Prepare the walls yourself for wallpapering. Preparing walls for wallpaper. Successful examples and options

Wallpaper remains the most popular finishing material among many alternatives. It would seem that every adult has at least once had to take part in wallpapering, and therefore what questions might there be regarding this process?

However, it is still rare to come across a wall perfectly covered with wallpaper. Many blame the manufacturers of the material, saying that in order to save money, they produce wallpaper from low-quality raw materials, or they suggest paying attention to where the hands of the master who carried out the repair work come from. All these comments have a right to life, but according to the observations of professionals, most of the problems and shortcomings are associated with the preparation stage, and not at all with the process of finishing the walls. Therefore, in today’s material we will tell you how to prepare walls for wallpapering with your own hands and give step-by-step instructions for this process.

Many people ask why they need to prepare and treat the walls before wallpapering. We will answer with a story about what awaits you and your repair if you decide to ignore this stage:

The wallpaper simply won’t stick well, because on an unprepared wall there are pores, the presence of which leads to voids between the wall and the wallpaper, and therefore the material will sag and not hold tightly. When you start preparing the wall and begin to peel off the previous layer of wallpaper, pay attention to this; the coating glued to an unprepared wall will be removed very easily;
By gluing wallpaper on concrete walls without preparation, you run the risk of being very surprised at the completion of the repair at how uneven your walls are, and the wallpaper is completely unable to hide this. In order to avoid getting into such a situation, the walls must first be leveled;
Harmful microflora in the form of fungus and mold do not always form on the walls of abandoned premises; it is enough to simply leave microcracks and not prime the walls and these unpleasant companions will live with you for a long time.

Preparing tools for work

To prepare the walls for wallpapering we will need the following materials and equipment:

Starting and finishing putty, with the help of which we will level the walls and make the last layer before the wallpaper.
Primer, optimally deep penetration.
Serpyanka, we will use it to repair cracks and seal seams.
To apply the putty, you will need to use spatulas; you may need tools of different sizes.
Primer and the container in which it will be located during work.
Brushes and rollers for applying primer, respectively.
Various rags

Sequence of work

Cleaning surfaces of old materials

As mentioned above, you first need to remove the old finishing material, otherwise it will be difficult when gluing and subsequent use of the wallpaper. If you have to rip off the old layer of wallpaper, proceed as follows:

If you have to remove water-repellent wallpaper, before carrying out the procedure described above, first make cuts in the wallpaper, otherwise they will not absorb moisture. If you have to remove so-called liquid wallpaper, then you should arm yourself with an industrial hair dryer and preheat it.

If you have to clean the wall from old paint, then depending on the type of paint we will need different products. Since it is likely that you do not know what kind of paint was applied by the previous owner of the apartment, you will have to try different ways and look at the effect. In general, there are three main methods:

Mechanical, that is, a banal physical impact on the coating using a scraper or hammer drill with a special attachment;
Heating, here you will need a heat source like an industrial hair dryer;
Chemical - using special paint removers.

Primary primer

Regardless of the type of wallpaper you plan to apply, you must first treat the walls with a primer - this will make the gluing procedure easier, and will also help the walls absorb moisture less and protect against the formation of mold. It is applied with a brush or roller, the main thing is to do it carefully and conscientiously, without missing hard-to-reach areas. If you see that the composition is absorbed into the wall almost instantly, apply another layer.

After this, the walls should dry thoroughly, the time required for this depends on the type of primer, but it is better not to rush and not start plastering earlier than a day later.

Plaster

Unfortunately, the walls in a standard Russian apartment leave much to be desired, and therefore we cannot achieve it without plastering and leveling the surfaces. The choice of plaster mixture depends on the type of walls - brick walls should be covered with cement-sand, and concrete walls should preferably be leveled with a gypsum mixture. If you are going to glue dense, for example, vinyl wallpapers, and the unevenness of the walls is insignificant - you can do without plaster, but serious curvature will not be masked with wallpaper. The plastering process is as follows:

We prepare the solution from the purchased mixture according to the instructions; this is most conveniently done with a drill with a special attachment;
We apply the resulting mass to the wall and tear it into a thin layer using a fork or a large spatula until all cracks and irregularities are eliminated;
Let the plaster dry, after which you can proceed to the puttying stage.

Putty

This stage is extremely important, because putty will reduce the roughness of the walls, which will have a positive effect on the adhesion of the wallpaper. Before starting work, it is worth protecting the floor from the inevitable dirt, and therefore we lay down oilcloth or other unnecessary material, now we can begin:

We carefully sand the wall, then apply a layer of putty starting from the bottom, with a spatula helping us, and then level it.
We wait for it to dry, after which we sand the wall again, making it as even and smooth as possible;
Shake off any dust that has formed on the walls or remove it with a vacuum cleaner. The wall putty is finished.

