Tsugunov Anton Valerievich
Reading time: 4 minutes
If you decide to update the room with modern wall coverings - vinyl, non-woven or even thick paper - you definitely need to glue the wallpaper end-to-end. With this method, the edges of the canvas touch, but do not overlap each other at the seams. If the rules are strictly followed, the joint lines are invisible, and the coating appears seamless.
Tools
To hang wallpaper without seams or visible joints, the first thing you need to do is take care of the adhesive that matches the type of wallpaper and suitable tools.
To work you will need:
- pencil, tape measure, plumb line or level;
- container and wooden stick for mixing glue;
- spatulas - metal and plastic wallpaper, scissors, sharp knife;
- brushes, rollers, rags.
Preparing the walls
The secret to success when wallpapering lies in preparing the wall.
- You need to start by completely removing the previous coatings.
- The next stage is plastering with a gypsum compound, which copes with most irregularities and crevices.
- Next is putty to remove roughness.
- The final operation is a primer, which increases the density and moisture resistance of the putty.
All stages of preparing walls for wallpaper are described in
Step-by-step instructions for treating plasterboard surfaces before gluing -.
If the walls have gained shine, it means that everything has been done correctly, the glue will lie on them evenly and the wallpaper will adhere well.
Advice. To check the walls are ready, attach a piece of cellophane masking tape to the surface. If in a day inner side will fog up, you should wait a bit with gluing. If the film remains unchanged, you can start working.
Where to start
If preference is given to wallpaper made of non-woven fabric, vinyl or cork, the beginning border does not matter, because the joining makes the seams invisible. But still, one of the following options is usually chosen:
- From the window - according to a long-standing tradition.
- From the door, which is convenient to use as a vertical line.
- From the corner, if it has the correct shape, although such places are rarely even. But using a plumb line or level, you can mark a perpendicular next to it, retreating a distance identical to the width of the wallpaper, and start gluing from there, returning to the corner itself later.
- From a major landmark. When there are many passages and windows in a room, it is worth starting with the largest object.
- From several lines. The method is used when there is a large window, and pasting is carried out from it in different directions.
Wall marking
Now let's figure out where to start making markings. If you choose vinyl, cork or non-woven wallpaper, it doesn't matter. Using a plumb line (preferably laser level), pencil, metal ruler, draw a vertical line in a convenient place along which the first canvas will be glued. Such lines are drawn along the entire wall at intervals equal to the width of the wallpaper.
Markings are needed so that the canvases are glued without distortions.
Wallpaper cutting
The roll is rolled out on the floor and cut into the required lengths with sharp office scissors, taking into account the margin and matching of the pattern. Wallpaper with a large or embossed pattern is cut out with particular care.
When cutting, it is important to consider the size of the repeat - the height of the pattern repeated on the wallpaper.
Simple calculations are carried out. For example, the size of the repeat is 50 cm, the height of the wall being pasted is 280 cm. The number of repeats that will be placed at this height, rounded to the nearest whole number, is determined.
We round up to a higher value, we get 6 - the number of incomplete rapports that fits in a strip from the ceiling to the floor.
50 × 6 = 300 cm – the required length of the glued sheet.
We stack the cut sheets.
Advice. Marks made on back side each sheet and showing the top of the canvas will help you avoid getting confused during the gluing process.
How to glue paper wallpaper and paper-backed vinyl end to end?
For paper wallpaper:
- We select and prepare glue from starch with an antifungal additive according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Lubricate the first strip evenly and leave it in the folded state for 3-7 minutes to soak.
- We glue the canvases to the wall with a neat and very tight alignment of the edges. The joints can be additionally glued with PVA.
Note! Getting wet paper wallpaper are stretched out, so it is important that for each panel, from coating with glue to gluing it to the wall, the same time interval is maintained. After drying, they shrink, so the edges of the sheets need to be adjusted as tightly as possible so that gaps do not form between the sheets in the future.
The conditions for gluing vinyl wallpaper with a paper base are similar to the rules applied to canvases made entirely of paper. They are also pre-coated with the glue intended for them, given time for impregnation, and then glued to the surface.
