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Preparing your walls
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Start with Clean Walls!
Walls should be clean before starting. Greasy walls such as those in a
kitchen, can be washed with mixture of water and ammonia (equal parts).
Walls should be sanded smooth. Spot patch nail-holes, dents, etc
using water-based spackling and re-sand. Do not use oil-based
spackling products as they can bleed through the papers. If the wall
has a gloss finish, it will require sanding to prepare the surface for
adhesion.&
Wall stains caused by moisture, grease, crayon, etc must be
corrected before applying wallpaper. Stain-killing primer/sealers
should be used to spot-treat these areas. (Moisture
problems must be corrected before you install your paper to prevent
adhesion or mildew problems)
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There are 2 primary reasons to prepare your walls first before installing your
wallpaper products.
- It helps ensure that your wallpaper products will adhere to the wall
- It makes future removal of the products much easier & protects your wall surface
As wallpaper dries, normally over a 24 to 48 hour period,
there is a significant amount of pull as the paper contracts. If the
wallpaper has not formed a good bond, it will pull away from the
wall. Additionally, if the wall has not been prepared properly when
the paper is later removed, it may damage the covering of the
underlying drywall which can be very expensive to correct
Materials used in wall preparation
- Wallpaper Primer/Sealers
can provide the best insurance on a good installation. These products are
available in several mixtures to address specific needs. A
colored (pigmented) acrylic primer/sealer is the most common because it can be
used on all surfaces. It's water based, easy to clean and the
coloring helps prevent any discolorations from showing through the
paper. These products protect the underlying drywall as well as
provide a good surface for adhesion.
- Stain Killing Primer/Sealers
should be used for walls with problematic stains such as lipstick,
grease, crayon, etc. They prevent these types of stains from
bleeding through the wallpaper. This product would be used to
spot-treat these areas. Once done, an acrylic wallpaper primer/sealer should be
used to treat the walls before installation.
- Sizing is
generally diluted solutions of paste made from the same paste as found
on prepasted wallpaper. Its use is not to prepare the wall, but
to provide added adhesion. It should not be confused with a
primer/sealer .
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Specific wall preparations
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- New Drywall
must first be sealed before you install your wallcovering
products to protect your walls and ensure even adhesion. You'll also
want to spot treat the nails and drywall tape to ensure even base
coloring to prevent the different colors from showing through the
wallpaper.
- Oil or Gloss Painted Walls must
be sanded to until dull to provide a good surface for the wallpaper to adhere to. A
coarse sandpaper should be used with an acrylic primer/sealer.
- Flat Latex Painted Walls should
be treated with a pigmented, arcylic primer/sealer.
- Existing Wallpaper. It's
always better to remove existing wallpaper if possible before
installing your new paper. If there are any loose areas, the new
wallpaper cannot be installed successfully. If the old paper is in
good condition and removing might cause damage to the underlying wall,
you may choose to hang your new paper over the old. To prepare
this type of wall, spackle and sand every seam of the old wallpaper
and reseal each seam or tear with seam adhesive. Test the color
of the old paper to ensure it will not bleed through to the new
(ammonia & water can be used to test the color - colorfast inks
will not react to the solution). If the color test fails, first
apply a stain killer primer/sealer and follow up with an acrylic
primer/sealer. If the color does not react, a pigmented acrylic
primer/sealer can be used. Use a vinyl over vinyl adhesive to
install the paper.
- Textured Walls. Any wall surface
must be sanded smooth before wallpaper installation or the papers will
stick only to the higher outer surface as well as cause problems with the
seams. An electric belt sander is often best for this. Use
an acrylic primer/sealer once the walls have been sanded smooth.
Select your wallpaper carefully for this type of wall. You will
not want to use a smooth or shiny paper as it will accent the
underlying textures.
- Brick & Block Walls can be
wallpapered but special preparation must be done. Also, most of
these products have a natural uneven surface which cannot be altered
and these surface distortion will be visible when papered. For
brick & block, moisture must be controlled before considering this
type of project. Use a heavy wallpaper liner to help provide a
smooth surface and an acrylic primer/sealer. Bricks with a grainy
surface are not suitable for wallcovering as they provide poor adhesion.
- Ceramic Tile is generally found
in bathrooms or kitchens and must be thoroughly cleaned to remove any
grease buildups. A heavier wall liner should be used with an acrylic
primer/sealer.
- Plywood walls can
be covered with wallcoverings if properly prepared first. Use an
oil-based primer/sealer to protect the natural grain of the wood from
raising as the result of moisture from the adhesive. Any natural
texture from the wood grain should be sanded.
- Paneled walls can be wallpapered
with the use of spackle to smooth out the seams. The use of a
liner may be considered depending on the condition of the
paneling. An pigmented acrylic primer/sealer should be used
before installing the wallpaper.
- Plastered walls must be completely dry
before installing wallpaper to allow the plaster time
to cure. A strong vinegar/water solution should be used to
neutralized any alkaline areas of the wall. Cracks must be carefully
considered. Small hairline cracks can be spackled. Larger
cracks should use mesh to repair the crack. Once dry, an acrylic
primer/sealer should be used before installation.
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