Preparing walls for wallpapering - technology and its features. Preparing walls for wallpapering: technology and its features

At first glance, it seems that the gluing process is quite simple. But this is not true at all. After all, if you approach it irresponsibly, then as a result the entire appearance of the interior and the comfort of the room may suffer. In addition, you need to know about the rules for preparing the surface of the walls before wallpapering. After all, the quality of their further operation depends on this.

Since they can be from various materials, then their features are different. In our article we will try to examine in more detail the issue of preparing walls for wallpaper with a selection of relevant photos.

Features of wall preparation in new buildings

The main task preparatory stage is to level its surface, which must be well dried. Then you will definitely be confident that everything is done efficiently and reliably.

Gypsum putty is best suited for preparing the walls of a recently completed new house that has been successfully put into operation.

Typical surface preparation includes the following steps:

Applying the first layer of plaster mixture with a thickness of 3 to 9 mm. In this case, the structure of the plaster coating should be like that of thick sour cream. Its main mission is to fill and level out unevenness and roughness.
Applying a primer about 6 mm thick to the walls under the wallpaper.
Applying another layer of plaster mixture approximately 2-4 mm thick to create a thin film coating, so that moisture cannot penetrate inside the concrete slab.
Grouting using sandpaper to create a smooth and even surface.

Removing old wallpaper

You shouldn’t start gluing new wallpaper in your apartment without removing the old ones. Firstly, it is unsanitary, secondly, it is illiterate, and, thirdly, all your work can suddenly go to waste, since the coating will become unsuitable for use.

Removing wallpaper manually

It's no secret that in areas where radiators or other heating systems are located, wallpaper often lags behind the base on its own. Therefore, they can be easily removed by hand, without the use of tools. To do this, just pick up the edge of the wallpaper and slowly pull it up.

If the glue used is not of high quality, then you are without special labor remove the wallpaper from the wall. But so as not to spoil nail plate you can use a spatula.

Removing wallpaper using water

If the wallpaper is glued well, it will be a little more difficult to remove it from the wall. Therefore, it is worth using the usual warm water which needs to be moistened small area using a specific tool.

Regular table vinegar or dishwashing detergent diluted in water will help increase the effectiveness of soaking. Don't forget that vinegar has a specific aroma.

The area moistened with the resulting solution must be left to soak for several minutes. Then grab the edge of the wallpaper and pull it from the floor to the ceiling. Clean the remaining small pieces of wallpaper very carefully with a kitchen sponge or narrow spatula.

Be sure to turn off the electricity or securely close the outlets before working with water. insulating material, to avoid short-circuiting the electrical wiring.

To make the process of wetting the wallpaper faster and evenly soaked, it is worth making cuts with a knife or pricking it with a needle roller over the entire surface. And only after that, wet it thoroughly.

Removing wallpaper using steam

As they say, the need for invention is cunning. So in this case, to easily remove old wallpaper from the wall you need to use hot steam. A steam generator or an iron with a steamer will help you with this.

If you use an iron, you need to iron the old wallpaper through a cloth dampened with water or use the steaming function. This method is good for large wall parameters.

Removing wallpaper using special tools

To quickly and easily remove old wall coverings, you can use ready-made products designed specifically for this. They are sold in almost all construction supermarkets. They must be used with special hand protection in the form of gloves, and the composition must be applied directly with a roller or sponge.

The advantage of these products is that they penetrate and saturate outdated wallpaper much faster.

Removing old paint from walls

Walls covered with old paint are much more difficult to prepare. Especially if it's oily. In this case, you will need to start cleaning them and removing paint, and this will take a lot of time. Just sand it sandpaper wall slab and making small notches will not be enough; the wallpaper will not stick and can peel off at any time.

To remove paint, you should use the following methods:

Removal using a construction hairdryer. The paint will remove very quickly, but may compromise the integrity of the wall. After which it will need to be plastered. The process itself is quite simple - old layer paint is heated by hot streams air flow and is removed with a spatula.

When working, do not forget about the means personal protection, for example, a respirator, as well as ventilation of the room and its ventilation, since paint releases toxins.

Paint Removal grinder By concrete surfaces or Bulgarian. When working with these tools, the room will be filled with dust, therefore, the windows must be kept open and the doors, on the contrary, closed.

