What are the walls covered with before gluing. How to process the walls before wallpapering: we process the walls with a primer

To ensure that the wallpaper does not peel off the walls and retains a presentable appearance for a long time, it is necessary to perform preparatory work. Correct removal of previous coatings, treatment with antiseptics 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 follow the advice and recommendations of the masters exactly, otherwise in a couple of months everything will have to be redone.

Why is wall treatment done?

Ideally smooth surfaces in the apartment can be found extremely rarely. Even in the new building there are some defects, while the bases on which the canvases were pasted before are a rather sad sight. When changing the decorative layer, small pieces of concrete break off. It is imperative to process the walls before wallpapering, otherwise such defective areas will later cause bubbles and peel off the coating on a paper, non-woven or vinyl base.

Even if the apartment is new and the walls of the owners are completely satisfied, processing may be required due to the high humidity index. This applies to areas such as toilets, kitchens and bathrooms. Increased moisture levels in rooms encourage the emergence and spread of entire colonies of harmful microorganisms, such as mold and fungus. The presence of these pests adversely affects the appearance of the paintings, in addition, they pose a threat to human health.

Having correctly processed the concrete bases, following the recommendations and instructions of experienced craftsmen, the owner of the apartment will receive smooth and even walls. Thanks to this, the pasting process itself will be greatly simplified, and the wallpaper will last much longer. It will also save money, since much less glue is applied to the prepared surfaces.

Multi-stage work should contribute to the achievement of such properties of the concrete layer as:

• High level of strength - this characteristic affects the durability of decorative coatings. Otherwise, over time, it becomes necessary to carry out additional restoration work, which takes a lot of effort and money.
• Substrate Cleanliness – Vinyl, non-woven, and paper backed canvases can only be applied to clean substrates, so any previous coats must be removed.
• Smoothness and evenness - some mistakenly believe that pasting walls with wallpaper allows you to hide bumps 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 a better fixation of the canvases.

Properly executed treatment of concrete walls provides a solid and reliable base for a finish that is easy to stick on and that will look great for a long time.

Removing old wallpaper is the most difficult and longest step.

Preparation for processing walls before wallpapering at the initial stage includes the dismantling of the previous decorative layer, if any. The process is complicated because the old coatings are separated with great difficulty. According to the advice of experts, the base can be wetted with water and left for a while. After that, it remains to carefully pry the paper at the junction and tear off strip after strip. A small construction spatula is ideal for work, which will greatly simplify the removal of the layer.

If there are residues of previous coatings on the surfaces, including whitewash, paint, old newspapers, then they must also be carefully removed. Again, a spatula is required, but they must act very carefully so as not to damage the base itself. The more scratches and chips a metal scraper leaves, the more it will have to putty and primer in the future.

Mold and fungus colonies found under the old decor deserve special attention. It is imperative to get rid of them by treating them with additional solutions. Professional fungicides or other similar chemicals are best suited. Even if there are places of rust and water drips, they are also recommended to be carefully treated with the indicated compositions.

The maximum effect of the action of antiseptics will be if the composition is applied in several layers. This allows you to completely destroy pests and prevent the likelihood of their reappearance.

In order to save money, you can independently prepare a mixture that copes well with microorganisms. This will require 200 grams of lime mortar and 1 liter of 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 with which the walls will be impregnated.

Leveling walls and correcting imperfections with plaster

It is not worth applying a decorative coating on 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 first need to be plastered and then puttied.

Essentially, both operations are similar. But each of them has certain differences:

1. 1. Plaster - this composition is applied in cases where significant defects need to be repaired. These are various cement-containing substances, which include strengthening additives.
2. 2. Puttying is carried out in order to give the maximum level of smoothness. The solution is made on the basis of gypsum. If plastering is not always performed, especially for new apartments, where the walls are more or less free of 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 get to work. This will require two spatulas - the main wide tool that they directly work with, and an overlay, through which the solution is applied to the main spatula.

Chips and other defects are repaired with neat smooth movements from top to bottom. If there are any significant bulges that interfere with the work, they can be removed with a perforator or an ordinary hammer.

Much more difficult is the plastering of littered walls, when the error along the vertical plane between the top and bottom reaches several centimeters. In this case, it will take a lot of time, effort and, of course, a solution.