How to tape corners
You should not try to use one canvas to connect both walls adjacent to the corner. The probability that the wallpaper will “work” is almost one hundred percent.
The correct algorithm for pasting an internal corner:
- The distance from the corner to the nearest glued strip of wallpaper is determined, the resulting value is increased by 5 cm.
- The wall and corner are well coated with glue.
- The fabric is glued with the provided margin extending to the other side of the corner.
- Using a rubber roller or a dry cloth, carefully level the pasted wallpaper both in the corner and on the wall.
- Due to the curvature of the angle, the amount of wallpaper overlap behind it will not be the same. You should determine the narrowest place and, stepping back 1 cm from the edge of the wallpaper towards the corner, make a mark here, from which a distance similar to the width of the roll is laid down along the wall, and a vertical line is drawn through this point. It is from this that the next canvas will be overlapped.
- Using a paint spatula, a ruler and a wallpaper knife, the seam is trimmed. It is important to cut through both sheets at the same time, otherwise there may be a gap along the cut line.
- Excess sections of wallpaper are removed. The upper part can be removed without problems, the lower part can be removed by slightly unscrewing the edge of the upper panel.
One of the most popular types of room decoration is wallpapering. But in order for the result to please you, you need to know how to glue wallpaper correctly. There are a sufficient number of nuances that affect the quality of the finish.
Preparatory stage
First, everything in the room that can be removed is removed, including door frames and baseboards, if possible. They also remove sockets and switches, closing the boxes with wires with plugs - plastic or wooden.
Turn off electrical outlets
When working with electricity, we de-energize the room and do not turn it on until we are finished. It is advisable to carry out all work, including wallpapering, with the power turned off. The work is “wet”, and water or glue can get on the wires and short out. If the wiring is done according to all the rules and there are protective circuit breakers, this is not a big deal. They'll just turn off the power and that's it.
If the wiring is still done in the old way, it can be dangerous. The worst part is that in this case there is often no way to turn off the power in a separate room. Only in the entire apartment or, in best case scenario, in her half. Then the solution is to remove the power wires from the sockets and switches (with the power off, of course) and carefully insulate the ends, then hiding them under plugs. Then you will have to unwind them and put them back in place, but it will be safe.
Lighting during work is temporary - extension cords are pulled from other rooms and portable lamps are turned on. Once you have dealt with electricity, you can move on.
Sealing irregularities
Here you will first have to assess the condition of the walls. First you need to remove all the nails and screws, remove chips and repair cracks. Then examine the results. If the walls are more or less even, there are only small defects, you can get by with occasional leveling. Only cracks, dents and chips are repaired. You can cover them up finishing putty. Just before leveling, completely clean the wall of dust and pieces of wallpaper, and then cover it with a primer (with a wall roller and a brush in the corners).
If the wall has been “treated” with a hammer drill, you cannot do without full putty of the entire wall. Mostly used today gypsum putty. First, apply a layer of primary or starting. It has a coarser grain and the layer can be up to 3-5 mm. This composition is used to level out the main unevenness, trying to achieve a smooth surface. After drying, they pass through a special mesh, removing any unevenness or sagging that may exist.
After being used finishing putty. It is very flexible and can be applied thin layer- up to 1-2 mm. After this, the wall becomes smooth (after the irregularities have been smoothed out with a mesh, only with a smaller mesh).
Primer of walls
The second layer of primer is applied after puttying. It forms a film on the surface that reduces the absorption of the glue and also improves adhesion. For wallpapering, you can use a thinner wallpaper glue as a primer. Each pack has a table indicating the amount of water for gluing and priming. We dilute the glue in the required proportion, wait for it to be ready (also on the package) and cover the walls with the composition. The priming technique is the same: first go over the corners with a brush, then with a roller on smooth surfaces.
In the video, for some reason, the use of primary putty is called plaster, but otherwise the sequence of actions is presented correctly.
Rules for gluing
When wallpapering there are several rules that must be followed. The technique varies depending on the type of wallpaper, as does the glue, which is necessary for a quality result. the difference is mainly in when and where to apply the glue. You don't have to guess. Everything is on the insert, which is included on each roll of wallpaper. There it is graphically depicted, and in some it is written, which part should be coated with glue: only the wall or only the wallpaper, or maybe both at once.