You can remove old layers of paint using special solutions. Being very toxic, they corrode the paint to a liquid substance and remove it with a spatula. To protect hands, eyes and respiratory tract worth taking advantage of protective equipment: gloves, goggles and respirator.

After completing the paint removal process, you can proceed to the next stage: leveling the walls with a putty mixture.

If some areas of paint remain, you will need to apply a primer or vinyl wallpaper adhesive to ensure sufficient adhesion. concrete slab and evenness of the applied layer. Using the same method, walls are prepared for wallpapering with regular or vinyl wallpaper.

The process of puttying uneven surfaces

After removing the previous finish from the wall, carefully check whether it is even. As a rule, there are some defects on the surface of the wall under the wallpaper. Leveling the walls will not be difficult; it is enough to purchase special leveling mixtures or putty on the construction market.

In case of severe defects and damage to the wall panels, it is worthwhile to completely level them using sheets of plasterboard or plaster mixture using special tags.

Preparing walls for liquid wallpaper

Undoubtedly, liquid wallpaper works best on a flat surface. In addition, it is worth recalling that they have the ability to draw various dirty substances from concrete and form stains. To avoid this, you need to treat the prepared surface special mixture or apply a primer in several layers

Preparation of concrete, putty or brick walls

Before application liquid wallpaper it is necessary to prepare such walls, treat the surface in advance gypsum mixture, which will make the wall smoother, correcting all defects and filling the pores. Allow the plaster to dry, and then cover with a primer mixture and paint. white water based.

Photo of the process of preparing walls for wallpaper

Almost any type of interior decoration requires preliminary work, and wallpapering is no exception. Unfortunately, preparing walls for wallpaper in our new buildings is a necessity. Of course, it is possible to conclude an agreement providing for the final or rough finishing of the apartment, but the price of living space with this option will increase significantly. Therefore, new apartment owners believe that the initial stage of finishing an apartment can be done with their own hands.

The need to prepare walls. Causes

Among the many reasons that provoke the initial preparation of walls for wallpapering, there are four main ones:

These are reasons that indicate the need to prepare walls for wallpapering, but some homeowners ignore this step. The motivation of these people is quite simple, in their opinion, the wallpaper changes every few years. However, replacement requires low-budget materials that were applied without prior preparation. Wallpaper of proper quality, pasted on the walls in compliance with all the rules, can last at least ten years.

It is not enough for wall coverings to look decent navigate only for their appearance and high price, do not forget about preliminary works Preparing walls for wallpaper, the work procedure is as follows:

These are the main stages of preparing the walls of a new building for wallpapering, but the secondary housing market also faces its own difficulties. The sequence of actions and attention to even the most insignificant elements have a positive effect on the quality of the preparatory work, and, therefore, on the final result.

There are apartment owners who prefer to glue new wallpaper directly on top of the old ones. Of course, everyone has their own approach to applying coatings to walls, but this method is fraught with consequences. For example, if the first layer of wallpaper begins to peel off, then you will also have to dismantle the coverings that were glued quite recently. Thus, possible savings in money and resources will plunge you into even greater expenses. In addition, applying new wallpaper to old ones can provoke the appearance of fungi and mold underneath, because ventilation of the walls will be significantly hampered. Do not forget that after drying, unevenness may appear on wallpaper pasted over old ones, because the wall was unprepared.

Removing old wallpaper from walls

In order to get rid of old wallpaper applied to the walls of the apartment, you can use the following means:

wide and narrow spatulas, the edges of which should be sharpened;
Steam Mop;
a special needle roller (you will need it for perforation);
vinegar essence;
dishwashing detergents that can dissolve glue and fats;
conditioner used for washing;
warm water;
spray.

Removing wallpaper near heating elements and window sills without using improvised means is almost impossible to remove. That's why masters resort to various tricks. For example, initially it is suggested to moisten the area of wallpaper that caused difficulties with water using a roller or sprayer. Dissolved in water detergents or vinegar, you will speed up the process of eliminating old coatings and, as a result, decorate your home with new wallpaper faster.

Preparing painted surfaces

There are also painted walls in apartments, on which it is highly not recommended to glue wallpaper without preparation. From a smooth surface wall coverings will disappear in two to three months. To avoid such troubles, it is worth carrying out preparatory work in advance, which will consist of removing the paint layer.

