Polydimethyldiallylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) and polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) have been used to build-up polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) on chemical soft wood fibres and on SiO2 at various electrolyte concentrations. Adsorption Onto SiO2 was studied using a stagnation point adsorption reflectometer (SPAR), and the adsorbed amount of PDADMAC and PSS on the fibres was determined using nitrogen analysis and Schoniger burning, respectively. The adsorption onto the two substrates was then compared. Paper testing showed that the tensile index (TI) increased by about 90% when 11 layers had been adsorbed, and that there was a correlation between the adsorbed amount and the increase in TI. It was also shown that the particular polymer present in the outermost layer significantly influenced the TI, and that PDADMAC produced a higher TI. A correlation between the adsorbed amount and the TI was also found. Individual fibres were partly treated with a PEM and analysed using a dynamic contact angle analyser (DCA) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.