Re-priming walls

At the end, it is worth repeating the priming process described above. Now this will be easier to do and less primer will be needed, because the walls have already been prepared. Often, glue well dissolved in water is used as a finishing primer, which will subsequently be used to fix the wallpaper. Having thoroughly coated our surface, we will complete the preparation of concrete walls for wallpapering. As you have seen, the technology for preparing walls does not require any unique skills at all, and therefore anyone can prepare walls for wallpapering with their own hands.

The stages of preparing walls for wallpapering in an apartment belonging to a secondary housing stock were described above. Many people think that when they move into a new building, such difficulties will not arise - this is both true and not true. Yes, old Decoration Materials you don't have to rip it off, but smooth walls no one guaranteed it, so we’ll tell you how to properly prepare walls for wallpapering in a new building:

Throw a layer of creamy consistency plaster up to 1 centimeter thick onto the wall;
After the first layer has been sprayed and dried, apply and carefully level the second layer to a thickness of 0.5 cm;
The last layer, the covering, should have a thickness of 0.2 to 0.4 cm; after drying, it must be thoroughly rubbed and at the end we will get smooth walls.

Another non-standard situation is the use liquid wallpaper. You can prepare the walls for gluing such wallpaper with your own hands not only by leveling, plastering and bending the walls, but also by painting them. We advise you to give preference to white tones, otherwise the paint may subsequently show through the wallpaper. After such preparation, liquid wallpaper will lay down more easily and will adhere more firmly to the wall.

Date: 05/01/2017

Renovating an apartment is a troublesome task, but the anticipation of the result is pleasant. And almost no renovation is complete without wallpapering. This process will become more enjoyable, and the result will delight you for a long time if the preparation of the walls for wallpapering was carried out correctly. To properly prepare the walls, you can hire a construction team, but doing simple work with my own hands will allow you to save on services. By following our instructions, you will do as well as professionals.

Preparing walls for wallpapering

The wall preparation procedure is determined in three stages:

removing a layer of old wallpaper or paint;
plaster, putty;
primer.

Let's look at each stage in some detail, taking into account the subtleties and nuances that may arise during work. Removing old wallpaper: removing previous wallpaper is not just necessary, but very important. If you stick new ones on top of old ones, there is a high risk of the results of labor peeling off from the surface or air forming under the wallpaper. All this will lead to damage to the appearance.

Preparing walls for wallpapering: removing old coverings

Since they exist different types wallpaper, then removing them will require a multifaceted approach:

Paper wallpaper can be removed without any extra effort. Lightly wet with water from a spray bottle and then remove with a spatula. This option is also good because no dust is generated during removal.
Non-woven wallpaper is characterized by a waterproof layer and ordinary wetting will not bring the desired result, but if you make cuts along the surface of the glued wallpaper and then moisten it, the result will not be long in coming and after 15 minutes remove it with a spatula.
Vinyl wallpaper is removed in 2 stages: first, the first layer of polyvinyl chloride is removed, and then the paper base. Use the water method, as in the case of non-woven wallpaper.
Washable wallpaper can also be removed in layers. Initially, the thin first layer is removed, and then the paper layer. The paper layer requires some skill, as it is not afraid of moisture. You can make incisions with a spatula and try to wet them with water, but effective way will use a steam generator or steam iron. After steaming, the paper layer can be easily removed without requiring much effort.

Removing washable wallpaper

Liquid wallpaper. Before removing liquid wallpaper, make sure this action is necessary. Maybe, great solution will be painting water-based paint, before applying a new color, and thereby refresh the room. If you intend to glue others, such as photo wallpaper, then you can remove this wallpaper in two ways: manually or using an industrial hair dryer. For manual removal you will need warm water and a scraper. Wet the wallpaper well and remove it with a scraper. If you add a primer to the water, the removal process will go quite quickly.
Removing wallpaper from drywall. Drywall is different in that it firmly holds any type of wallpaper. To remove old wallpaper, dilute ordinary cheap wallpaper glue bought in a store, dilute it to the consistency of kefir and coat the wallpaper. Wait for the wallpaper to swell and use a spatula to remove the old wallpaper.
If you find several layers of pasted wallpaper, carefully wet the wallpaper with hot water. Considering that the wallpaper will dry quickly, it is advisable to do this one strip at a time to avoid excessive moisture, which will damage the plaster.

After removing the wallpaper, it is important to inspect the walls for unevenness. The presence of major damage requires the use of plaster work. It is easy to mix the plaster with your own hands using sand and cement in a ratio of 3:1. After thoroughly mixing the mixture, add enough water to form a thick mass. Use this solution and a putty knife to close any large holes.

Puttying walls before wallpapering

Before applying putty, it is important to wait until the plaster solution has completely dried.

Advice. To make sure that the plaster is completely dry, use the following trick: glue a piece of polyethylene using tape to the surface where the plastering work was done. As the plaster dries, it releases moisture, which will settle on the film. The disappearance of condensation from the film indicates that the solution has completely dried.

