Many people pay great attention to the process of choosing wallpaper, while not attaching importance to proper preparation of the surface before pasting it. And completely in vain. Preparing walls for pasting is an extremely important procedure, on which the success of the undertaking entirely depends. And if it is carried out incorrectly or if this stage is skipped altogether, then the new decorative coating, even if you paid a lot of money for it, will have a very unsightly appearance. Or it won’t stick to the wall at all, which is actually even worse. Be that as it may, the preparation procedure must be carried out very carefully. Which, in fact, is what we want to tell those who don’t know what needs to be done before hanging wallpaper, how to treat the walls, and why do it at all.
What should be the surface for wallpaper?
So, what preparatory work What needs to be done to ensure that the updated decor of the room not only pleases with its appearance, but also stays well on the wall for a long time? In order to correctly understand the essence of the issue and correctly determine the volume and type finishing works, you need to start from the opposite. That is, to know what the ideal surface for wallpaper should be.
But first of all, it must be dry. A wet surface will poorly absorb the water contained in the glue, and therefore the composition will not adhere to the wall properly and will not provide required quality adhesion of the surface to the decorative coating.
The base must be strong. That is, the presence of flaking surfaces on the wall, areas of plaster that are literally breathing under your hand, old wallpaper hanging in shreds and other unnecessary elements is a direct contraindication to pasting. First, the base coat needs to be polished, as they say, and only then can you begin the pasting procedure.
The surface must be clean. If there are black stains from mold and mildew on it, there is no point in asking the question of whether the walls need to be treated before wallpapering. Here already we're talking about not even about how the new coating on such a wall will look, but about how you will feel in the near future, because dampness in the room negatively affects not only the condition of the wallpaper, but also your health.
The wall should be smooth and have a uniform color. Only then will all possible and impossible defects appear on the new decorative coating, which will cause not joy from the work done, but bewilderment and annoyance.
What is ideal wall preparation?
Home craftsmen do not always carry out thorough preparation. And quite often, not because they don’t know how to treat the walls before wallpapering, but because this procedure itself is quite lengthy and expensive. After all, ideally, the walls need to be rid of the old coating, then an antiseptic treatment of the base should be carried out, after which it should be carefully leveled with plaster, and then puttied, cleaned and primed. There is a lot of work, and a lot of expensive materials will be required. So the craftsmen resort to all sorts of tricks, trying to skip one or another stage of preparation. Sometimes this can be done when there are appropriate prerequisites (several tricky advice we will give information about this at the end of the article), but most often it is still unwise to do so. In principle, of course, everyone decides for themselves what they need. One person is also happy that a month after the renovation, the wallpaper is hanging in the corners of the room and angrily grinning at the separated seams, while the other begins to almost have a nervous attack at the sight of a small tubercle sticking out from under the wallpaper in a far from the most visible place in the room.
We, in turn, will still allow ourselves to give a few recommendations and will try to describe in as much detail and step by step as possible how to properly treat the walls before wallpapering.
Stage one: general preparation
How to treat concrete walls before wallpapering
The fungus seems to have been sorted out. But what should you do if under the old wallpaper you suddenly find not a layer of plaster, but literally bare concrete? What to do in this case? Glue on such a base modern wallpaper under no circumstances is it possible. In general, this can be understood at first glance. Such a wall has a very unsightly appearance, it is all rough, full of defects and literally brings tears to your eyes with its curvature. How to treat the walls before wallpapering in this case? We answer - nothing! You just need to ignore the notorious savings and wasted time and start plastering the surface. Which, in fact, is the second stage in the process competent preparation bases for wallpaper.
Plastering
As for the plastering process itself, there are two possible scenarios. In the case of the concrete walls mentioned above (as well as brick or made of silicate blocks), there is no alternative. You will have to plaster the entire surface, from corner to corner. Moreover, in the case of large curvature, be sure to install beacons. By the way, you will be forced to carry out exactly the same procedure if you have a plastered, but also very uneven surface. But if the wall does not cause any particular complaints, but only has minor defects and the areas of curvature on it are relatively small, then it is quite possible to limit ourselves to resuscitation measures. That is, seal all existing defects and cracks with plaster, as well as trim some areas. After which you need to wait for the solution to dry, and then prime the entire surface of the walls acrylic primer. After it has dried, you can proceed to the last stage.