Sometimes owners of apartments and houses try to save time by renting only upper layer paint using sandpaper or making several notches on the wall. Such preparation most closely resembles self-deception, and naturally cannot guarantee high-quality fixation of the wallpaper, this is especially true for heavy vinyl wallpaper.

Preparing painted walls for wallpapering with a hair dryer

To obtain a decent result for removal old paint should be approached with special responsibility:

After removing the paint layer, prime the walls. Apply several coats if necessary.
The wall must dry.
Lumps and roughness are eliminated using sandpaper.

A hairdryer will make it easier to prepare painted walls for wallpapering; it softens the paint layer and then removes it with a spatula.

Important! Working with a hair dryer requires compliance with certain rules. The room must be ventilated. Otherwise, toxic substances released by heated paint can cause nausea, dizziness, and mild poisoning.

A grinder equipped with a special disc is used to remove a layer of paint. However, this method is associated with the appearance large quantity dust. Therefore, before you start working with the angle grinder, protect the floor with film and close the doors to other rooms of the apartment. Also, take care of your health by wearing safety glasses and a respirator.

Take care of your health by wearing safety glasses and a respirator

conclusions

The process of preparing walls for wallpapering is quite long and labor-intensive. However, if you want the appearance of the walls to please you long time, under no circumstances should it be ignored. Different surfaces walls require a different approach, but in any case, with due diligence and responsibility, you can do the preparation of walls for wallpapering yourself. Non-woven or vinyl products, differing in their thickness, require perfectly prepared walls. After all, such multi-layer wallpaper, which can last for a long time, is distinguished by its solid weight. Therefore, the wall surface must provide high-quality fixation of such coatings.

Wallpapering is the most affordable and popular type of cosmetic finishing that does not require special vocational training in the construction profession. Probably every apartment owner has ever done this on their own. However, as in any other work, the quality of the finishing result depends on correct execution all technological stages of repair. One of the key stages influencing the result of the work is preliminary preparation walls

Although you want to quickly start gluing purchased wallpaper, you cannot neglect the preparation of the walls, on which the quality and durability of the work result largely depends. After all, expensive multi-layer washable wallpaper with high-quality gluing can last at least 10 years. The process of preparing walls for gluing includes dismantling the old finishing coating, cleaning and sealing cracks and other defects, leveling the surface, puttying, sanding and priming the walls. The better all this work is done, the stronger and better the final finishing result will look.

Dismantling the old coating

Even if the old coating looks durable and smooth, you should not give in to the temptation to make your work easier and stick new wallpaper on top of it. It should be completely removed from the walls, since over time, spots of peeling and swelling have formed under it, which will only increase over time and negatively affect the appearance and service life new finishes. Existing defects old decoration may be invisible at first glance, but all of them will definitely be revealed when it is dismantled.

How to quickly remove old wallpaper

Ordinary paper wallpaper easily comes off the wall if it is pre-moistened soap solution with a little wallpaper glue. Remains of stuck paper base can be removed with a spatula.
So that moisture can wet the washable wallpaper, you must first make cuts on it using a stationery knife or make holes using a special needle roller. After the wallpaper gets wet, which can be seen by darkening appearance, they can be easily removed using a spatula. Places where the connection is particularly strong can be ironed with a hot iron through a generously moistened rag.
Multilayer vinyl wallpapers are removed in two stages. First, horizontal cuts are made on the wallpaper and the outer layer is removed, and then the lower paper base is removed in the manner described above.

Video: MASTER CLASS: How to properly prepare walls for wallpapering

How to remove paintwork

If the walls are covered with oil or enamel paint, then depending on the strength of the coating, you can use the following removal methods:

Tap the area to be cleaned with a hammer, until the paint peels off the plaster, and use a spatula to scrape off the entire wall from paint coating.
If the paint does not come off the wall, then you can use a hair dryer to heat the paint layer. Paint softened by hot air should be removed with a spatula.
Sanding the surface with coarse sandpaper using a special attachment on a drill, grinder or grinder.
Washing off paint using a chemical solvent.

Removing paint requires persistence, using several of the following to achieve the final goal. the listed methods. Since the procedure is associated with the release of large amounts of dust and harmful chemical substances, then it is necessary to use respirators or other respiratory protection during work. If the walls are covered with lime whitewash or water-based paint, then they can be removed by washing off with normal hot water and wiping the surface with a hard sponge.