Before you putty, apply a primer, which can be purchased at any hardware store. This will promote strong adhesion of the layers. After the primer has dried, you can begin to putty the walls.
Putty is a universal tool for leveling walls and removing minor unevenness. Construction stores offer a wide range of this material. It comes in the form of a dry mixture or ready-to-use. If possible, buy ready-made, as this will save you from unnecessary procedures. The putty should be applied to a spatula and then to the wall, creating a thin layer, no more than 1.5-2 mm. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure up to 2-3 times. Allow time for the putty to dry completely.

Applying putty to level walls

To assess the plane for unevenness, use visual inspection or special beacons.

Advice: if the future wallpaper is “heavy”, then you should apply 2-3 layers of putty. Each of them is impregnated with a primer and time is given to dry. After the putty has completely dried, and this will take about 12 hours, you can begin sanding the surface with sandpaper.

The final stage of preparing walls for wallpapering: priming. For skeptics who believe that the priming process does not make sense, we will present several facts in favor of this material:

The primer protects against fungus, as it contains antiseptic properties.
The primer will solve the problem of excess dust that forms when removing wallpaper or after sanding putty. This will provide stronger adhesion between the wall and the wallpaper.
Using a primer, low-quality plaster is strengthened, which ensures that it does not crumble.

So, after making sure that a primer is necessary, you can go to the store to buy the material. Please note that there is a wide range of this material. Buy a primer taking into account the characteristics of the wall material, and you can always find out additional information about the properties of a particular primer from a sales consultant.

Applying primer to walls before wallpapering

So, we figured out how to prepare the walls for wallpapering. As we can see, these activities are not complicated, and in the case of a flat surface, they do not take much time at all. These manipulations are relevant for surfaces that already have wallpaper on them. But what to do if the coating consists of plasterboard or you are moving into new apartment and the walls are just plastered?
If the coating consists of plasterboard, then before gluing the wallpaper you need to cover the wall with an antifungal compound, seal the seams between the sheets using sickle mesh and putty, and, if necessary, putty the entire surface to remove minor irregularities. Apply primer. Let dry.

Tip: When covering with plasterboard, nail heads can be found on the surface. To prevent this from causing rust to appear on the wallpaper, paint the caps with enamel paint.

If the walls in a new building are uneven, then you need to do the following:

Apply the first layer of plaster by spraying a plaster solution with a creamy structure, no more than 1 cm thick.
After waiting for it to dry slightly, apply an additional layer of plaster, not exceeding half a centimeter. Align carefully.
Next, the final layer is applied, no higher than 0.4 cm of plaster and, after drying, rubbed with hard sandpaper or a special grater.

Preparing walls for paper, non-woven, vinyl wallpaper is carried out using the steps described above, but do not forget about types of wallpaper such as liquid and photo wallpaper, which require slightly different preparation.

Pasting wallpaper on walls

Preparing walls for liquid wallpaper and photo wallpaper

To prepare walls for liquid wallpaper, you need to do the following:

Remove all dirt, otherwise dirt will cause streaks on the finished surface.
Use plaster mixture to fill all uneven areas.
Prime the walls, if necessary, prime twice.
Painting. It is advisable to paint with white paint so that it does not show through the new wallpaper.

Photo wallpapers are considered not only popular and bold design solution, but require special pedantry in surface preparation. The walls must be perfectly smooth, without the slightest flaws. Otherwise, the drawing will show all the errors, and the image itself may be distorted if there are irregularities. Therefore, when leveling the wall, special beacons are actively used. Described in more detail in the corresponding article!

Pasting photo wallpapers

The entire process of preparing walls for photo wallpaper is carried out in several stages:

Removing old wallpaper, paint (if available) and collecting major pollution. After this, it is advisable to degrease and prime the walls. Degreaser can be purchased at a hardware store.
Special devices are installed - beacons, which provide a perfectly flat surface during plastering of walls. After drying, the surface is sanded.
The next step will be puttying. Also apply a primer between the plaster and putty. After drying, you should go over it again with sandpaper. If necessary, puttying can be repeated again.
The final stage: priming. After drying, the wall is completely ready for installation of photo wallpaper.

In this article we talked about the main aspects of preparing walls for wallpapering. By following our recommendations, you will undoubtedly enjoy the wallpapering process itself, and the final result will delight you for many years.

Preparing walls for wallpapering with your own hands

Aligning the walls with wallpaper is a mandatory procedure before pasting. There are no ideal surfaces; you can almost always find flaws even in new buildings, where apartments are being prepared for finishing, and therefore, before gluing roll materials, you must perform the following steps:

dismantle the old coating;
remove irregularities, seal cracks and cavities on the surface;
if necessary, level the base using plaster mortar or plasterboard;
apply primer.