Puttying
The purpose of this procedure is to make the underlying base white and smooth. After which you can glue any wallpaper, even the most capricious, without fear for the outcome of the matter. As for the process itself, it will not cause any particular problems for those who know how to hold a spatula in their hands. Buy putty mixture, and not necessarily a very expensive one, you knead, apply a thin first layer to the walls, wait for it to dry. Then you sand it with sandpaper, prime it, then putty it again, sand it again and prime it. At the same time, it is not at all necessary that the surface be perfectly smooth, without a single scratch. Minor minor defects will hide under the wallpaper. The main thing is to make it smooth and durable. But to achieve the latter, a primer is used. About her - a little more detail.
What primer to use on walls before wallpapering?
Some may not think the question worth attention. Primer - and primer. Bought it, anointed it, done. But things are a little more complicated. The fact is that at the moment there are quite a lot of different compositions. And not all of them are suitable for wallpaper, as they have a special purpose. The primer is designed to give the surface such quality as adhesion. That is, it should ensure maximum adherence of the wallpaper and its adhesion to the wall. And it is best suited for these purposes. It is generally considered universal, compatible with all types of surfaces, and dries quite quickly. So when buying soil, don’t be smart. Buy acrylic - you definitely can’t go wrong. The choice on the market is quite large, but the most popular brands are “Ceresit”, “Snezhka” and “Master”.
And remember: after priming, the wall must dry thoroughly. And it’s best not to rush and give her a day to do this. And then you can proceed directly to the pasting process.
It is compliance with all the above rules and carrying out the described procedures that will answer the question of how to properly treat the walls before wallpapering. This is the only way to get a truly even and durable base. And the wallpaper glued to it will stick perfectly to the wall, delighting you long years with its excellent appearance.
Secrets of the masters
Finally - a few tricks and useful tips. If you were unable to achieve perfectly smooth walls, it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that you end up with a durable and well-finished base. Just don’t buy plain or solid colors in this case. striped wallpaper- buy something colorful, albeit with an unobtrusive, but pattern.
If you have no way to re-plaster and putty the walls, that is, you are forced to glue on what you have, then in any case, first of all, carefully treat the surface with a primer. And preferably twice, with a break of several hours. And try to disguise any existing defects on the walls with wallpaper. And to cover such problematic surfaces, purchase the most “plump”, corrugated decorative coating, preferably with an abstract pattern.
Conclusion
We tried to answer as fully as possible the question of how and why to treat walls before wallpapering. We hope that we not only managed to convince you of the need for this process, but we also managed to teach you how to do it competently.
Preparing walls for wallpapering is work on which the quality and service life of the coating depends. This stage of work can be performed by anyone without special training if desired. The main thing is patience and the desire to receive good result. This article will help you on how to do this yourself.
The main reasons why it is necessary to prepare walls for wallpaper are:
Advice: Despite many people believing that it is correct to re-glue wallpaper after 3-5 years, due to changes in their appearance, this is not entirely true. Expensive materials, when properly applied, last for at least ten years or until you get tired of them.
The main requirements for walls when applying wallpaper are:
Tip: If the walls are not treated before wallpapering, in unprepared, uneven places, over time, any materials will begin to tear, deteriorate, or wear out. This requires a smooth and cleaned wall. This rule should be observed on concrete bases in the hallway or plasterboard walls in a small children's room.
- Most wallpaper sheets are unable to hide even very small defects.
- A mandatory requirement for the surface is dryness, good cleanliness and impregnation of the wall with a primer.
The abbreviated instructions for preparing walls look like this:
- The old coating is removed: wallpaper/paint.
- The walls are treated with a primer solution.
- Plastered (see. How to plaster walls with cement mortar.
- Polished.
- They putty.
- Re-priming is carried out.
How to remove old wallpaper
Before preparing the walls for wallpapering, the old coating is removed.