Wall processing in this case includes plumb lines, beacons and a level. The first beacon is installed on the most even surface area, 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 the 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 once more until all defects are eliminated.

Finishing - puttying and priming

Before wallpapering the walls, it remains only to putty and primer. Modern gypsum-based mixtures boast excellent adhesive properties, which only increases the effect of the primer. The application of putty contributes to the creation of a smooth and even surface of a white solid color. If you glue the canvases on such a base, then the concrete will not shine through even on light and white decorative coatings.

The instructions for working with putty are as follows:

• All proportions, as in the case of plaster, are indicated on the packaging with the product. After adding the right amount of 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 mixture, otherwise it will become unusable.
• Putty is applied with a wide spatula in a circular motion on 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 the finishing layer, since it must be done perfectly so that there are no scratches and other marks from the spatula.
• After drying, it remains only to carefully walk with fine-grained sandpaper to get rid of the smallest protrusions and potholes.

The final step is priming the treated surface. This procedure is always performed before applying wallpaper or painting, and on any basis - gypsum surface, drywall, concrete. Priming mixtures create the thinnest film that holds small particles together. Due to this property, the level of adhesion of the coating increases and it becomes possible to prevent cracking of the putty layer of concrete.

The range of soil is quite large, the most popular is the deep penetration acrylic preparation. Such compositions are applied to the walls in several layers using an ordinary brush or roller with a pile of no more than 1 cm. Having processed the concrete surface in this way, the owner of the apartment will ensure the durability, reliability, strength and quality of the glued wallpaper.

An important stage of finishing work is the preparation of 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 and last long if pasted on poorly prepared walls. In this article, we will cover all the stages of preparation and tell you how to prepare the walls for different types of wallpaper.

Why do you need to prepare the walls for wallpapering

The goal of preparing walls for wallpapering is to achieve a surface quality that meets the following requirements:

• Precise geometry. The curvature of the walls will not hide any wallpaper, you can get a high-quality finishing result only with even planes and right angles. Dimensional accuracy is achieved, as a rule, by plastering or sheathing with drywall.
• No flaws, smooth. On the surface of the walls there should not be any, even the smallest protrusions. Depending on the type of wallpaper, for which the surface is being prepared for gluing, a certain number of small indentations are allowed. The thinner the wallpaper, the smoother the bonding surface should be. Achieved smoothness by spackling.
• Low absorbency. If the material has high absorbent properties, then wallpaper glue is absorbed into it, and the adhesion of the wallpaper to the wall is fragile. A primer is used to reduce the absorbent properties of materials.
• Color uniformity. It is necessary when the wallpaper is thin, and the surface of the wall shines through them. A white primer helps to achieve an even tone.

By fulfilling all these requirements, you will get perfectly prepared walls, on which the wallpaper will look good and hold firmly.

During repairs, the preparation of walls for wallpapering begins, as a rule, with the removal of the old finishing layer. The exception is when the old wallpaper:

• were glued to a well-prepared wall;
• do not have stains of dampness and mold;
• hold firmly without bubbles and backlogs;
• paper;
• with permanent coloring;
• do not shine through new ones.

In such cases, it is recommended to first test the new wallpaper on one of the corners. If after a day everything is fine, then the old wallpaper can not be removed. 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, they have to be soaked. For soaking each of their types, there are methods.

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

If the wallpaper has a waterproof top layer, then in order to soak it, it is necessary that moisture penetrate to the paper base. To do this, you need to violate the integrity of the upper layer. This can be done either with the help of notches, or using a needle roller. At the same time, it is necessary to wield the tool carefully so as not to damage the putty under the layer of paper.

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

Removing wallpaper from drywall has its own specifics, because it is difficult to peel paper from cardboard without damaging it. Inexpensive wallpaper glue will help to facilitate the solution of the problem. After diluting 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 decorative, also perform the function of putty. In addition, they have a long service life. Therefore, if they have lost their freshness, it is better to update them by painting them with water-based paint. But if you are determined to remove them, then you can do this with an industrial hair dryer or manually with a scraper after soaking with warm water with the addition of a primer.

Removing old paint

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

• Treat the surface with a grinder or electric drill with a steel brush attachment. This must be done in a respirator to protect against dust, which is formed in huge quantities with this method.
• Using a building 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 with oil paint and do not need to be leveled, then only areas with loose putty can be removed, and the rest of the surface should be carefully treated with coarse sandpaper to roughen it.