How to remove old wallpaper

For each type of wallpaper (non-woven, vinyl, paper, photo wallpaper and liquid wallpaper) there are various ways removal. There are no universal methods for removing old coating, so you should consider the most effective and proven options.

To get rid of the standard paper wallpaper , you will need hot water, a roller or sprayer, and a spatula. Old wallpaper must be moistened generously with hot water, after which the glue will soften and the trellises can be removed in whole strips, prying the edge with a spatula.

Before performing these procedures, turn off the power in the room to avoid short circuit. It is recommended to cover the floor with plastic film, and move all furniture to the next room. To more effectively remove paper wallpaper, you can add ingredients of your choice to the water:

50 grams of crushed laundry soap per 10 liters of water;
10 ml fabric softener per 10 liters of water;
30 ml table vinegar per 10 liters of water.

For removing paper wallpaper from plasterboard surface It is recommended to use a highly diluted adhesive solution (5 times the water norm); there are also special dry or liquid compositions for removing old wallpaper.

Vinyl wallpapers They have increased moisture resistance, so this type of coating cannot be removed with water. If the structure of the vinyl wallpaper has retained its strength, you can try to remove it “dry”.

To do this, you need to carefully move the spatula to the bottom edge of the wallpaper and peel off the vinyl surface, moving upward, and the remaining paper base is removed along general principle using hot water. If it is impossible to remove the vinyl layer, they usually resort to making cuts along the entire height of the trellis, after which they apply water, which penetrates into the paper base, and clean off the sheets with a spatula.

Non-woven wallpaper they are glued to high-quality and durable glue, which is very difficult to remove from the wall, so in this case, first remove the trellises using hot water and a spatula, and then clean the surface of the wall from glue.

Cope with adhesives such as MC and KMC It can be done by steaming, for which an electric steam generator is used. If you don’t have such a tool, you can use an ordinary iron and a piece of dense natural fabric for the same purposes.

The fabric must be moistened generously with hot water, lightly wrung out, then thrown over the wall and ironed at maximum temperature. Steamed trellises can be easily removed in large pieces; in some cases, you can help a little with a spatula.

Liquid wallpaper can be removed in any way, and to remove glass wallpaper You will need to purchase ready-made solutions and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

How to remove old paint

In the recent past, walls in kitchens were most often painted with oil-based paint, but modern roll materials, for example, vinyl wallpaper, are not inferior in strength and water resistance to paint coatings, so you should consider installing wallpaper in rooms where the surface of the walls was previously painted.

It is impossible to glue wallpaper onto a painted surface (or rather, it is possible, but with preliminary preparation, which will be discussed in a separate article on our website) - there is no adhesion. Therefore, before proceeding with installation roll materials, you should get rid of the paintwork.

Removing the old coating is not easy; for this process you will need the following tools:

for mechanical paint removal: a machine with a cutting wheel and various attachments, scraping tools (knife, chisel, axe, spatula);
for removal using chemical reagents: solvent for a specific type of paint, brush;
for thermal paint removal: blowtorch, hair dryer, spatula;
protective equipment: respirator, safety glasses and overalls.

Remove paintwork mechanically- a labor-intensive task, but it is safer for health than other methods. The impact on the painted surface is carried out using a power tool with various attachments or an ax; bubbling paint can be easily removed with a spatula, in hard to reach places you will have to use a chisel or knife.

To remove paint using chemicals You will need to purchase special removers or solvents. The substances are sprayed or brushed onto the surface, wait, according to the instructions, for a certain period of time, and then remove the paint using a spatula.

The disadvantages of this method include the following factors:

high cost of chemicals;
Each layer of paint will require a new portion of solvent;
the unpleasant smell of solvent lingers in the room for a long time even with active ventilation;
All work must be carried out in special protective equipment.

Using traditional methods, you can inexpensively prepare walls for wallpapering. Step-by-step instructions for preparation and use cleaning solution at home:

Take 250 ml of ammonia, 1000 ml of water and stir.
2000 grams of construction chalk are poured into the prepared solution and stirred.
Apply the finished mixture to the surface and wait two hours.
The paint is removed along with the dried layer of the mixture using a spatula.

When the paint is exposed to heat, the surface layer of paint softens, after which it can be easily removed with a spatula. This method is associated with increased release of caustic fumes into the air, so the use of a respirator and protective mask is mandatory.

If you don’t have a blowtorch or a hair dryer at hand, you can use a regular iron on the painted surface, heating the wall through a paper pad or foil.

How to repair cracks

Sealing cracks is one of the main processes for preparing walls for wallpaper. The order of work when chips and cracks are detected is as follows:

It is necessary to prepare tools and materials: spatulas (wide and narrow), a brush 150 mm wide, sandpaper, putty, reinforcing mesh.
The edges of the detected crack should be expanded using a spatula.