But some things remain the same. For example, applying a starting strip.
Where to start
In reality, the starting location is not that important. It is important that the first strip is glued strictly vertically. Therefore, the choice is yours.
If the room has a perfectly designed corner: smooth and exactly vertical, you can start from there. You can start from a door with a perfectly aligned jamb. If there is nothing like that, draw a guideline for yourself. Take a building level, mark a point on the wall and draw an exact vertical line through it. Inexpensive household-grade building levels, which we usually use for repairs, sometimes give a significant error. And since it is important for us to stick the first strip strictly vertically, check the accuracy of the line using a plumb line. He never lies, pointing straight down. If everything is fine, you will align the edge of the strip along this line.
If you still haven’t decided where to start gluing wallpaper and this is your first experience in this area, start with the wall that is least visible. For example, the one along which there is a closet. The first couple of pages will be difficult for you, but then you will better understand what’s what and there will be fewer flaws.
How to glue wallpaper on a wall
If glue, at the request of the manufacturers, is applied to the cut fragment, the smeared strip is folded so that the coated side is inside. To do this, fold the edges towards the middle, then fold them several more times. The folds are not pressed. Let them remain round. This is necessary so that all layers are saturated and the canvas fits well on the wall and also sticks without bubbles.
If you need to apply glue to the wall, coat an area slightly larger than the width of the wallpaper. The area under the ceiling, in the corner and near the floor is coated with a brush. Then the rules are general.
Take the cut strip and climb up the stepladder. Place the top edge a few centimeters on the ceiling, then align one of the edges along the drawn “start” line. Since wallpaper today is glued end-to-end, it doesn’t matter which edge.
Strictly attaching the side edge to the line, moving from this line to the other edge, glue the wallpaper in the ceiling area. Then, gradually moving down, you go down a little lower.
Extra centimeters on the ceiling are cut off. It is more convenient to do this with a paper knife and a large spatula. Press the paper well against the corner by running your hand. Then apply a spatula. Run a knife blade along its edge.
Trimming under the ceiling and near the baseboard
When gluing the canvases, movements are made from the center of the strip to the side and slightly downward, expelling the trapped air to the edges. Previously, this was done with a rag, but it works better and faster with a roller with an elastic nozzle (it is usually yellow color). There are practically no bubbles when working with it. But if the wallpaper is structural, with an embossed pattern, you can crumple it with a roller. Then take a wallpaper brush. It is wide and flat, with hard pile.
Wallpaper brush for quick pasting
Having reached the place where the strip is not yet glued, unroll the rest tightly and proceed according to the same pattern. First, you expose the edge, then use a roller or rag to expel the air, achieving a flat surface.
The second strip is glued in exactly the same way, with the only difference being that the canvas already on the wall will serve as a guide for gluing the edge. That’s why it’s important to glue it evenly, otherwise everyone else will also be mowed.
Secrets of pasting corners
The most difficult part to glue wallpaper correctly is in the corners. But this is only until you know the secret. You can try to do it simple at first. Wrap one of the parts onto the adjacent wall by 1-2 cm, and cut the second at the corner.
It’s not difficult to do, this method looks good. But on some wallpapers this stripe is very visible. For such a case, there is another way. Glue the canvases on both sides of the corner so that they wrap at least a little on the other side (2-3 cm is enough). Press well so that they fit exactly. to the walls and corner.
Then take a special cutter or large spatula. Press it in the corner, cut the wallpaper along its edge sharp knife. It is necessary to cut both sheets at the same time, so considerable effort may be required. To ensure a continuous cut, do not tear off the knife. Having stopped, move the spatula, which you rest against the blade and then continue the cut.
Having cut everything off, remove both cut strips and join the remaining strips in the corner. If the wallpaper was pressed well before trimming, the match is perfect, without any discrepancies.
How to glue wallpaper on outside corners? Almost in the same ways. In the first case, one of the stripes is wrapped around the corner by one or two centimeters (for thicker wallpapers, 2 cm is better, for thin ones, 1 cm is enough). The second strip is glued strictly along the corner. If this overlap is visible (usually on non-woven wallpaper), you will need to cut along the entire strip. In this case, we wrap more and cut vertically using the same spatula and knife. We remove the cut and glue the joint.
