Prepare Your Walls For Wallpaper
To properly prepare your walls for wallpaper it is essential to follow a few very critical steps.
There is no point in going to the expense of time and energy required to make your vision come to fruition, then to skimp on the most important part.
Wallpaper is, pardon the pun.. paper thin. It will show defects and
inconsistencies in the wall. I strongly suggest to all my clients to let me handle the prep or to follow my instructions closely before the installation.
If you have Somebody Else prepare your walls for wallpaper then read the following information to make sure they are doing it right.
Run your hand over the entire wall . Anything you feel will show through the wallpaper when it has dried. You can also dim the lights in the room and shine a bright work light closely up down and along the wall to create as many shadows as possible to see any imperfections in a wall.
When installing any shiny or metallic materials it is especially important to get the walls as smooth as possible. Other wallpapers are less critical in proportion to how heavy their texture is and how busy the pattern.
Do not assume the wallpaper by itself will make any imperfections go away.
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Wallpaper Primers
Wallpaper paste is designed to sit on top of the wall to work best. Average latex paint does not allow for this to happen. Something has to be rolled over the latex paint in order to create a barrier between the paint and the wallpaper. This Barrier serves two main purposes; First, The paste will have the opportunity to dry evenly. If the paint had been left to its own devices it would have sucked the moisture out of the paste prematurely, causing the paper to dry too quickly and unevenly. Uneven drying can cause the seams to spread open, loose edges and/or bubbling. Secondly, when it comes time to strip the wallpaper, you are in for a nightmare. The places where the paste had penetrated the paint will pull loose with the wallpaper. You will be left with an uneven, chipped up, torn up mess
Here is a list of primers and sealers that work well for different applications,picking the right one is essential to prepare your walls for wallpaper, click on the product name below for more info:
Gardz
This is a great relatively new product that both seals problem areas in the wall and provides an excellent surface for hanging. The one draw back is that the formula, available at Lowes and other popular retailers, is very watery and difficult to roll. Your best bet is to get a small whizz roller so that the Guardz doesn’t splatter and run so much. If you really want to go all the way use this as a base coat then apply a wallpaper specific primer over it.
Bullseye 123
This primer accomplishes much the same results as the guardz, but it will not help with problem areas in the drywall. The advantage of this primer is that it is pigmented white. The white works as a cover for any stains or marks that might be of concern, or for color that might bleed (show) through the paper.
Shieldz Universal
This primer is designed specifically for wallpaper applications. It too is tinted white, but doesn’t cover stains as well as 123. It is effective and easy to work with, providing a good base for hanging.
Shieldz Clear Acrylic Wall Size
This product is very similar to the Universal, but it is clear and can be tinted to dark colors. This fact makes it very effective for hanging dark colored materials where you fear seams spreading or not closing perfectly
Pro-935 or R-35
This is a difficult surface primer for use on slick and unusual surfaces. It works well for installing wallpaper over existing wallpaper, tile, linoleum and other questionable surfaces. If you are considering and install like this, I suggest giving me a call before you start to prep.
Romans 909
This Product Very similar to shieldz, it is a clear easy to work with wallcovering Primer/sizing product that will work over most types of substrate. Follow the manufacturers instructions carefully and remember that it doesn’t have to be pretty , it just has to be applied evenly.
These are just a few of a myriad of different primers and sealers in the market. These just represent the ones I tend to use on a regular basis. Often and most effectively, I use these products in conjunction with each other. For instance, I use might use the Gardz as a good base and sealer then use the clear Shieldz as a sizing agent. This is a combination that works great for almost anything.
With every install I do, I suggest that a client either allow me to do the prep or specifically follow my recommendations prior to the job. Careful and informed preparation really is vital to a good result. Picking the right one is essential to prepare your walls for wallpaper