The surface around the crack must be cleaned with sandpaper.
Small particles and dust are removed from the crack.
Using a brush, the inner surface of the crack and the wall around it are treated with a primer, at a distance of 5-7 cm from the edge of the crack.
Using a spatula, put putty into the crack. Nowadays, acrylic sealant is more often used, which is squeezed into the repair site with a mounting gun.

When the repair composition has dried, a thin layer of putty is applied to the tear site and a reinforcing mesh of the required size is glued.
After the solution has dried, a layer of putty is applied over the reinforcing mesh and leveled with a spatula.
The completely dry patch is sanded with sandpaper or a sander.

If repairs are being carried out in a recently completed new building, you should make sure that the cracks do not tend to expand and increase in length; this process often occurs when the house shrinks.

To fix the initial position of the crack, just make a mark with a pencil on the wall. If the process is dynamic, you should postpone the repair, since the putty will simply fall out of such a crack, and the work will have to be done again.

In most cases, to fill large cracks, it is better to use a standard cement-sand mortar and grout with gypsum-based putty.

Alignment

If the surface to be glued has significant vertical differences, it is recommended to produce sheets of plasterboard. It will be difficult to carry out plastering on your own, without some experience, but even a beginner can handle the installation of gypsum boards.

Plastering

Plastering walls under wallpaper is done if it is necessary to level the surface with vertical differences of up to 30 mm. Plastering the walls in the room begins with placing beacons. There are several ways to install guides, but most often finishers use special metal slats, which are installed level on the gypsum or plaster mortar.

The width between the slats should not exceed the length of the rule. Before preparing the walls for wallpapering using plaster, the base must be primed.

Plastering is carried out in stages:

the surface is treated with a primer;
the first layer of solution is applied - spray;
the second layer (primer) is applied after the first has dried;
for final leveling of the surface, a solution with a high cement content is prepared;
After the finishing layer has dried, the surface is grouted and polished.

The solution is applied from bottom to top between the beacons, starting from the lower left corner of the room, gradually moving to the right. It is necessary to properly level the plaster layer, pulling the mortar from the bottom up, removing excess mixture and filling in places where there is not enough mortar.

Drywall

How to align walls with wallpaper if there are significant (more than 40 mm) vertical differences? In such a situation, they traditionally resort to installing drywall, but residents of small-sized panel houses and “Khrushchev” it is better to use other methods of leveling the walls, since the plasterboard base eats up to 100 mm.

Owners of private wooden houses you should also be careful with the use of gypsum boards - if the house is not lived in permanently, a change in humidity and temperature regime, which leads to destruction of the material.

Drywall is usually attached to a lathing made of metal guides, which, before installation, are secured to the concrete base using dowels, first leveled using a plumb line or a laser level. The joints of the sheets must be glued with serpyanka and plastered, and each corner is also treated. Before pasting, the prepared surface should be primed with a wallpaper primer.

If the vertical differences are less than 40 mm, the sheets can be mounted using glue, for which a thick layer of adhesive solution is applied to the wall surface and the gypsum board is pressed against it. By tracking the vertical with a level, the sheet is either pressed harder, or vice versa, the pressure is eased, achieving the required position. This method is not reliable, since after the glue has completely dried, shrinkage occurs, which can lead to the appearance of voids and cracks in the plasterboard.

Priming before wallpaper

To properly and efficiently prepare walls for gluing with your own hands, it is imperative to treat the surface with a primer. The primer ensures higher adhesion of the adhesive to the wall and wallpaper, and also serves as an additional means for leveling the surface, removing fine dust and smoothing out porosity.

A primer is available for each type of surface: concrete, wood, plasterboard, cement-based or gypsum-based plaster. The procedure for using the primer depends on the material being processed, but the following step-by-step algorithm is usually used:

The base is cleaned of small fractions of dirt and dust;
Begin treatment with a primer solution diluted with water. The more liquid composition is rough and provides preliminary impregnation of the base;
The finishing layer is prepared with a normal consistency and applied after the first layer has completely dried, which is completely absorbed quite quickly, in 3-4 hours;
On large surfaces the primer is applied with a roller, and in the corners of the wall it is treated with a brush 150 mm wide.

How to prepare walls for liquid wallpaper

If the decision has been made to decorate the walls with liquid wallpaper, the task of preparing the surface is somewhat easier, since in this case there are no requirements for a perfectly flat base. So, how to prepare walls for this type of wallpaper:

At the first stage, it is necessary to clean the wall of old coating and dirt.
If excessive porosity of the surface is detected, it is recommended to apply one layer of gypsum-based leveling plaster.
Next, treat the surface with a primer. If work is carried out in old houses, it is recommended to carry out double primer treatment.

A mandatory procedure before installing liquid wallpaper is the application of water-based paint. According to the technology, it is recommended to paint the walls in white or another light tone; in this case, the base will not show through with both dark and light finishing coating material.