Meter-long wallpaper in the corners is glued in the same way as narrower ones. It happens that a narrow strip is needed in a corner, and the rest is cut off. If the wallpaper is without a pattern, it can be used somewhere, at least in another corner. With patterned canvases, sometimes it is also possible to attach them somewhere, but this is more difficult to do. That’s why they take patterned ones with a decent supply: just for such cases.
How to glue vinyl wallpaper on paper based How to remove non-ideal angles in this video.
How to glue wallpaper near doors and windows
If the door or window is flush with the plane of the wall, problems usually do not arise. Wallpaper is cut along the door frame or along the edge of the trim. The canvas is cut at an angle of about 45° to the corner of the casing or frame. The cut parts are wrapped along the opening, bent and then cut off with scissors or a knife. It’s smoother and faster using a knife and spatula.
How to glue near the door
The option that causes more difficulties is when it is necessary to cover the slope of a door or window. When using paper wallpaper, the principle is again simple: glue the strip onto the slope, extending it 1 cm onto the wall. We glue a piece on top exactly along the cut of the window opening.
But this method will not work with wallpaper on non-woven fabric: the “overlap” is too visible. In this case, the strip is cut along the window opening with a small margin. Another fragment is glued on top with an overlap, cutting them exactly along the cut of the window opening. The glued piece is wrapped inside, onto the slope. Then they join as before.
It's difficult to explain in words. It’s more accessible in video. By the way, it also talks about wallpaper design arched openings there is a plot.
How to make joints invisible
Care must be taken to ensure that the joints of the canvases are invisible during gluing. You need to connect the canvases so that there is no gap between them, but also so that they do not overlap one another even by a millimeter. A perfect match must be achieved.
Because it's perfect smooth walls Unfortunately, we don’t see them very often; it turns out that the seam either creeps in a little or diverges. Your task is to move the canvas so that it becomes perfect and invisible. You can move the canvases with your hands - they can slightly stretch and contract. Due to this, you achieve the required match. If the resulting defect is too large and nothing can be achieved by shifting, the strip is peeled off to this place and, having corrected it as necessary, is glued again. Sometimes, if the seam is sticking out a little, rolling it with a special tapered roller can help.
With this technique, it turns out that first the edge is glued, which is joined, and then, from it, they begin to smooth out the rest of the surface of the canvas. If you have examined the seam and are satisfied with the result, take a clean rag and wipe it off any excess glue that may have come out during all these actions.
To learn how to glue meter-long vinyl wallpaper on a non-woven backing and how to make the joint invisible, watch the video.
Eliminating shortcomings
If there is a lack of experience, it may happen that bubbles appear on the walls after or during drying. You can remove them with simple steps. Take a large syringe, fill it with glue, pierce the bubble and inject some glue into it. Vinyl wallpaper, acrylic, paper - the top part is unimportant. The actions vary depending on the basis. If the wallpaper is paper-based, wait five to seven minutes; if it is non-woven, act immediately.
How to remove bubbles from wallpaper
Seams come apart quite often. Wallpaper may peel along the thread or baseboard. There are two ways to glue them. Use a brush and the remaining glue or buy a special one for seams. It comes in a tube and is applied precisely. And again, the procedure depends on the base. After wetting the paper, wait a while, then glue it, making sure the edges match.
Every person has renovated his apartment at least once in his life. Not all work can be done independently, but wallpapering walls end-to-end is within the power of anyone. In order to carry out the design correctly, you need to take into account some nuances so that the surface of the walls becomes smooth and attractive.
Kinds
In order to properly hang wallpaper, you first need to decide on the type of wallpaper. And for this it is necessary to understand their classification. Wallpaper division at different types depends on many factors, namely their water resistance, surface type, density and pattern.
There are several main types of wallpaper.
- The most common and cheapest are paper wallpaper, subdivided into smooth structural types. Paper wallpaper is suitable for covering almost any living room. They are environmentally friendly, but not durable enough.
