Primer walls for wallpaper: why and how to do it

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

Primer for walls under the wallpaper

The primer for wallpaper walls is in retail, and they themselves do it quite often. But many people wonder if it is necessary to prime the walls before wallpapering, and if so, then how to prime the walls before wallpapering.
This topic will be devoted to our article. You can see photos and videos on this topic and do the job correctly.

What is the primer of walls made for?

Before you decide if you need to prime the wall before wallpapering, let's figure out why you need to prime the walls before wallpapering. After that, you can decide whether it is necessary to prime the walls before wallpapering in your case.

If you are not sure that you can correctly assess what kind of work is required in your case, you can invite a wizard. He will draw up a work plan, review them and execute in a short time.



Is it obligatory to prime the walls before wallpapering? The room itself probably decides. If this is a utility room and there is practically no one there, then it is quite possible to think about why the walls should be primed before wallpapering.
But this is far from right. After all, the wall, this is part of the frame of the house, and the fungus can then expand over the entire structure.
So:

• The primed wall is made even and dry, the primer increases the reliability of adhesion of the adhesive to the surface. A good primer ensures that the bottom layer remains intact and does not crack, in addition, it will not allow moisture to absorb into the walls.
• The primer applied to the wall allows it to “breathe”, thereby creating a good microclimate, and preventing the fungus from spreading. Do not think that the wallpaper will hang well on the wall and without a primer, this is a huge mistake.
• The primer of the walls strengthens the outer part of the wall and penetrates inside. It simply fills the cracks and pores of the surface. It enhances the bonding of surfaces and extends the life of the wallpaper (seeWall decoration in wallpaper in the correct execution) This is one of the main parameters why the primer is made under the wallpaper.

Training

Now we will figure out how to properly prime the walls before wallpapering. Like any work, this one needs its preparation. From this will in many respects envy durability.
So let's figure out how to ground the walls under the wallpaper:

• The walls are primed after all the initial stages of work, including the removal of nails and old plaster.
• The primer is applied after applying putty, which managed to dry.
• The primer for the walls under the wallpaper begins with the fact that the wall is wetted with special impregnation. This is necessary in order to wash away the dirt and dust that remains after rough surface treatment, because wallpaper cannot be glued to a dirty wall.
  Everyone knows that before, newspapers were first glued to the wall and wallpapers were already on them, but now the primer has forever replaced printed materials.
• After the primer dries, the wall does not get dirty and becomes stronger than before. Thus, the wallpaper lies flat on the wall and holds firmly and for a very long time.
• If you got a wall that was previously pasted with wallpaper, you need to remove them and wash off the glue. This is done with a metal spatula or scraper and water.

Attention: If the wallpaper does not absorb moisture well and lags behind the wall, then you need to make cuts on the wallpaper for better moisture penetration. Today, special liquid is sold in stores that quickly removes wallpaper.
This liquid is added to a bucket of water, and moisten the wall, leaving it moistened for half an hour. After half an hour, wet the wall again and easily remove the old wallpaper from the wall.

• When the wallpaper is removed, it is necessary to properly wash the wall with warm water and clean the surface of the wall with a wide spatula from glue and whitewashing.
• Often in rooms with high humidity, such as a kitchen or bathroom mold gathers in the corners. This mold must be removed so that it does not appear on the newly repaired wall.
• Places where mold has settled should be treated with bleach. Typically, 200 grams of lime per liter of water is required. It should be noted that when pasting places where mold was located, glue must be bought with a fungicide content.
• After removing old wallpaper, glue and mold, you must meticulously examine the surface of the walls. Detected cracks and irregularities must be putty. If your apartment is not warm enough, then it can be made warmer with a thin layer of polystyrene. This method will not only make the apartment warmer, but also hide wall defects.
  Before priming the ceiling, you need to get rid of the hook, holes and cracks properly, filling them. If the ceiling consists of drywall, gypsum or another porous surface, then it must be primed in any case.

Work with a primer

Now we decide what to ground the walls before wallpapering. There are many materials in retail.
Some do it just glue pva. The primer of the walls is also made before gluing the wallpaper with glue exactly the one that will be used when gluing the material itself, for this it simply becomes more liquid.

Dilution of a primer

Therefore, than priming the walls under the wallpaper, it's up to you personally. Just before this, the instructions for using the primer should be carefully studied, it simply can be for different surfaces. Although all of it is applied completely with your own hands.
So:

• The primer composition is best diluted in a bucket. The primer can be different and before you breed it, you must familiarize yourself with the instructions that are written on the package.
• It is necessary to mix the mixture well so that there are no lumps left. To stir the solution, you can use a drill with a mixer nozzle, in this case a very good composition is obtained. Manually, this quality of composition is difficult to achieve.
• The primer is applied with a wide brush. This is very similar to whitewashing the ceiling (seeCeiling lining: types of material) Having smeared an even layer of structure on a wall, avoiding roughnesses and unprocessed areas.
• After you have primed the wall for the first time, you need to give it time to dry. Drying times are usually written on the packaging. Even if by your standards the surface of the wall after the first primer looks perfect, you still need a second coat of primer.
• A lot depends on the quality of the wall on which the primer is applied, which can be impregnated differently on the same wall. When re-primed, the quality will be excellent and there will be no differences. You can work with a paint roller on a completely flat wall, which is much more convenient and even than working with a brush.

Types of soil

Before deciding how to prime walls for wallpaper, let's just look at a couple of types of mixtures most often used for priming surfaces.

Acrylic primer

This type of primer is able to work with putty, plaster and concrete. Acrylic primer always does its job.

Application of acrylic primer

Attention: If the surface of the wall is poorly processed, then the “deep penetration” primer will do just fine, but a regular primer also does its job well.

So:

• The primer for wallpaper should be of good quality and to avoid troubles, you should buy a primer from well-known companies.Do not look at the inscription "for wallpaper", as this is nothing but a marketing ploy.
• In the store you can still find a substance called “primer for wallpaper”, which is actually just diluted PVA glue. But you need to know that this composition is several times more expensive than PVA glue itself.

Attention: Before buying an acrylic primer, be careful and see that the packaging says that the primer consists of a mixture of acrylic polymers, not PVA glue.

• An acrylic primer per square meter will need 100-200 milliliters. This may depend on how much the porous wall is.
• The primer is applied with a paint roller, but if there are hard-to-reach spots, then for this it is worth working with a wide brush. The primer should dry for about three hours, after which you can proceed to wallpapering.

Primed walls with glue for wallpaper

Many are familiar with the option of priming walls directly with wallpaper glue. Only with this option do not rush. You need to know that not just any glue, but just a few brands of wallpaper glue are suitable for priming the walls before wallpapering.
So:

• If the adhesive is intended for priming the walls, then this must be written on the packaging.
• On the same packaging it should be written how to spread the glue in order to use it as a primer. If you have not seen such an inscription, then this glue is intended only for wallpapering. Maybe this option is suitable in some cases, but still it can not be compared with an acrylic primer, because working with it is much easier and more pleasant.

Thus, we can safely say that you should not save on the primer for your home and do not “reinvent the wheel”, because the acrylic putty is already invented and will make your home better. Although it is up to you to decide whether you need to prime the walls before wallpapering.