Plaster

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

Recently, instead of plaster, interior decoration with drywall is increasingly being used, since it also allows you to insulate and soundproof walls simultaneously with leveling, and does not require continuous puttying.

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

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

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

putty

If you can do without plaster when sticking wallpaper in many cases, then puttying is necessary, almost always. The only exception is the decoration of the walls with drywall, where putty is used only at the joints of the sheets and at the places where they are fastened with self-tapping screws.

The order of work when filling walls:

1. Preparation of the surface for puttying includes clearing cracks and voids, thorough cleaning and dust removal of the surface.
2. The primer is then applied with a roller and brush.
3. After the primer dries, it is necessary to dilute the starting putty mixture, rubbing lumps, until smooth.
4. The finished solution is evenly applied with a spatula to the wall, leveled and left for about 12 hours to dry.
5. The dried starting layer is primed.
6. After the soil has dried, the finishing putty mixture is diluted.
7. The final layer is applied and leveled.
8. After the finish layer has dried, it is sanded with sandpaper, dusted and primed.

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

Primer

An important stage in the preparation of walls is a primer. The essence of this action is that the applied composition penetrates into the layer, gluing its particles and forming a film on top that does not allow liquids to be absorbed into it. Due 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, wallpapering will be very low, therefore it is strongly not recommended to neglect this procedure.

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

In this case, the primer will be well absorbed and will perform its task with high quality. Sometimes it is not superfluous to apply a primer in 2 layers. You can continue working with the primed surface only after it dries.

How to prepare brick walls for wallpapering

Preparation for wallpapering brick walls includes all the steps described above: plaster, putty, primer. It should be borne in mind that a newly built brick house, as a rule, shrinks, which can last from 1 to 5 years. If there is no desire to postpone finishing work for at least 1 year, then it is better not to use too expensive materials for the first finish, because due to shrinkage, cosmetic repairs may be necessary quite soon.

How to prepare concrete walls for wallpapering

If the concrete walls have an exact geometry, then when finishing them, you can do without plaster. It is enough to expand the cracks in the concrete, remove all fragile elements and protruding irregularities, followed by sealing the recesses with cement mortar. After the applied “patches” have dried, the surface of the walls is puttied in two layers - starting and finishing, polished, primed, after which any kind of wallpaper can be glued onto it.

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

It is easiest to prepare drywall for wallpapering - it is enough to putty joints and recesses from the heads of self-tapping screws, sand and prime these places, and then prime the entire surface.

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

Wooden and frame housing construction is most often finished inside with wooden clapboard, panels or a block house. These materials are chosen to emphasize the warm atmosphere of wooden houses. But if there is a desire, then why not wallpaper the walls?

Preparing walls for wallpapering in wooden houses can include both applying plaster and putty, and lining the walls with plasterboard or other sheet material. In frame houses, mainly the second option is used.

Preparation of walls made of drywall and other sheet materials

As already mentioned, preparing plasterboard wall sheathing for wallpapering is the least time-consuming option. It is only necessary to putty the joints of drywall sheets using a sickle tape, cover the recesses from the fastener heads with putty, after drying, sand the puttied places and prime the entire surface.

How to prepare walls for different types of wallpaper

The highest demands on the quality of walls are made in preparation for gluing thin and light paper wallpapers, especially if they have a glossy surface. In these cases, the wallpaper will emphasize the slightest unevenness, and if the wall under them is of a non-uniform color, then this will be noticeable. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare the walls for gluing such wallpapers especially carefully, not forgetting to cover them with a white primer at the end.

When preparing walls for sticking dark wallpaper, you can not care about the uniformity of the tone of the pasted surface. Therefore, it is allowed to use diluted wallpaper glue suitable for this type of wallpaper as a primer.

Thick wallpapers allow you to be less critical of the quality of the walls and allow a limited number of small depressions on their surface.

Preparing walls for liquid wallpaper is easier because it does not require puttying. After all, liquid wallpaper combines the functions of a decorative coating and putty, they can be applied directly to plaster or a concrete wall, without forgetting to prime them first.

Wallpapering always requires pre-treatment of the walls. Depending on the type, preparation may vary. In this article, we will tell you how to process various surfaces before sticking wallpaper, we will give all the necessary instructions for such work.