- Vinyl wallpapers They are waterproof types consisting of two layers. The bottom paper (fabric) base is covered with a layer of PVC, and a pattern or embossing is applied on top of it. To protect against mold they are processed special compounds. The PVC layer protects the wallpaper from moisture, light and mechanical damage.
- Textile wallpaper consist of two layers: the main paper and the top, consisting of fabric fibers. The fibers used are threads of cotton, linen, viscose and other fabrics, which are applied by gluing to the main fabric. Sometimes fabric is used as a base.
- Less common types include fiberglass wallpaper. The basis of such wallpaper is glass, which is heated, resulting in the formation of threads that are woven. Fiberglass wallpaper can be either single-layer, consisting only of threads, or two-layer, where in addition to threads there is also paper.
Types of connections
Most types of wallpaper have a certain pattern. The pattern applied to the wallpaper is repeated after a certain interval, which is usually called rapport. There are several types of wallpaper joining, which are directly dependent on the location of the pattern.
Direct docking
Very often, many buyers wonder what direct docking is and in what cases it is used. In order to answer these questions, you must first understand for which drawings this method is applicable. Direct joining is used for those types where the pattern in each roll begins with one fragment and is evenly distributed over the entire area of the roll.
Direct joining on rolls is indicated by two directed arrows →¦←, and the number indicates at what interval the pattern will be repeated. Direct joining of pattern 64 means that the pattern will be repeated after 64 cm. This means that for a wall with a height of 250 cm, it is necessary to cut the canvas 256 cm long, and for a height of 280 cm, you will have to cut 320 cm from the canvas. Alas, 40 cm will have to be thrown away, otherwise the drawing will not be combined.
Displaced
This method Suitable for wallpapers where the design has straight lines or a geometric pattern. On the wallpaper, manufacturers also indicate the offset with two arrows, but one arrow is shifted slightly down. The offset method is used for wallpaper, where the pattern on each roll begins with different fragments. In order for the pattern to acquire the correct outline, you will have to shift the canvas by half the repeat. According to the advice of experts, it is better to paste using two rolls at the same time. Thanks to this method, consumption can be reduced.
Free
This pasting method is used for options where the pattern is applied in a chaotic manner without a clearly defined pattern. It is the most economical and simple. The rolls are consumed almost completely, and any person can handle the pasting if desired.
Counter
Mixed
The mixed method refers to a combination of two or three pasting methods. One method is chosen as the main one, and in hard to reach places For pasting, the most convenient method for a given area is used.
Materials and tools
When gluing any surface, you need to stock up on a certain set of tools and auxiliary materials.
- First of all, you need to prepare the wallpaper itself and suitable glue.
- A stepladder is required for quick access to high points.
- A small table is needed to place tools and available materials.
- Glue is diluted in a plastic bucket, and a bath will be needed to squeeze out excess glue.
- To apply the glue, you can use a roller with a foam nozzle or a brush, and for better gluing of the seams you will need joining tape and a roller with a rubber nozzle.
- Plastic spatulas will help remove air bubbles and excess adhesive.
- Use a wallpaper brush to smooth out the wallpaper.
- Using a building level and a plumb line, you can glue the canvas evenly.
- A tape measure, pencil, knife and scissors will be useful for precise cutting of wallpaper.
To learn how to properly glue wallpaper, watch the following video.
Technology
In order to properly glue any type of wallpaper end-to-end, you need to adhere to certain rules.
First of all, you need to prepare the adhesive composition, and then cut the wallpaper into sheets, adding 5 cm to the required length. The next step is to coat the wallpaper with the adhesive composition. You need to turn the cut fabric over with the wrong side up and carefully apply the composition from the center to the edges, avoiding getting glue on the front side.
The canvas with the applied composition is folded in half and left for some time to soak. As a rule, wallpaper manufacturers indicate the exposure time for the impregnated canvas.
Now you can start drawing a guideline for the sticker.
Using a plumb line and a pencil, draw a line on the wall and stick the first strip, starting from the window opening and moving from the ceiling to the floor, focusing on the pre-drawn line. Smooth the pasted fabric from the center to the edges. The next canvas is glued next to the previous one, aligned with the pattern and carefully ironed over the entire surface.