Video on the topic

An important stage of finishing work is preparing the walls for wallpapering, because the final result of finishing the room will depend on how correctly and efficiently it is done. Even the most expensive wallpaper will not look good or last long if it is applied to poorly prepared walls. In this article we will cover all stages of preparation and tell you how to prepare walls for different types of wallpaper.

Why do you need to prepare walls for wallpapering?

The purpose of preparing walls for wallpapering is to achieve surface quality that will satisfy the following requirements:

Precise geometry. No wallpaper will hide the curvature of the walls; a high-quality finishing result can only be obtained with even planes and right angles. Dimensional accuracy is achieved, usually by plastering or plasterboarding.
No defects, smooth. There should be no protrusions, even the smallest ones, on the surface of the walls. Depending on the type of wallpaper for which the surface is prepared for gluing, the presence of a certain number of small depressions is allowed. The thinner the wallpaper, the smoother the gluing surface should be. Smoothness is achieved by puttying.
Low absorbency properties. If the material has high absorbent properties, then the wallpaper glue is absorbed into it, and the adhesion of the wallpaper to the wall turns out to be fragile. To reduce the absorbent properties of materials, a primer is used.
Uniformity of color. It is necessary when the wallpaper is thin and the surface of the wall is visible through it. A white primer helps achieve an even tone.

Having fulfilled all these requirements, you will receive perfectly prepared walls on which the wallpaper will look good and stick firmly.

During renovations, preparing walls for wallpapering usually begins with removing the old finishing layer. The exception is when the old wallpaper:

were glued to a well-prepared wall;
have no stains of dampness or mold;
holds tightly without bubbles or lags;
paper;
with permanent color;
do not show through new ones.

In such cases, it is recommended to first test the application of new wallpaper on one of the corners. If everything is fine after a day, then you don’t have to remove the old wallpaper. To prepare the walls for gluing, it is enough to prime them twice with an hour break. In all other cases, the walls will have to be cleaned.

To remove old wallpaper, most often you have to soak it. Each type has its own methods for soaking.

Paper ones are easy to soak warm water using a sponge or fur roller. Having carefully processed one strip, after 10-15 minutes you can pry up its edge with a spatula and remove it from the wall.

If the wallpaper has a waterproof top layer, then to soak it it is necessary for moisture to penetrate to the paper base. To do this, you need to break the integrity of the top layer. This can be done either using notches or using a needle roller. In this case, you must use the tool carefully so as not to damage the putty located under the layer of paper.

After soaking paper base the waterproof film is easily removed, and a steam generator can be used to remove the bottom layer, steam iron, special means, dissolving paper.

Removing wallpaper from drywall has its own specifics, because it is difficult to peel the paper off the cardboard without damaging it. Inexpensive wallpaper glue will help make the task easier. Having diluted it a little thinner than the instructions require, apply it thickly to the wallpaper, wait until it swells, and scrape it off with a spatula.

Liquid wallpaper, in addition to being decorative, also serves as putty. In addition, they have long term services. Therefore, if they have lost their freshness, it is better to renew them by painting them with water-based paint. But if you are determined to remove them, you can do this using an industrial hair dryer or manually with a scraper after soaking with warm water and adding a primer.

Removing old paint

Old paint is usually difficult to remove, but preparing walls for wallpaper requires this. To do this, you can use one of the following methods:

Sand the surface with a grinder or electric drill with a steel brush attachment. This must be done in a respirator to protect against dust, which is generated in huge quantities with this method.
Use a hair dryer to heat the paint, and when it swells, remove it with a spatula. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure good ventilation, because when heated, the paint releases toxins.
Use solvents. For large areas, this method is not recommended, since it is the most expensive and not environmentally friendly.

If the walls were painted with oil paint and do not need leveling, then you can remove only the areas with loose putty, and carefully treat the rest of the surface with coarse sandpaper to roughen it.

Plaster

Plaster is used for brickwork, as well as for walls made of other materials that require significant leveling.

Recently, instead of plaster, they are increasingly using interior decoration plasterboard, since it allows you to simultaneously insulate and soundproof the walls while leveling, and does not require continuous putty.

Plastering is done using ready-made dry mixtures, which are diluted with water according to the instructions. To dilute the mixture, it is convenient to use an electric drill with a mixer attachment. For brickwork, cement-sand mixtures are usually used; for concrete walls, cement-gypsum mixtures are more often used.

Before applying plaster, the wall is freed from fragile elements, cleaned and coated with a primer. Apply plaster in 2-3 layers, each previous layer must dry thoroughly before applying the next one.

Often, when finishing work, it is not plastering that is required, but the repair of old plaster. This type of work includes cleaning cracks, removing all weak parts, followed by priming and filling the resulting voids with plaster mortar.