To do this you will need to purchase:
- Putty knife.
- Good quality roller.
- Liquid sprayer.
- Water and others aids, which will ensure quick removal of old canvases.
- A stepladder or a special construction rod for convenient and quick work in hard-to-reach places.
Advice: Before starting work, you should take precautions: remove the voltage from the electrical network of the work area, put on special clothing.
Work order:
- In the areas where the panels join, the quality of their adhesion on the wall is the lowest. It is from these places that you need to start tearing off the canvas, without the use of auxiliary means.
- The parts of the old wallpaper that have not been removed are generously moistened with a roller or a sprayer with hot water.
- The surface is thoroughly cleaned with a spatula, everything that is easy to remove is removed from it.
Tip: To speed up the process of removing wallpaper, add vinegar or another adhesive solvent to the water. You can use special chemical compounds that are designed to remove previously pasted wallpaper from walls. But their price is quite high and such a purchase is not always justified.
Before preparing the wall for wallpapering, the old wallpaper must be completely removed.
How to remove old paint
Removing paint from a wall yourself is quite simple.
With minimal effort this can be done in several ways:
- The paint is pre-dried using construction hair dryer, then it is easily removed with a regular spatula. The method is quite effective, but harmful. This requires constant circulation in the room fresh air. As the paint heats up, it begins to release toxic substances that are hazardous to health; you cannot breathe them in for a long time.
- Walls can be cleaned grinder or Bulgarian.
Tip: This method is very dusty and should not be used by people who suffer from asthma. When carrying out work, all adjacent doors to other rooms should be tightly closed and windows should be left open.
- The use of a flushing mixture is the most effective option. The disadvantage of this method is that when working with chemicals You must carefully observe all safety precautions and carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions.
How to treat the walls before wallpapering is up to everyone to decide for themselves. After cleaning them, the suitability of the surface for pasting the material is checked. After completing this stage, you can begin priming the surface.
How to prime walls
Wall priming is performed in order to:
- Prevent the peeling of small particles of plaster or concrete, penetrating deeply into the thickness of the wall and bonding its surface layer.
- The primer composition (see Types of construction primers and their scope of application) increases the drying period of subsequent layers of putty, depriving the wall of the ability to quickly absorb moisture, which improves the quality of the coating.
Tip: When drying quickly any mortar nothing good will come of it, the minimum defect is the formation of cracks on the surface.
- Applying primer removes dust. You need to apply the solution with a large brush or brush. The composition should be rubbed into the surface until a white foam is obtained.
The next stage of how to prepare a wall for wallpapering should be carried out after the walls have completely dried.
Procedure for applying the material:
- The primer solution is applied evenly to the entire surface with a roller, as shown in the photo. Hard to reach places should be treated with a brush.
- When the composition is quickly absorbed into the wall, several additional layers are applied.
- After the primer has dried, a rough leveling of the surface is performed.
How to Fix Potholes and Cracks
Puttying walls will only cover up cracks and potholes superficially, and such defects can quickly reappear.
When sealing cracks:
- They need to be increased to about one centimeter wide.
- Cover these areas with primer.
- Seal everything cement mortar or glue used for tiles, which is much better.
In plaster, cracks simply do not appear on their own. This indicates that in this place the plaster began to lag behind the base of the wall. In this case, you will need to remove the falling plaster with a hammer.
Tip: When shedding old plaster in large pieces, you will need major renovation, which involves leveling the walls with mortar a second time.
- After the areas have completely dried, they are properly primed and you can move on to the next stage of surface preparation.
How to putty walls
How to properly prepare walls for wallpapering? The next step is to apply at least a small layer of putty. It is necessary to reduce surface roughness and increase the gluing area. Putty simply smooths out all the unevenness.
Advice: Finishing putty should only be applied thin layers, otherwise the large ones will crack when drying.
All irregularities are eliminated in several passes, sometimes up to five times, until the wall becomes smooth. After the solution has dried, all defects are removed from the walls with an abrasive mesh: bumps and sagging. Small protruding sagging after putty can be removed with a spatula.