In order to make the joints invisible, you need to use a rubberized roller. In order to hide the joints not only at the points of contact of two canvases, but also between the wall and the ceiling, you can use a horizontal and vertical border. Borders will help not only hide the joints, but also delimit the space.
When gluing any room, you must comply temperature regime. Minimum temperature is +20 degrees. In addition, it is necessary to tightly close windows and doors both during the process, and even more so after its completion, in order to prevent the canvas from moving away from the surface.
How to join in corners?
In order to properly join the wallpaper in the corners, you need to adhere to certain rules.
- From the edge of the last glued sheet to the corner, the distance is measured and the corresponding strip is cut out with a margin of 5 cm. The surface of the wall and corner is treated with glue. The prepared canvas is glued from the strip of wallpaper to the corner with a slight overlap to the other wall.
- The resulting overlap is almost always uneven. Next, you need to determine the place where the canvas is at the shortest distance from the corner. From this place you need to retreat 1 cm towards the corner and draw a vertical line. The next full-width canvas will be glued from it, overlapping. After gluing the canvas, you need to trim both canvases at the same time.
- Next, remove the cut remains of the wallpaper. In order to remove the part located below, you need to move the edge of the canvas, and the upper part can be easily removed.
How to glue two types of wallpaper?
Sometimes owners choose two types of wallpaper to decorate the walls of residential premises. They can be like different colors, and different textures.
There are several methods of pasting.
- When combining vertically, wallpaper is pasted as usual. If desired, the edges of the canvases can be designed in the form of zigzags or waves.
- The most common method is horizontal method, when one type is glued to the upper part of the wall, and another to the lower half.
There are other ways of combining, but they are less common.
First you need to determine the joint line of the wallpaper, then draw a horizontal line. Measure the distance from the ceiling to the line and cut the canvas, adding 5 cm. Similarly, calculate the size of the second canvas and start gluing. Glue it first top sheet, his bottom strip no need to re-glue. Then glue the bottom sheet in the same way, leaving the top part unfinished. After the canvases have completely dried, remove excess wallpaper, and glue and press the joints.
Joining photo wallpapers with ordinary ones
Very often, photo wallpapers are used to decorate walls, which are combined with regular wallpaper. For proper matching, you need to select photo wallpapers that are similar in density regular wallpaper, and after gluing the canvases, it is better to additionally coat the joints with PVA glue. It must be remembered that the first piece of photo wallpaper must be glued strictly vertically, otherwise the pattern may become skewed. In addition, for each type of wallpaper you need to use a different type of glue.
Features of gluing
Each type of wallpaper has its own gluing characteristics.
- Easiest to glue paper types of wallpaper. When gluing, you must remember that this type of wallpaper is not strong enough, and therefore, when smoothing the strip on the wall, you need to be extremely careful not to damage the canvas, otherwise you will not avoid breaking the base. In order to avoid the formation of cracks in the joints, it is undesirable to allow the canvas to become excessively wet, since when completely dry, the canvas shrinks, which inevitably leads to the formation of cracks.
- In order to properly dock heavy monotonous vinyl or non-woven wallpaper without gaps, it is necessary to apply the adhesive base not only to the canvas, but also to the wall. This method will allow you to move the heavy canvas as accurately as possible to the adjacent strip.
- For silk screen wallpaper It is necessary to carefully prepare the surface; it must be perfectly flat. This requirement is not accidental and is associated with the texture of this type of wallpaper. They have no relief, and any unevenness after pasting will be noticeable.
What to do if the seam comes apart?
Sometimes after wallpapering, the seams in the joint area come apart, and there may be several reasons for this. The most common reason is low quality materials processing. When exposed to glue, the material with which the treatment was carried out moves away from the wall along with the wallpaper. Sometimes the seam comes off at the joints when gluing on uneven wall. Another equally common reason that the seams have come off at the joints is incomplete cleaning of the wall from dust and the lack of primer on the surface.
But if the reasons are not so large-scale, then you can accept emergency measures and correct the situation.
