Contact Us page.
The decorative spunlace fabric platform covers a broad and growing range of interior and commercial application scenarios. In residential interior design, polyester nonwoven wall cloth serves as the backing substrate for luxury nonwoven wallpaper rolls — the category that has largely displaced paper-backed wallcoverings in premium residential projects globally, valued for its tear resistance during installation, dimensional stability over time, and strippability when redecorating. The smooth surface allows fine-line print patterns and embossed textures to be reproduced with the definition that high-end wallcovering products require.
In commercial interiors — hotels, corporate offices, retail spaces, and healthcare facilities — nonwoven wall cloth is specified for both its aesthetic and performance characteristics. Its durability under periodic surface cleaning, resistance to moisture-driven damage in humid environments such as bathrooms and kitchens, and compatibility with fire-retardant finishing processes make it suitable for the demanding performance specifications that commercial interior contracts typically impose. Wall protection panels for corridor and lift lobby walls use nonwoven-backed decorative panels that must withstand impact, abrasion, and frequent surface contact — applications where the tear strength and dimensional stability of the spunlace substrate are critical structural contributors.
Nonwoven curtain fabric serves domestic printed and dyed window curtains at the volume production level, where consistent fabric quality and reliable printability across large production runs determine converter profitability. Hotel room and office space curtains represent a second major commercial segment, where durability, shape retention through repeated laundering cycles, and dimensional consistency across large panel quantities are primary specification criteria. The curtain fabric's width range also positions it for decorative backdrop applications in photography studios, event venues, and exhibition environments — contexts where large-format, seamless fabric panels are draped or suspended rather than mounted on windows, and where print quality and visual uniformity are the dominant requirements.
Interior designers and procurement professionals evaluating fabric substrate options for wallcovering and curtain applications will typically consider woven textiles, paper-based substrates, and various nonwoven technologies alongside spunlace. Each has distinct technical characteristics and cost implications.
Woven fabric substrates offer high tensile strength and established aesthetic properties, but their production is slower, they generate greater material waste at selvage edges, and their anisotropic weave structure can create visual directionality that limits print design freedom. Paper substrates have dominated wallcovering production historically, but paper is hygroscopic, tears under mechanical stress during installation, and lacks the tear resistance and durability of nonwoven substrates — which is why the premium wallcovering market has progressively shifted to nonwoven backing since the early 2000s. Thermally bonded or chemically bonded nonwovens provide lower manufacturing cost but introduce binder residues that can affect adhesion quality, and their surface uniformity is typically inferior to hydroentangled fabric. Needle-punched nonwovens provide high tensile strength but with surface texture irregularities and fiber tufting that compromise print quality.
Decorative spunlace fabric occupies a position that combines the surface smoothness and print quality advantages of paper with the tear resistance, dimensional stability, and functional finish compatibility of technical nonwovens — without the binder-related limitations of bonded alternatives. This technical positioning explains the progressive adoption of spunlace substrates in premium wallcovering and curtain markets across Europe, North America, and Asia.
The Home Improvement Series is one component of a broader nonwoven manufacturing platform that Zhejiang Aojia Nonwoven Technology Co., Ltd. has built around hydroentanglement technology. The Base Cloth Series provides technical nonwoven substrates for composite constructions — including specialty laminates where a nonwoven layer is bonded to films, foams, or functional layers — with direct relevance to decorative panel and specialty wallcovering product development. The Medical Series and Wipes Series apply the same core hydroentanglement process to high-performance healthcare and hygiene substrates, demonstrating the manufacturing consistency and quality control discipline that underpins all Aojia production. The Cosmetology Series and Wiping Cloth Series extend the platform into personal care and industrial cleaning markets respectively. The full product range is available with complete specifications for each series.
This cross-sector manufacturing breadth reflects a deliberate technology platform strategy rather than product diversification for its own sake. By producing for medical, personal care, and industrial wiping markets — all of which carry stringent quality and consistency requirements — Aojia maintains process discipline and quality systems that directly benefit the decorative fabric products in the Home Improvement Series. Buyers sourcing wall cloth or curtain substrate from Aojia are working with a manufacturing organization whose quality management practices are tested and validated across the most demanding nonwoven application categories.
We have 2 advanced spunlace production lines: one for high-quality products, the other for new product R&D and production. With one-stop services, we independently control production requirements, boasting advantages in cost, quality control and product diversification.
We develop products with special specs and uses based on user and market needs, while providing optimal service and support. We also offer custom production with special processes as required, including water repellency, flame retardancy, anti-aging, anti-static, anti-bacterial, anti-ultraviolet and special composite properties.