How to make the final primer
On last stage work involving preparation for wallpaper concrete walls, their primer is applied again.
Tip: When preparing walls for gluing wallpaper, the surface should be primed after each stage.
The video will tell you in detail what and how to do before wallpapering, how to treat the walls to improve quality.
You can decorate the walls different ways: wallpapering, painting, covering with ornaments, artistic painting, decorative plaster.
The most common decoration method and the least troublesome is wallpapering. Preparing walls for wallpapering includes several stages which should not be neglected.
What is it for?
So that the wallpaper does not peel off, does not become deformed during work, and the canvas was laid evenly on the wall, before wallpapering you need to level the walls.
Wall treatment provides protection from mold, fungal spores and bedbugs.
Many walls have a finely porous structure, which allows air to accumulate in the pores, which promotes unsticking of wallpaper seams. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to ensure maximum adhesion between the wallpaper and the wall.
Wallpaper glued to unprepared walls won't last long and aesthetically unattractive.
What should the surface be?
If you carry out the preparatory work correctly before gluing wallpaper, you can comply necessary requirements to the wall under the wallpaper:
Features of wall processing depending on their material
Before achieving the desired wall surface for wallpapering, it is necessary to carry out a number of works that will help bring the surface to perfect condition. The specifics of preparing walls for wallpaper largely depend on what material the wall is made of.
Nuances when processing walls made of different materials:
- Drywall It has a smooth surface, but it is porous and not strong enough. Special attention When processing, you need to pay attention to leveling the surface, taking into account joints and screws.
- Concrete walls the most durable. Since their structure has minimal porosity, sometimes it is enough to apply only a primer for preparation.
- Brick walls They are not strong and even enough, so to process them it is necessary to go through several stages (leveling, puttying, priming).
- Chipboard walls have screws and joints. It is necessary to cover them up oil paint. Next, the surface is treated in the usual way.
- Treatment OSB walls under wallpaper is practically no different from preparation brick walls. Only the first stage is sealing the seams with the mixture and covering the wall with serpyanka.
Almost any coating can be prepared for gluing in such a way that it depends on the wall material the quality of the wallpaper will not depend.
Read also about how to glue ceiling plinth from polystyrene foam onto wallpaper with your own hands.
How to do everything with your own hands?
At first glance, preparing walls for wallpapering seems like a fairly easy task. However, there are nuances, which a lay person may not always know about.
Removing old coating
If the walls are covered with old wallpaper or paint, then before pasting the wall, it is necessary to remove the old decor.
Old wallpaper can be pasted in several layers, so before eliminating it, you must first spray the wall with water. Then use a spatula to remove the old layer.
Old paint is much more difficult to remove from walls. Exists three removal methods old paint coating:
- Mechanical. The paint is knocked off with tools (an axe, an electric drill, an angle grinder, a spatula, a chisel).
- Chemical. The procedure consists of repeatedly applying it to the wall. chemical composition and wait until the paint begins to bubble and peel off the wall.
- Thermal. This method involves removing the paint using a hair dryer.
Plaster
Plastering walls is done to level the surface and eliminating its gross defects. Modern gypsum plaster can be applied to the wall in a layer of up to 7 mm, which is very convenient for leveling.
Prepare the mixture and spatula for work. Fill in the depressions and cracks with putty, knock down protrusions and protrusions as much as possible, and smooth out the remaining unevenness with the compound.
If the wall is uneven (has a slope), then you can level it using beacons, a level and rules.
After complete drying walls, you can proceed to puttying the surface.
putty
Puttying - one of the required steps which must be done when preparing walls for wallpapering. A putty solution is produced with a consistency that is easy to apply to the surface.
Using a spatula in a circular motion, apply the mixture to the wall in several stages, while the layer should not exceed 4 mm. Hard-to-reach places (radiator, pipes) must be puttied with a rubber spatula.
Final layer of putty applied most carefully so that there are as few irregularities as possible.
Getting rid of mold, fungi, bedbugs
It is necessary to treat the walls against fungi, mold and bedbugs before wallpapering. without fail, even if there are no such defects on the wall.