Putty

While in many cases you can do without plaster when gluing wallpaper, putty is almost always necessary. The only exception is when finishing walls with plasterboard, where putty is used only at the joints of sheets and in places where they are fastened with self-tapping screws.

Procedure for filling walls:

Preparing the surface for putty includes clearing cracks and voids, thoroughly cleaning and removing dust from the surface.
Then the primer is applied using a roller and brush.
After the primer has dried, you need to dilute the starting putty mixture, rubbing the lumps, until smooth.
The finished solution is evenly applied to the wall with a spatula, leveled and left for about 12 hours to dry.
The dried starting layer is primed.
After the soil has dried, the finishing putty mixture is diluted.
The finishing layer is applied and leveled.
After the finishing layer has dried, it is sanded with sandpaper, dusted off and primed.

After this step-by-step instruction completed, we can assume that the walls are completely prepared for wallpapering.

Primer

An important step in preparing walls is priming. The essence of this action is that the applied composition penetrates inside the layer, gluing its particles and forming a film on top that does not allow liquids to be absorbed into it. Thanks to this, the liquid component of the next layer is not absorbed into the previous one, but performs its function - the glue holds the wallpaper, the water from the cement mortar ensures its slow drying, etc. Without priming the layers, the quality of plaster, putty, and wallpaper will be very low, so neglecting this procedure is strictly not recommended.

When applying a primer, it is important that the layer on which it is applied is thoroughly dry.

In this case, the primer will be well absorbed and will perform its task efficiently. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to apply 2 layers of primer. You can continue working with the primed surface only after it has dried.

How to prepare brick walls for wallpapering

Preparing for wallpapering brick walls includes all the stages described above: plaster, putty, primer. Please note that newly built brick house, as a rule, shrinks, which can last from 1 to 5 years. If you don't want to postpone Finishing work at least for 1 year, then it is better not to use too expensive materials for the first finishing, because due to shrinkage, the need for cosmetic repairs may soon arise.

How to prepare concrete walls for wallpapering

If concrete walls have precise geometry, then when finishing them you can do without plaster. It is enough to widen the existing cracks in the concrete, remove all weak elements and protruding irregularities, and then seal the recesses cement mortar. After the applied “patches” have dried, the surface of the walls is puttied in two layers - starting and finishing, sanded, primed, after which any type of wallpaper can be glued to it.

Since concrete has high thermal conductivity and sound permeability, concrete walls are often finished with plasterboard, combining it with soundproofing insulation.

The easiest way to prepare drywall for wallpapering is to just fill the joints and recesses from the screw heads, sand and prime these places, and then prime the entire surface.

How to prepare the walls of wooden and frame houses for wallpapering

Wooden and frame house construction Most often the inside is finished with wooden lining, panels or a block house. These materials are chosen to highlight the warm atmosphere of timber homes. But if you want, then why not cover the walls with wallpaper?

Preparing walls for wallpapering wooden houses may involve both applying plaster and putty, and covering the walls with plasterboard or other sheet material. IN frame houses The second option is mainly used.

Preparation of walls made of plasterboard and other sheet materials

As already mentioned, preparing for wallpapering plasterboard wall coverings is the least labor-intensive option. It is only necessary to fill the joints of the plasterboard sheets using serpyanka tape, cover the recesses from the fastener heads with putty, after drying, sand the filled areas and prime the entire surface.

How to prepare walls for different types of wallpaper

The highest demands on the quality of walls are made when preparing to hang thin and light paper wallpapers, especially if they have a glossy surface. In these cases, the wallpaper will emphasize the slightest unevenness, and if the wall underneath is not uniform in color, it will be noticeable. Therefore, you need to prepare the walls for hanging such wallpaper especially carefully, not forgetting to cover them with a white primer at the end.

When preparing walls for gluing dark wallpaper You don’t have to worry about the uniformity of the tone of the surface being pasted. Therefore, diluted wallpaper glue suitable for this type of wallpaper can be used as a primer.

Thick wallpaper allows you to be less critical of the quality of the walls and allows for the presence of a limited number of small depressions on their surface.

Preparing walls for liquid wallpaper is simpler, since it does not require puttying. After all, liquid wallpaper combines the functions of a decorative coating and putty; they can be applied directly to plaster or a concrete wall, not forgetting to prime them first.

The most popular way to decorate walls is to use wallpaper: they are inexpensive, easy to install, and do not require special care. Before carrying out work on gluing wallpaper with your own hands, you should prepare the wall surface for this process, since in order to hang wallpaper, the wall surface must meet certain requirements: be smooth, without flaws and obvious flaws. That is why the preparation of walls for wallpapering must be done efficiently.

As a rule, a wall is not an ideal surface for conducting repair work: it may have obvious flaws, glue residues from previous wallpapering, protruding fittings and other defects. What to do in such a situation? In order for the result to be truly high-quality, you should carry out some preparation of the wall surface before carrying out the work of wallpapering the wall with your own hands.