Removing the old coating

Before proceeding to the processing of the wall, you first need to remove the old material. If wallpaper has been pasted, it can be removed using a spatula and a damp sponge. Wet the coating, and after that it will easily lag behind the wall.

If the wall has been painted, remove the paint with a stiff metal brush. In cases where the paint is firmly attached, simply wash it with water and sand it down.

How to protect against mold

If the room is damp, there is a high risk of mold, which can ruin all the repairs done. But, fortunately, there are several ways to avoid this:

Surface leveling

Before moving on to pasting the walls with wallpaper, it must first be leveled. Carefully examine the surface and note all defects: pits, chips and cracks. If there are many irregularities, the wall will need to be plastered. If there are only a couple of defects, you can get by with a simple putty.

How to putty walls

Prepare the solution according to package instructions. You do not need to prepare a lot at once, as it tends to set quickly and can deteriorate.

Put the mixture on a spatula and apply across the hole to fill the cavity as much as possible. Next, level the mortar along the wall defect. Sometimes you can use several layers of putty, but before the second application, be sure to wait until the first is completely dry.

Padding

Priming is used for better adhesion of wallpaper to the wall. The thing is that the glue tends to quickly fizzle out, and the primer forms a film that prevents moisture from being drawn out of the glue. This is especially true if the walls are made of fiberboard or plywood. With this treatment, the adhesive will retain its basic properties longer. Therefore, the priming stage is mandatory, and in no case should it be skipped, otherwise the wallpaper may peel off the wall at any time, and the repair will need to be redone. It also provides additional protection against mold and other harmful bacteria.

You can use the following types:

• universal deep penetration;
• acrylic, suitable for almost any surface and dries in just five hours;
• antifungal, will provide additional protection against mold and fungi. it is recommended to use in rooms where it is too damp;
• homemade. Also a good option, and recently quite often used. To make it, you need to mix wallpaper paste with water.

After the wall is primed, you can proceed to wallpapering.

How to process plywood

Plywood has its own characteristics and therefore its preparation must be taken extremely seriously. If the plywood is processed incorrectly, swelling and bubbles may appear after wallpapering.

The ends of the plywood must be treated with a special oil paint to prevent the expansion of the material. Remember that for successful wallpapering, it is better not to buy low-grade plywood, as they can have a negative impact on wallpaper and health.

How to process fiberboard

Fiberboard also requires careful preparation before gluing. It must be treated with a deep penetration primer. In this capacity, it is better to use an alkyd or linseed liquid, since fiberboard tends to absorb moisture.

After drying on fiberboard, it will be possible to proceed to putty. With its help, you can eliminate minor wall defects, so this step is required. Putty on fiberboard must be applied in a thin layer so that it does not crack.

How to process a concrete wall

Before wallpapering, the concrete wall will also need to be treated with a primer and puttied. All this is done in order to level the base, because the wallpaper will stick well only on even walls. So, first you need to treat the concrete with a layer of primer and putty after it dries. After primer the wall again and you can proceed to wallpapering.

Eventually

As you can see, the process of preparing the wall before wallpapering is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. The main thing is to use the necessary materials for each surface, and you will ensure a good result. Also try to use only high-quality solutions, be sure to check the expiration date before buying, otherwise you risk ruining the wallpaper, and everything will have to be redone. Remember that the priming process is mandatory, as this allows the wallpaper to better adhere to the wall and protects the walls from mold and mildew. In order to better familiarize yourself with the process of processing walls before wallpapering, we recommend watching the following video:

Processing the walls before wallpapering is a very important stage, without which you can not do. The service life of the new wallpaper depends on how correctly and efficiently all stages of the preparatory work were done. Surfaces must be treated carefully, without missing anything. There are four main preparatory stages - cleaning the wall from the old coating, leveling, priming and puttying.

Stages of preparatory work

One of the conditions necessary for high-quality wallpapering is a complete preliminary cleaning of the surface from lime, glue residues and small pieces of wallpaper that could not be removed during the removal of the coating. The final surface should be hard enough to avoid dents and scratches from metal tools. If this layer is left loose, it will not withstand the weight of the coating over time and will peel off. The stronger the surface of the wall, the better the adhesion to the wallpaper will be.

There should be no stains on the base - rust, dirt, lime streaks. That is why a layer of putty is necessary before pasting. There may be stains on the old wall that have appeared due to the presence of mold and fungus. Before starting the putty, they must be disposed of, otherwise the microorganisms will multiply very quickly in a favorable environment. New wallpaper will eventually turn black from mold.

To avoid this misfortune, the walls are additionally treated with a special primer that protects the surface from fungal formations. And only then a layer of putty is already applied.

So, here is the sequence of work before gluing wallpaper on the wall:

1. Removal of old coating.
2. Cleaning the walls from the remnants of wallpaper, stains, dirt and dust.
3. Base leveling.
4. Primer and putty.
5. Finishing work on cleaning the walls.

What tools will be needed to carry out the work:

• a set of hard spatulas - wide, narrow and notched;
• rubber spatula;
• construction mixer for plaster;
• protective mask - respirator;
• tight gloves;
• level or plumb;
• skin;
• roller

What materials for wall processing will be needed:

• antiseptic primer to protect the surface from fungi;
• plaster (gypsum is best);
• putty.

The initial stage of wall preparation

All unnecessary furniture and any objects that interfere with work are taken out of the room. All that is left is covered with an ordinary plastic film or a sufficiently dense and durable cloth. All wall-mounted electrical appliances, including sockets, are dismantled, otherwise they will interfere with the quality of the work. Curtains from windows should be removed, and before starting preliminary work, turn off the electricity.

Once the work surfaces and space are clean, you can begin to remove the old wallpaper. This is the very first step before processing the walls for wallpapering. Old canvases cannot be left - they may not withstand the weight of new wallpaper (especially non-woven or vinyl). Old wallpaper will be saturated with water from the glue, get wet and warp.

In order to make it easier to remove old wallpaper, first they need to be thoroughly moistened with warm water using a roller or a regular rag. In this form, the walls remain for several hours, so that the wallpaper is saturated with water. When time passes, you can begin to remove the old coating. If the wallpaper turned out to be stuck tightly, you can steam it - for this you need to leave one or more buckets of hot water in the room. The steam coming from the water will increase the humidity in the room, and the old wallpaper will be better removed from the wall.
It is most convenient to remove wallpaper with ribbons. If pieces are too well glued, they should be poured with warm water and scraped off with a metal spatula. It can be either regular or serrated.

So, when the walls are completely cleaned of wallpaper, it remains to remove the nails and dowels, if any. To avoid a fire hazard by accident, the wires must be hidden in special channels. Now it remains only to check with a plumb line or level the degree of evenness of the base and determine whether it is necessary to further level the surface.

Cleansing and leveling the foundation

By removing the remnants of wallpaper, lime, small irregularities from the walls, an even and hard surface is created, new wallpaper sheets will lie well and tightly on it. This is the very moment when it is necessary to decide whether additional layers of plaster and putty should be applied to the walls, or whether the work done is enough.

If the base turned out to have differences of less than 2 cm, then before puttying it is necessary to level the walls with plaster. It can be applied in fairly thick layers. Beacons are used to correctly determine the layer thickness.

The walls are leveled not with one spatula, but with two. In this case, it is necessary to periodically check the thickness of the layer with a level or plumb line. Be sure to carefully work out the traces of screws and nails, as well as various cracks and dents. If this is not done, the effect of the work will be spoiled.

When the necessary layer of plaster is applied, you need to leave it to dry completely. Once the walls have dried, they need to be leveled with sandpaper, and then treated with an antifungal primer. Its layer will not only protect the walls from fungi, but also improve their waterproofing qualities. If the walls are perfectly even, but they have spots of any origin, plaster is not required - a thin layer of putty is applied to the walls.

After applying the putty, the walls also require complete drying and leveling with sandpaper. After carrying out all work, the walls and floor of the room should be cleaned of white dust. Now the walls are ready for wallpapering.

Finishing work

Once the wall is cleaned and leveled, it is not yet possible to glue wallpaper on it. First, it is necessary to additionally process the base with a wallpaper adhesive composition. Especially carefully you need to miss those places where there is the greatest chance for wallpaper to peel off - door and window openings, corners, fasteners for heating radiators.

Wallpaper and smooth surfaces, such as paint or plastic, do not hold well. Such walls must first be made rough with sandpaper.

Do I need to plaster drywall?

It may seem that these actions are not needed, because drywall sheets are initially smooth and soft enough. Usually, only puttying the seams and dents in the places of self-tapping screws is enough. But here it is worth considering one fact - if you want to change the wallpaper, the task will become incredibly difficult, because they will stick tightly to the GKL. Such a coating will move away from the wall only together with pieces of drywall. In order not to get into such a situation in the future, plasterboard walls must be completely puttied.

Plasterboard walls are prepared for wallpapering in a slightly different way than concrete walls. The fact is that drywall is a more vulnerable material, some methods of cleaning the walls from the old coating are not suitable here, there is a risk of damaging the walls. To carry out the work you will need:

• putty specifically for drywall and a container for diluting it;
• reinforced tape;
• primer;
• set of spatulas.

The old coating is removed from the walls without the use of water. Here you need to be especially careful not to accidentally remove the coating along with part of the drywall. As soon as the old wallpaper is removed, the surface must be leveled with putty.

In cases where the apartment was purchased without finishing, and it is necessary to glue the wallpaper on absolutely clean walls, and not on the old ones, then you need to additionally process the seams between the sheets with a tape and putty all the holes left from the self-tapping screws.

Then the entire surface of the walls is covered with a primer, it must be selected specifically for drywall. It is sold in almost any building materials store. Further actions are no different from those in the preparation of concrete surfaces.

To treat the surface before pasting the wallpaper, the walls are pre-treated with plaster, putty and primer. These materials not only level the walls, but also provide additional protection against fungi and mechanical damage. Processing walls for wallpaper is not too tiring, you can cope with it with minimal skills in repair matters.

Preparing the walls for wallpaper is a mandatory procedure that is carried out in advance and eliminates many problems in the future. Many believe that this event can be carried out partially or completely excluded from finishing work, especially when using roll material. This is an erroneous opinion, because it is precisely the correctly performed preparation that is the key to obtaining a high-quality pasted surface.

Several decades ago, it was believed that preparing walls for wallpapering should be done only as a last resort. Pasting the walls with newspapers was widespread everywhere, due to which they tried to increase the adhesion of materials to each other. The lack of training at that time can be explained quite simply: there were no special products for such work on the construction market or it was very expensive. To date, the situation has changed radically, now there are many products for different stages of wall processing before wallpapering.

What is the purpose of wall preparation?

1. Improving the quality of gluing canvases to the surface. Walls, regardless of the material, have many pores. If they remain open, then numerous voids form under the applied coating, constituting up to 50% of the total area. This is clearly visible when dismantling old paper wallpapers - they are literally removed in strips. And this means that at any moment they could simply fall off. Also, the lack of adhesion leads to the appearance of a divergence of the seams between the strips.

   

2. Obtaining even, without depressions and bulges, surfaces. Various coatings are subjected to wallpapering, which do not always have the necessary evenness. But this finishing material is not a means of correcting wall defects. If you leave everything as it is, then any flaws will immediately be evident and the visual effect will be spoiled.
   

   On a note! Some manufacturers claim that liquid wallpaper can hide many surface problems. In fact, they are only able to correct a slight difference in elevation. Vinyl varieties have a similar property.

3. Exclusion of the occurrence of fungus and mold. This is an eternal problem for plastered walls, it can occur on any basis. The reasons for the appearance of microorganisms are cracks and crevices, as well as increased humidity in the room.



It is imperative to properly prepare the walls for wallpapering, otherwise the resulting decorative coating will quickly lose its original appearance.

Stages of preparation

Preparation is a complex of interrelated activities, each of which plays a specific role. All procedures are carried out in strict sequence.

So, before sticking wallpaper you need:

• If there is an old decorative layer, completely remove it and clean the surface. Assess the general condition of the walls.
• If the work is carried out on the old base, then the existing delaminations are removed, after which the sections are primed.
• The surface is covered with plaster to correct significant irregularities. For small imperfections, puttying is performed.
• One or two layers of primer are applied.

Preparing for pasting is a fairly simple event, but each stage has its own subtleties and features.

Removing the old layer

If the work is carried out in a habitable house or apartment, then the preparation begins with the sequential removal of the previously applied decorative layer. As a facing material, paint or wallpaper most often acts. The removal of each coating has its own characteristics.

Removing the paintwork

It should be understood that any paint needs to be completely removed, even a simple whitewash is washed off entirely.

Procedure:

Surface cleaning with a grinder

On a note! This is a rather time-consuming process, so you need to be patient.