Eat several preventive and effective recipes for treating walls against mold and similar formations:
- bleach - 200 g of bleach is dissolved in a liter of water and applied to the wall;
- the fungicide, like lime, can also be diluted with water and the resulting solution can be used;
- chlorine solution (white) effectively fights fungus and its spores;
- hydrogen peroxide solution copes well with mold spores and fungus;
- solution copper sulfate and water (100 g per 10 liters) also effectively attacks areas of mold and fungi and protects walls from bedbugs.
If mold has appeared through the plaster, then you need to clean this piece of plaster down to the base. Treat the wall with any of the solutions. After surface treatment, It is recommended to apply a primer with an antiseptic.
Important! When working with solutions, it is necessary to use protective equipment: gloves, respirators, goggles.
Primer
By priming the walls adhesive consumption is reduced, and priming has a number of properties that have a positive effect on the final stage of finishing.
Priming result:
- the quality of gluing the wallpaper to the wall improves;
- cracking of the putty does not occur;
- ensures moisture impermeability into the wall;
- the formation and development of fungus is prevented;
- The adhesion of the wallpaper and the wall is enhanced, thereby increasing the service life of the wallpaper.
To ensure that the priming process is carried out correctly you need to know some subtleties:
- the primer is applied only to completely dry putty;
- Wallpaper should only be glued onto a completely dry primer.
Since the porosity of the wall may not be uniform, in this case the primer must be applied unevenly to the wall. A more porous surface is needed process big amount mixtures.
When all stages of wall processing were completed correctly, then the final result of the work will meet expectations: smooth walls, perfectly laid wallpaper, no problems with mold or bedbugs.
In the following video, see what needs to be done before wallpapering the walls:
Preparing walls for wallpaper is a mandatory procedure that is carried out in advance and allows you to eliminate many problems in the future. Many believe that this event can be carried out partially or completely excluded from the finishing work, especially when using roll material. This is an erroneous opinion, because proper preparation is the key to obtaining a high-quality pasted surface.
Several decades ago, it was believed that preparing walls for wallpapering should only be done as a last resort. Covering walls with newspapers was widespread, thereby trying to increase the adhesion of materials to each other. The lack of preparation at that time can be explained quite simply: construction market there were no special products for such work or they were very expensive. Today the situation has changed radically; now there are many products for different stages treating walls before wallpapering.
For what purposes is wall preparation necessary?
- Improving the quality of adhesion of canvases to the surface. Walls, regardless of material, have many pores. If they remain open, then numerous voids are formed under the applied coating, amounting to up to 50% of the total area. This is clearly noticeable when dismantling old paper wallpaper– they literally come off in strips. This means that at any moment they could simply fall off. Also, the lack of adhesion leads to the appearance of seam divergences between the strips.
- Obtaining smooth surfaces without depressions or bulges. Subject to wallpapering various coatings, which do not always have the necessary evenness. But this one finishing material is not a means of correcting wall defects. If you leave everything as is, then any flaws will immediately be evident and visual effect will be spoiled.
On a note! Some manufacturers claim that liquid wallpaper can hide many surface problems. In reality, they can only correct minor elevation differences. Vinyl varieties have a similar property.
- Elimination of the occurrence of fungus and mold. This is a perennial problem for plastered walls and can occur on any substrate. The reasons for the appearance of microorganisms are cracks and crevices, as well as high humidity premises.
It is imperative to properly prepare the walls for wallpapering, otherwise the resulting decorative coating will quickly lose its original appearance.
Preparation stages
Preparation is a complex of interrelated activities, each of which plays a specific role. All procedures are carried out in strict sequence.
So, before wallpapering you need to:
- If there is an old decorative layer, remove it completely and clean the surface. Assess the general condition of the walls.
- If work is carried out on an old base, then the existing peelings are removed, after which the areas are primed.
- The surface is covered with plaster to correct significant unevenness. For minor imperfections, puttying is performed.
- One or two layers of primer are applied.
The main stages of wall preparation: 1 – cleaning old decoration; 2 – base primer; 3 – surface leveling Preparing for pasting is a fairly simple undertaking, but each stage has its own subtleties and features.