The process itself consists of several stages:

Puttying. During the puttying work, the wall is leveled, you need to cover up all the unevenness: this is all done so that later, it will be much easier to apply a wallpaper layer to the putty wall. If, for example, the wall itself is dark, then if you stick sufficiently light wallpaper, the unputtyed wall will show through under the wallpaper. To make the wall color lighter, you also need to putty it.
Primer. The priming stage of the wall ensures better adhesion between the wallpaper and the wall. In addition to making the wallpaper stick better, the primer protects the wall surface from fungi and mold. Some special thick types of primer can even level the wall.
General preparation. General preparation of walls for wallpapering with your own hands involves dismantling old wallpaper, glue residues, nails, screws, and so on. When performing such work, you should be as careful as possible: you should remove any objects that could subsequently interfere with you. If you follow the correct order of the stages of wall preparation, then general preparation should begin before all subsequent work.

Preparing walls for wallpaper is much more difficult than finishing the wall itself: therefore, you should pay special attention to this stage and properly prepare the surface of the wall before covering it with wallpaper.

How to level a wall using putty (video)

How to treat walls before wallpapering yourself

It doesn’t matter what surface you are going to glue the wallpaper on: it should still be treated with putty and primer. The very first stage is putty. Putty is applied to the entire wall, making it suitable for wallpapering. The putty mixture should be selected based on the surface on which the wallpaper will be applied. The most common type of wall putty is acrylic putty. It is the most universal, suitable for almost any surface. With acrylic putty, the wallpaper will stay on the walls for a very long time: therefore, there will be no need to carry out complex repair work in the future when the wallpaper comes off.

In addition to putty, the wall must be treated with a primer.

It was previously stated that the primer provides better adhesion of the wallpaper to the wall, and also protects the wallpaper and the surface of the wall. As with putty, an acrylic primer is suitable in most situations: it does not have a bad odor and dries quickly (up to 5 hours). This type of primer is not suitable only for priming metals because they can become corroded over time.

For wooden surface would be better suited alkyd primer: although the type of primer mixture discussed earlier can be used on wood, alkyd primer is much better suited for a wooden base.

Unlike acrylic primer, its alkyd version dries in about 15 hours. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to prepare walls for wallpapering or what materials to use: therefore, you should study the market building materials, and choose the most preferable option for yourself.

Should I glue wallpaper before laying the floor?

Many people face this question: is it necessary to wallpaper a wall before laying the floor? It should be said that it all depends on the coating you decide to cover the floor with. If you are going to lay laminate flooring, then before doing this, you need to put up wallpaper. Firstly, if the laminate has already been laid, then during wallpapering, you can simply contaminate the laminate, since gluing wallpaper to the wall is a process during which glue or other mixture may simply spill out, and you will have to clean the laminate. As you know, during renovation work on wallpapering, you need to leave a few centimeters of wallpaper as a reserve. If you glue the wallpaper before laying the laminate, then this margin of a couple of centimeters can be easily hidden.

In the case of parquet, the situation is diametrically opposite: first you need to lay the floor, and only then - gluing the wallpaper layer.

The fact is that laying parquet is much more difficult than laying laminate, and while laying parquet you can ruin the wallpaper. If the wallpaper is damaged, you will have to buy new wallpaper and re-glue it. To prevent this from happening, you should first lay the parquet.

Preparing concrete walls for wallpaper

Experts do not recommend preparing walls for wallpapering on a concrete surface. The fact is that concrete is not entirely suitable for wallpaper. Firstly, such a surface is usually uneven, there are obvious irregularities. This problem can be corrected with putty. By the way, there is a second problem, which can also be solved by plastering the wall. As you know, a concrete wall has a dark color. If you hang thin, light-colored wallpaper, it will not look good, since the concrete surface will show through under the wallpaper.

The greatest attention should be paid to puttying a concrete wall, since it is quite difficult to make such a surface sufficiently even.

If it is possible to choose another surface, then you should abandon the concrete wall.

How to prepare walls for painting after wallpapering

To get rid of dust and other imperfections that could interfere with painting the wall, you should prepare it. In order to level it, you should plaster the surface of the wall. The next steps are fairly standard: primer and putty. To prepare the wall before painting it, you should choose an adhesive primer: it improves the adhesion of the wall and paint. If the wall is not strong enough, then you can use a deeply penetrating primer mixture. The primer leaves the wall clean and ready for painting.

Many people do not pay much attention to the preparation of the wall: this is fundamentally wrong. It is the condition of the wall that determines whether the subsequent wallpapering will be successful.

How to putty walls before painting (video)

It is advisable to do everything yourself to be confident in the future result. The main thing is not to give up after the first failures: even bad experiences bring benefits. Good luck wallpapering and preparing the walls for this process!