Removing old wallpaper

How to prepare walls for wallpapering with a paper layer? Removing such an old coating is much easier. To work, you will need a spatula and a spray bottle with warm water.

The dismantling process is 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.
• Then, with a simple spatula, paper residues are removed with sharp movements from the bottom up or diagonally.

This principle of operation is suitable for all types of wallpaper, including liquid ones.

Surface condition assessment

Due to the fact that the subsequent steps depend on the correct assessment of the condition of the coating, this process is carried out with the utmost care. The wall is tapped over the entire area: if voids are found, then it is recommended to break them. In the presence of defects that make up more than 40% of the surface, the layer is removed completely, to the base. It is important to make sure that there is no mold or mildew.

In case of minor damage, the cracks are covered up, with a slight curvature, 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 putty layer should be laid.

On a note! These activities take a significant amount of time, but they allow you to avoid further problems.

First priming

Preparation of walls for wallpapering includes two stages of priming. There are conditions that require the correct execution of this sequence.

1. The first layer is applied after the surface has been cleaned and all existing cracks have been patched. This process is necessary so that the composition for covering a few defects is firmly held.
2. When the plaster is completely removed, the base is covered with a primer in order to increase the adhesion of the newly applied coating. But it must be borne in mind that with this option, the second priming is carried out in two layers.
3. Be sure to wait until the surface is completely dry.

Often little attention is paid to this, but it will ensure the reliability of fixation.

Plastering with significant defects

Plaster is used to repair significant defects or create a starting coating for subsequent puttying.

Action algorithm:

1. The required amount of the mixture is prepared, the proportions and technology depend on the selected composition. Each manufacturer supplies their products with instructions.
2. Due to the fact that the solution serves to correct significant defects, beacons are pre-installed.
3. The mixture is thrown onto the wall with a spatula and leveled with a rule.
4. After drying, the beacons are removed, and the resulting traces are covered up.

The resulting coating can play the role of a base, but due to the roughness of the composition, only non-woven and vinyl material options are suitable for gluing.

Puttying with small imperfections

Puttying is considered a mandatory procedure, but in reality, it is advisable to carry out this event to correct minor flaws or distortions. If the old coating has only small cracks, then it will be enough to cover them up.

The putty is applied as follows:

1. The putty composition is mixed. It is important to consider that it dries out rather quickly, so it is recommended to cook it for 30-40 minutes of work.
2. With a wide spatula, the solution is applied to the surface and distributed over the base with uniform movements.
3. There is no need to rub the coating, so only the initial alignment is performed.

Preparing the walls for wallpapering with your own hands is considered almost complete. The final step will be priming, which is done after the surface has completely dried.

Working with different wall materials

When performing finishing work, it must be taken into account that the walls can have different surfaces, each of which has its own characteristics.

concrete foundations

How to properly prepare a concrete wall for wallpapering? It must be remembered that this process is considered the most laborious.

1. The surface is cleaned from dust and dirt. A layer of deep penetration primer is applied. If it is absorbed quickly enough, it is recommended to repeat the process.
2. A plaster mortar is being prepared, it will serve as a starter. The mixture should be applied in compliance with all procedures.
3. If a rough composition was used for work, it is recommended to cover the surface with putty.
   

   On a note! Many craftsmen note that to obtain the desired result, the plastered coating must be carefully sanded.

4. Priming completes the process, it is important to apply at least two coats.

The preparation of concrete walls for wallpapering is considered complete.

Plastered coatings

To begin with, the coverage is evaluated, further actions are determined by its condition:

• If the surface after cleaning has sufficient evenness, but there are small gaps, then you need to expand the cracks and cover them with putty, and then prime them.
• If there are small gaps on the coating, but there are noticeable curvatures in height, then the work consists in lining with putty. It will level the base and correct minor defects. The result is fixed with the help of soil.
• The most time-consuming is the option in which the coating has numerous defects. This means the complete removal of the plastered layer and the application of a new one.

On a note! In new buildings, finishing is carried out according to the principle of "screed and plaster", therefore, in such premises it is advisable to check the quality of the work performed. There are situations when everything is done wrong, this involves a complete reconstruction.

Plasterboard surfaces

When deciding how to properly prepare drywall walls for wallpapering, it is necessary to evaluate the fixing of the GCR boards. If the installation work was carried out in accordance with 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.