Removing an old layer
If the work is carried out in a habitable house or apartment, then preparation begins with the sequential removal of the previously applied decorative layer. As facing material most often it is paint or wallpaper. Removing each coating has its own characteristics.
Removing paintwork
It should be understood that any paint needs to be completely removed, even simple whitewash is completely washed off.
Procedure:
Cleaning the surface with a grinding machine
On a note! This is a rather labor-intensive process, so you need to be patient.
Removing old wallpaper
How to prepare walls for wallpapering if there is a paper layer? Removing such old coating is much easier. To work, you will need a spatula and a spray bottle with warm water.
The dismantling process occurs as follows:
- Initially, you need to pry off the layer in some places; if there are voids, the material will be removed in layers.
- The remaining areas are sprayed with water until completely wet.
- Next, use a simple spatula to remove paper residues with sharp movements from bottom to top or diagonally.
This operating principle is suitable for all types of wallpaper, including liquid wallpaper.
Surface Condition Assessment
Due to the fact that subsequent stages depend on a correct assessment of the condition of the coating, this process is carried out especially carefully. The wall is tapped over the entire area: if voids are found, it is recommended to break them. If there are defects that make up more than 40% of the surface, the layer is removed completely, down to the base. It is important to ensure that there is no mold or mildew.
In case of minor damage, the cracks are covered; in case of minor distortion, puttying is performed. If the defects are numerous and the old coating has been completely dismantled, the walls must be plastered and, if necessary, a finishing layer of putty must be laid.
On a note! These activities take a significant amount of time, but they help avoid further problems.
First priming
Preparing walls for wallpapering includes two priming stages. There are conditions that require correct execution this sequence.
- The first layer is applied after cleaning the surface and filling out all existing cracks. This process is necessary to ensure that the composition for covering a few defects adheres firmly.
- When the plaster is completely removed, the base is coated with a primer in order to increase the adhesion of the newly applied coating. But it must be taken into account that with this option, the second priming is carried out in two layers.
- Be sure to wait until the surface dries completely.
Often little attention is paid to this, but it will ensure the reliability of the fixation.
Plastering with significant defects
Plaster is used to correct significant defects or create a starting coating for subsequent puttying.
Algorithm of actions:
- In preparation required amount mixtures, proportions and technology depend on the chosen composition. Each manufacturer supplies its products with instructions.
- Due to the fact that the solution serves to correct significant defects, beacons are pre-installed.
- The mixture is thrown onto the wall using a spatula and leveled using the rule.
- After drying, the beacons are removed, and the resulting marks are covered up.
The resulting coating can act as a base, but due to the roughness of the composition, only non-woven and vinyl versions of the material are suitable for gluing.
Puttying for minor imperfections
Puttying is considered a mandatory procedure, but in reality, this activity is advisable to carry out to correct minor imperfections or distortions. If the old coating has only small cracks, then covering them up will be enough.
The putty is applied as follows:
- The putty composition is mixed. It is important to consider that it dries out quite quickly, so it is recommended to cook it for 30-40 minutes of work.
- Using a wide spatula, apply the solution to the surface and uniform movements distributed along the base.
- There is no need to rub down the coating, so only the initial leveling is performed.
Preparing the walls for wallpapering with your own hands is considered almost complete. The final stage will be priming, which is done after the surface has completely dried.
Working with different wall materials
When performing finishing work, be sure to take into account that the walls may have various surfaces, each of which has its own characteristics.
Concrete bases
How to properly prepare a concrete wall for wallpapering? It must be remembered that this process is considered the most labor-intensive.
- The surface is cleaned of dust and dirt. A layer of primer is applied deep penetration. If it is absorbed quickly enough, it is recommended to repeat the process.
- In preparation plaster mortar, he will act as a starter. The mixture should be applied in compliance with all procedures.
- If a rough compound was used for the work, it is recommended to cover the surface with putty.
On a note! Many craftsmen note that to obtain the desired result, it is enough to sand the plastered coating thoroughly.
- Priming completes the process, it is important to apply at least two coats.
Preparing concrete walls for gluing wallpaper is considered completed.
Plastered coatings
To begin with, the coverage is assessed; further actions are determined by its condition:
- If the surface after cleaning is sufficiently even, but there are small cracks, then you need to open the cracks and cover them with putty, and then apply priming.
- If there are small gaps in the coating, but there are noticeable curvatures in height, then the work involves covering it with putty. It will level the base and correct minor defects. The result is fixed with soil.
- The most labor-intensive option is considered to be one in which the coating has numerous defects. This means completely removing the plaster layer and applying a new one.
On a note! In new buildings, finishing is carried out according to the “screed and plaster” principle, so in such premises it is advisable to check the quality of the work performed. There are situations when everything is done incorrectly, this requires a complete reconstruction.
Plasterboard surfaces
Deciding how to properly prepare plasterboard walls for wallpapering, it is necessary to evaluate the fastening of the gypsum plaster boards. If installation work were carried out according to all the rules, then further manipulations are carried out according to the following scheme:
Thus, the surface is completely prepared. Finishing work can be done after the walls have dried.
To ensure that the wallpaper does not come off the walls and maintain a presentable appearance for a long time, you need to do preparatory work. Proper removal of previous coatings, treatment with antiseptic agents and primers, application of several layers of putty - all this increases the strength of the surface, as well as adhesion to paper webs. It is necessary to strictly follow the advice and recommendations of the masters, otherwise in a couple of months everything will have to be redone.
Why is wall treatment carried out?
It is extremely rare to find perfectly smooth surfaces in an apartment. Even in a new building there are some defects, while the foundations on which canvases were previously glued are a rather sad sight. When changing the decorative layer, small pieces of concrete break off. It is imperative to treat the walls before gluing wallpaper, otherwise such defective areas will subsequently cause bubbles to appear and peeling of the coating on paper, non-woven or vinyl based.
Even if the apartment is new and the owners are completely satisfied with the walls, treatment may be required due to high humidity. This applies to areas such as toilets, kitchens and bathrooms. Increased level moisture in rooms contributes to the emergence and spread of entire colonies of harmful microorganisms such as mold and fungi. The presence of these pests negatively affects the appearance of the paintings, in addition, they pose a threat to human health.
Having processed it correctly concrete bases following the recommendations and instructions experienced craftsmen, the apartment owner will receive smooth and even walls. Thanks to this, the pasting process itself will be significantly simplified, and the wallpaper will last much longer. This will also save money, since significantly less glue is applied to the prepared surfaces.
Multi-stage work should help achieve such properties of the concrete layer as:
- High level of strength - this characteristic affects the durability of decorative coatings. Otherwise, over time, there becomes a need for additional restoration work, which takes a lot of effort and money.
- Cleanliness of the base - vinyl, non-woven and paper based can only be applied to clean substrates, so all previous layers must be removed.
- Smoothness and evenness - some people mistakenly believe that wallpapering walls allows you to hide unevenness and defects. But you can hide them only with the help of special solutions - plaster and putty.
- High adhesion - this indicator is achieved by applying a primer. The mixture is necessary to remove numerous small pores, which contributes to better fixation of the canvases.
Properly executed processing of concrete walls provides a strong and reliable base for finishing, which will not be difficult to stick and will have a wonderful appearance for a long time.
Removing old wallpaper is the most difficult and time-consuming stage
Preparation for treating walls before wallpapering at the initial stage includes dismantling the previous decorative layer, if any. The process is complicated because old coatings are difficult to remove. According to the advice of experts, the base can be wetted with water and left for a while. After this, all that remains is to carefully pry up the paper at the joint and tear off strip by strip. A construction spatula is ideal for the job. small sizes, which will greatly simplify layer removal.
If there are remnants of previous coatings on the surfaces, including whitewash, paint, old newspapers, then these must also be carefully removed. Again, you will need a spatula, but you need to use it extremely carefully so as not to damage the base itself. The more scratches and chips a metal scraper leaves, the more you will have to putty and prime in the future.
Colonies of mold and mildew found under old decor deserve special attention. It is imperative to get rid of them by treating them with additional solutions. Professional fungicides or other similar ones are best suited chemicals. Even if there are places of rust and water stains, it is also recommended to carefully treat them with the indicated compounds.
The maximum effect of antiseptics will be if the composition is applied in several layers. This allows you to completely destroy pests and prevent the possibility of their reappearance.
To save money, you can prepare your own mixture that copes well with microorganisms. This will require 200 grams lime mortar and 1 liter clean water. After thoroughly stirring the resulting liquid to a homogeneous consistency, it is applied to the infected areas. To increase the effect, it is recommended to add lime even to the glue that will be used to impregnate the walls.
Leveling walls and correcting imperfections with plaster
It is not worth applying a decorative coating to a defective surface with a large number of scratches and cracks. The slightest cracks and chips need to be repaired, although this takes extra time. For these purposes, the walls will need to be first plastered and then puttied.
At their core, both operations are similar. But each of them has certain differences:
- 1. Plaster - this composition is applied in cases where significant defects need to be repaired. These are various cement-containing substances that include strengthening additives.
- 2. Puttying is carried out in order to give maximum level smoothness. The solution is made on the basis of gypsum. If plastering is not always carried out, especially for new apartments where the walls are more or less free from defects, then it is impossible to do without putty.
Plastering is an optional step, but highly desirable. . The product is packaged in paper bags weighing approximately 25 kg. The packaging contains all the information necessary for diluting and mixing the solution. After preparing the mixture, you can begin to work. To do this, you will need two spatulas - the main wide tool, which is used directly for working, and an overlay tool, through which the solution is applied to the main spatula.
Chips and other defects are repaired with careful, smooth movements from top to bottom. If there are any significant bulges that interfere with the work, they can be removed with a hammer drill or an ordinary hammer.
Much more difficulties are caused by plastering littered walls, when the error in vertical plane between top and bottom reaches several centimeters. In this case, it will take a lot of time, effort and, of course, solution.
Wall processing in this case includes plumb lines, beacons and a level. The first beacon is installed on the most flat area of the surface, while the next one must be placed in the place of the greatest deviation. By stretching the thread between two beacons, you can make several additional marks in the form of beacons along the resulting line. Using a building level, all marks must be placed in the same plane.
The plaster is applied in 1 layer, but if cracks or potholes are noticeable after drying, it is recommended to perform the entire procedure at least one more time until all defects are removed.
Finishing – puttying and priming
Before wallpapering the walls, all that remains is to putty and prime. Modern mixtures made on the basis of gypsum boast remarkable adhesive properties, which only increases the effect of the primer. Applying putty helps create a smooth and even surface of a white, uniform color. If you glue the canvases onto such a base, the concrete will not show through even on light and white decorative coatings.
Instructions for working with putty are as follows:
- All proportions, as in the case of plaster, are indicated on the product packaging. By adding required quantity dry matter and water, mixing is carried out in a special container. To speed up the process, it is better to use a construction mixer.
- The solution dries very quickly, so you should not prepare too much of the mixture, otherwise it will become unusable.
- The putty is applied with a wide spatula in a circular motion onto the wall. The size of one layer should not exceed 4 mm.
- To increase the effect of the essence, it is recommended to apply several layers, but only after the previous ones have completely dried.
- The greatest difficulty is caused by finishing layer, since it must be done perfectly so that there are no scratches or other marks from the spatula.
- After drying, all that remains is to carefully walk sandpaper fine grit to get rid of the smallest protrusions and potholes.
The final stage is priming the treated surface. This procedure is always performed before applying wallpaper or painting, and on any base - gypsum surface, drywall, concrete. Primer mixtures create a thin film that holds small particles together. Thanks to this property, the level of adhesion of the coating increases and it becomes possible to prevent cracking of the putty concrete layer.
The range of primers is quite large; the most popular is the acrylic deep penetration preparation. Such compositions are applied to the walls in several layers using a regular brush or roller with a pile of no more than 1 cm. By treating the concrete surface in this way, the apartment owner will ensure the durability, reliability, strength and quality of the wallpaper being glued.