- If the edges of the wallpaper have simply peeled off, you can glue the seams with your own hands, without the help of specialists. To do this, you just need to coat the edges with glue, press them well against the wall and dry them with a hairdryer.
- If the edges have not come off, but simply come apart, then you can use by special means, especially if the gap is very small. For colored wallpaper, you can use a sealant, choosing a shade to match the color of the canvas. If the color of the wallpaper is predominantly white, then you can use putty. But it is worth remembering that sealant and putty are not very similar to the structure of the wallpaper, and therefore, upon careful examination, the seams will be noticeable.
- It is easier to seal large cracks with thin strips, which are cut from the remnants of wallpaper used in pasting the walls. This method is labor-intensive but effective. The main thing is to do everything carefully.
- The resulting gaps can still be decorated. A border, a cord or a special sticker for joints can be used as decoration.
When we plan a renovation, we naturally want everything to go smoothly, and in the end the renovated apartment will look attractive. In this case, special attention, as always, is paid to the walls, since they largely help shape the style of the interior of the apartment. That’s why everyone wants the wallpaper to be hung with high quality, without visible seams or other flaws. However, in order to ensure that the seams between the wallpaper are not visible and do not separate after the glue dries, it is necessary to strictly follow the correct gluing technology.
Wallpaper can be hung flawlessly
So, let's take a closer look at how to properly glue canvases, how to hide visible joints and how to properly seal them in cases where the junctions of individual panels are still noticeable.
How to glue to disguise joints
Before learning how to properly hide joints, let's take a quick look at why they may still be visible. It should be immediately noted that there may be several reasons for this:
- The adhesive solution was applied incorrectly and when gluing, excess of it got onto the front side of the wallpaper.
- When applying glue, the edges of the wallpaper sheets were not coated sufficiently or not coated at all.
- After application adhesive composition the canvas swollen somewhat and increased in width (usually by 3–5 mm), and after drying, on the contrary, it shrank, forming a gap that now needs to be decorated.
It must be said that recently, unlike Soviet era, a significant part of the wallpaper sold in stores is designed to be applied end-to-end, rather than overlapped. This is what allows the seams to be made invisible even from a close distance, especially in cases where the design or pattern on the adjacent canvases is correctly selected.
It is important the right approach to prepare the wall surface. You can start gluing only after the wall has been processed according to all standards, that is, puttied, leveled and treated with a primer. You can read about how to properly prepare walls before you start wallpapering in this article.
Attention! It should be understood that wallpaper is divided into heavier and thicker, on the one hand, and lighter, on the other. Accordingly, each of these varieties has its own gluing features and inherent performance characteristics.
Such types of wallpaper as vinyl are quite heavy, so gluing them, firstly, is not so easy, and secondly, the process itself takes quite a lot of time. On the other hand, they have a number of significant advantages. One of them is that they do not shrink after the glue dries. This helps avoid the formation of tears at the seams. By using vinyl sheets, you no longer have to figure out how to hide the separated joints.
Know! In order to prevent the seams between the wallpaper from coming apart, experts advise using a special small roller. With its help, the junction of the sheets is ironed additionally after gluing.
Roller for smoothing joints
As for gluing non-woven wallpaper, you need to buy special kind glue. At the same time, a pleasant “bonus” when carrying out the work will be that when gluing them, it is enough to apply a layer of glue only to the sheet itself, without coating the wall. By the way, this type of wallpaper is often glued before painting.
As for paper wallpaper, gluing it is not so easy. Everything is explained by their thinness and susceptibility to getting wet by glue. In such cases, it is important not to overdo it with the amount of adhesive solution applied, since if there is an excess of it, the paper wallpaper may shrink when drying. Unraveling seams, which are so unpleasant for the eyes, will appear in these places.
How to make seams invisible
As doctors say, prevention is better than cure. The same is true here: it is much easier to hang wallpaper correctly by properly dosing the glue, and also using a roller to smooth the joints. In this case, before rolling with a roller, it is recommended to wet wallpaper fabrics at joints.
Regardless of whether your canvases are light or dark, whether you are gluing walls or ceilings, strictly follow the manufacturers’ instructions, as well as the advice of experienced specialists. And then such problems will bypass you.
Useful video:
