Preparing the wall for wallpaper? This is how you do it!
To wallpaper a wall, you will have to make the necessary preparations. It is especially important that you make your wall smooth first. A good and even base ensures the best result. After all, nobody wants bubbles or other irregularities in their wallpaper. How to prepare a wall for wallpaper? We are happy to explain this to you in a few simple steps.
Step 1: Remove old wallpaper or peeling paint
To start, remove old wallpaper or peeling pieces of old paint. Wallpaper cannot adhere well to a surface that peels off. Sometimes you can easily pull wallpaper off the wall by loosening a corner at the top and working your way down. Is that not working for you? Then switch to lukewarm water with some soaking agent. Let this soak in for a while and then easily peel off the wallpaper. You can also rent a steam device for this.
Step 2: Repair Wall Damage
Once the wall is bare, you can repair any damage to the walls. Fill holes with some putty and also fill up cracks in the walls well. These can cause air bubbles under your wallpaper and that is the last thing you want. The best approach is to first scratch out the cracks a little further and then fill them well. Let the putty dry thoroughly.
Step 3: Sand the walls before wallpapering
Time to sand the walls before wallpapering. It is important to sand well, especially around irregularities, so that you cannot see them under the wallpaper. How smooth should a wall be for wallpapering? That partly depends on your wallpaper. You don’t have to be too precise with thick wallpaper, but with thinner wallpaper it is wise to make the wall smooth. You can easily check whether your wall is smooth enough by rubbing it with a flat hand.
Step 4: Degrease the wall before wallpapering
The last step in preparing your wall for wallpaper is cleaning, drying and making it dust and grease-free. You do this by brushing the wall thoroughly and possibly using a wet cloth. Now that you have completed all these steps, the real work can begin. Organize your materials, put foil on the floor to protect it from the wallpaper paste and make sure that sockets are away from the wall. Your wall is now completely ready for wallpapering.
How can you wallpaper on a grainy wall?
Do you have a wall with a rough structure, or are there so many holes in it that you can’t manage with some filler? Then it is probably a good idea to plaster the wall first. You can do this with some wall slipper from a hardware store. Apply the product to the wall with a paint roller and smooth it out nicely with an iron within thirty minutes. You can start wallpapering eight to twelve hours after drying. Note: with a structure such as spachtelputz you probably need several layers.