Elimination of wall defects

After removing the old coating, you need to check the condition of the plaster. Existing cracks must be widened and cut so that no peeling areas remain. It is useful to tap the plaster over the entire area to determine hidden defects. In those places where it has moved away from concrete or brick, the echo will be louder. In such places, the old plaster must be removed to the base and a new layer must be applied. There are often cases when the old plaster has to be completely removed and the wall re-plastered.

Full plastering is also carried out in cases where the apartment was purchased in a new building for self-finishing. To obtain a perfectly flat wall surface, you should use its alignment using long beacons metal profiles, installed vertically along the entire height of the wall with a gap less than the length of the rule by 10 cm. The installation of beacons should begin from the corners, since it is important not only to achieve a flat surface, but also to maintain perpendicularity between the surfaces of adjacent walls.

Video: Preparing walls with uneven surfaces

How to quickly install beacons

Stepping back 10cm from the corner, apply vertical markings on the wall using a plumb line to the locations of the profile beacons.
In the corners, tighten 4 main screws using a level and plumb line, setting the plane of alignment of the wall. Their caps should lie in the same plane, which should be located as close as possible to the surface of the wall, but not touch it anywhere. Pull horizontal and vertical threads between the screws at the level of their heads. Significant savings in time and effort will come from using household laser level, whose horizontal and vertical rays make it possible to quickly determine minimum height installation of beacons taking into account all protrusions and depressions of the wall surface.
If the room has a rectangular geometry, then a right angle should be established between the horizontal threads of two adjacent walls.
Along each marking line, tighten 45mm screws in increments of 30-35cm, aligning the height of their heads at the same level with a plumb line or laser beam. Align the level of the intermediate upper screws with the tensioned thread.
Install plastic fasteners for beacons on all the screws, and then one by one attach the beacon profiles vertically to them, which are held on the latches of the fasteners.

Applying plaster

If the thickness of the layer of plaster being laid is more than 10-15mm, then the installation must be carried out in two stages. First, the solution is poured on and the most deep places so that their height does not reach the plane of the beacons by 5-10mm. The second layer of plaster is applied to the first after it has dried. In this case, the solution is applied to the wall with a slight excess so that it can be leveled using a rule in the space between the beacons.

Alignment is carried out alternately from bottom to top and top to bottom, in which the rule is tightly pressed with its ends to the beacons and moves along them in a zigzag manner with light swings to the right and left. After each pass, excess solution is cleaned off the rule. The procedure is repeated until excess solution is displaced. Leveling the corners is done using a corner trowel.

At the end of the work, you need to allow the plaster to harden a little, and then you can remove the profiles. You cannot leave them, as over time they will rust and stain the surface of the wallpaper. Beacons are removed in the following way:

the sharp end of a spatula or trowel is used to hook the upper end of the profile and push it out;
then it is grabbed with pliers and with a downward twisting movement it is gradually pulled out of the fastenings.
The grooves formed in place of the profiles are filled and leveled with a solution.

Final works

After the plaster has dried, final leveling is done with putty, which allows you to obtain a smooth wall surface. Usually two layers are used - starting and finishing layer to obtain a perfectly smooth surface under thin types wallpaper Under thick vinyl wallpaper, you can get by with one starting layer of putty, which, after drying, is rubbed and sanded with a special mesh or fine sandpaper. After sanding, remove dust construction vacuum cleaner or a regular brush, and then prime the finished surface. The primer improves the adhesion of wallpaper glue to the wall, increases its antibacterial properties, resistance to moisture, and strengthens the structure of the plaster.

After preparing the walls, wallpapering will turn into an easy and exciting activity, and most importantly, it provides high quality result and long term new wallpaper services.

Preparing walls for wallpapering occurs in stages. Thanks to this, you can not only bring the walls into a perfectly flat state, but also ensure tight adhesion of the wallpaper to the surface being pasted.

Experienced craftsmen know that before wallpapering it is important to properly prepare the walls. The quality of subsequent work performed depends on this circumstance. These actions do not require skills or knowledge; beginners can cope with them. However, you need to be patient and familiarize yourself with the recommendations below.

Why prepare the walls before gluing?

The main reasons why it is necessary to prepare the surface of the walls before wallpapering are as follows:

The quality of adhesion of panels to the surface of walls increases. If the surface to be pasted is porous, the wallpaper will not stay on it for a long enough time. The first step is to eliminate all flaws on the walls.
Surface roughness. Even the densest and thickest wall coverings will not hide visible irregularities (bumps, potholes).
Fungus or dampness may appear. Fungi and mold most often form on untreated surfaces. This circumstance in most cases concerns external walls that have direct contact with the street.
The connecting ability of materials improves, due to which the wallpaper on wall surfaces will last longer.

Step-by-step preparation of walls before gluing

There is a designated preparatory work plan before wallpapering, which includes:

Primary treatment of the surface to be glued. After removing the old coating, it is important to primary processing. This includes removing nails and screws from the wall, as well as removing baseboards.
Repairing dents and holes. Chips, potholes and other defects are often observed on the surface to be pasted. It is extremely important to remove them before gluing. For these purposes, cement or putty is used.
Applying a primary primer will help glue the microparticles to the wall, after which you can begin plastering work. This rule should never be neglected.
Plastering the surface requires some skill, especially if the surface of the walls is curved. On initial stages Beacons are installed according to the level, after which a layer of plaster is applied, which is leveled with guides.
Repeated primer is applied after the plaster has completely dried.
Putty is applied to the surface when, after plastering works The difference in wall unevenness is no more than 5 mm. In this case, 1 layer of putty is sufficient.
Sanding the wall surface is carried out at the final stage of work before gluing it. After sanding, the surface becomes perfectly smooth.

Preparing walls in a new building

Preparatory work in this case takes a certain amount of time, since the walls in a new building can be completely “bare”. Further preparatory work is divided into the following stages.

Firstly, a spray up to 9 mm thick is applied. The consistency should resemble thick sour cream, which will fill all the potholes, cracks and irregularities.

The consistency of the spray directly determines how exactly the plaster will lie on the walls. If the consistency is slightly thick, reminiscent of sour cream, the plaster will lie perfectly.

Secondly, the surface to be glued is primed. The thickness of this layer should not exceed 6 mm. However, when urgent need Apply 2-3 layers of primer.

Thirdly, it is applied last layer plaster (covering), the thickness of which does not exceed 4 mm. This stand is easily rubbed, which will give the surface additional evenness.

How to cover the walls

Any defects on the surface to be glued are first covered with starting putty. After this, the surface is cleaned of additional contaminants and primed. By the way, you can blow out large defects using polyurethane foam. This material will cope with this task perfectly.

After drying starting putty It is necessary to sand the surface thoroughly to eliminate unevenness. Afterwards one or several layers of putty are applied.

Finishing with plaster yourself

To plaster the walls in your home, you must adhere to the following work plan:

A 5 mm layer of plaster is applied over the entire surface of the wall. All defects and cracks are covered. Before this, the wall surface is slightly moistened for greater adhesion to the plaster.
After the first layer of plaster has dried, a second one is applied. Special attention Care should be taken to level the finishing layer.
The last applied layer should not exceed 3-4 mm. It is used to grout the surface, which gives it perfect evenness.

The lining is done using a special spatula, with which the solution is taken from the prepared container and applied to the surface to be pasted. The plaster is spread with smooth movements using a trowel.

Requirements for a flat wall

The structure to be pasted is clean and uniform. To make sure of this, experienced builders glue a piece of tape to it. There should be no dust or grains left on it.

There should also be no oil stains, soot or rust on the surface. Otherwise, they will definitely appear on the wallpaper, which will negate all the work. Such stains can be covered with nitro varnish. Lime stains also need to be removed. Wallpaper glue is not absorbed by lime, which can cause the wallpaper to swell later.

How to properly prepare a brick wall after removing old wallpaper?

Preparatory work begins with applying a liquid plaster solution.

This is called a spray whose thickness should not exceed 3 mm. Then the base layer is applied plaster mortar(priming).

The solution has a fairly dense consistency, and its thickness reaches 6 mm.

If it is necessary to increase the thickness of the layer, then it is advisable to apply the primer in several layers. On last stage To prepare the walls, a third layer is applied, the so-called finishing layer (covering).

What is it processed with?

IN damp areas There is a very high probability of mold and mildew growing on the walls. In this case, they are treated with the following means:

Cover the surface with a solution of bleach. As a rule, 200 g of lime are diluted per 1 liter. water. Before gluing, all walls are treated with this solution, which will help prevent the formation of unwanted elements.
Fungicide treatment. Today you can purchase special adhesives that contain a fungicide. In this way, you can combine the process of wallpapering and wall treatment.

Technology for finishing plastered brick walls

Preparatory work begins with the removal of old finishing material. For these purposes, you can use a spatula after moistening the wallpaper with water. It is very important to allow the finishing material to get wet so that it is easier to remove with a spatula.

After cleansing brick walls they are examined for chips, gouges and other defects. If any are present, they are sealed with plaster solution.

If areas old plaster raise any doubts in terms of reliability and strength, it is better to remove them using special tool and apply a layer of new plaster.

Also, before gluing wallpaper, you need to thoroughly clean the surface of the walls from visible dirt and dust. If there are visual unevenness on the surface, the plaster is rubbed down with sandpaper.

On final stage work, the surface to be glued is primed, after which you can begin gluing finishing material.

Preparation for gluing plasterboard surfaces

Before gluing the finishing material onto the drywall, it is advisable to cover it with a thin layer of putty and seal the visible seams between the sheets. You also need to hide the heads of the screws that were used when installing the drywall sheets. They are recessed and covered with mortar.

Removing old paint

To remove paint from a surface, you can use several proven methods:

The paint is dried with a construction hairdryer, after which it is special effort removed with a spatula. This method requires the use of a special respirator, since toxic substances are released when the paint is heated.
The painted surface can be cleaned using a grinder or a grinder. In this case, it is important to use eye protection.
Using a flush mixture is the most effective method. However, when working with chemical active substances you need to be extremely careful.

Features of the preparation of plastered walls

If the walls are already plastered and have a fairly smooth surface, it is important to pay attention to the presence of stains. They may be the result of fungus, water leaks or rust.

Only after these unwanted stains have been eliminated can you begin wallpapering. Otherwise, these stains will certainly appear on the surface of the finishing material. Experienced builders It is recommended to cover them with regular food foil.

The need for ground work

There are a number of reasons why it is imperative to prime the walls. These include:

By impregnating the surface with a primer, it will be possible to obtain a binding element. The surface to be pasted will be free of dust and will stop crumbling.
This will prevent the appearance of mold and mildew.
The primer will fill microcracks on the surface of the wall, making it much stronger.
The primer increases the level of adhesion.

The primer material is best applied to the surface to be glued using a roller. Hard-to-reach places can be treated with a brush. If the composition is absorbed by the wall, apply 2-3 additional layers.

When can you glue?

It is recommended to cover the walls decorative material only after completing all of the above work, which includes:

eliminating visual elements on the surface;
primer;
plaster;
putty.

Once the walls have a perfectly flat surface, you can begin gluing.

In addition to surface preparation, it is also necessary to observe temperature regime– it should be no lower than 5 degrees Celsius. Before gluing, you need to tightly close the windows and doors in the room to prevent drafts.

Preparing the surface for gluing is not too difficult task, as it may seem at first glance, but it must be done. The main thing for these works is to use quality material, show attention and patience.

Useful video

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 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. How thinner 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.

It is easy to soak paper ones with 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 the paper base has been soaked, the waterproof film can be easily removed, and to remove the bottom layer you can use a steam generator, 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:

Treat the surface grinder or an 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.
By using construction hair dryer heat the paint, and when it swells, remove it with a spatula. In this case, it is necessary to ensure good ventilation, since 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 oil paint and do not need leveling, 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. Typically used for brickwork cement-sand mixtures, for concrete walls, cement-gypsum walls are 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

Preparation for wallpapering brick walls includes all the steps 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 it for the first finishing too expensive materials, 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 finished inside wooden clapboard, panels or 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. You just need to fill the joints plasterboard sheets using serpyanka tape, cover the recesses from the fastener heads with putty, after drying, sand the putty 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 for gluing thin and light-colored paper wallpaper, especially if they have 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 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 decorative covering and putties, they can be applied directly to the plaster or concrete wall, not forgetting to prime them first.