How to prime the walls before wallpapering?

The modern construction market offers a variety of products for preparing walls for wallpapering. Today, almost everyone is sure that they cannot do without a primer when carrying out finishing work. However, few people know how to properly prime the walls before wallpapering. We understand the intricacies of the process.

Wall priming is a preparatory stage for surface treatment before gluing. This remedy has a firming effect. It is a mistake to think that it is needed only in order to enhance the quality of the glue: this product has a broader effect.

It is a protective film that really helps to improve the adhesion of the wallpaper gluing surface. However, it not only promotes bonding: depending on the type, this tool also evens out the walls, making them uniform in structure.

The action of the soil is based on the penetrating ability of a viscous substance that fills all microcracks in the walls and pores. Certain types of preparatory composition are able to tie together the walls erected by builders in violation of technology. This applies to walls that are crumbling due to an excessive amount of sand.

For beginners, it may seem that it is enough to walk on the surface with putty, level the base, and this will be enough to glue the wallpaper. When the walls are putty, they pass with sandpaper to level the surface, dust remains on it, which prevents the wallpaper from adhering well to the base of the wall. The same applies to painting: the paint and varnish material will not fit well on the dust.

The primer provides the highest quality surface preparation for wallpapering, however, first you need to align the planes themselves: it is not the only, but the final stage of preparing the foundation for work.

This simplifies the process of wallpapering the walls. Due to this preparation, wide canvases of a meter width and more can be used in work: the primer minimizes the formation of small bubbles and deformation of the panel during the gluing process. It becomes easier to work with wallpaper after its application.

This material is sold in two forms: in cans and cans. The volume of the soil is different: for wallpaper, raw materials with a volume of 5 and 10 liters are often chosen.

In addition to the liquid type, there is a concentrated soil. It must be diluted with cool water. This product is more convenient to store, it is more economical and allows you to vary the degree of viscosity when needed.

Externally, the primer is a composition of white or light gray. Sometimes it is transparent.Some varieties allow the addition of special acrylic paints to the solution (up to 15% of the total volume), which is especially convenient for light wallpaper with a dark wall surface (for example, with concrete).

You can add white pigment so as not to distort the color of the wallpaper and give it maximum expressiveness. This is especially important if thin canvases are taken as the basis for the cladding, which, with normal gluing, show all the spots of the base.

The primer differs in the type of action, which depends on the solvent. Drying rates can be normal, slow or fast. The texture of this preparatory material depends on the type and is more often matte.

The approximate consumption indicated by the manufacturer is 1 liter per 8-9 sq. m. wall area. However, this indicator is conditional: it all depends on the absorbency of the walls.

Since the primer is applied in two layers before gluing the wallpaper, the first will absorb more, especially if the walls are porous. With the second application, the soil will leave a little: the main part will already strengthen the walls, therefore, with the second application, the crystal lattice will be strengthened, which is located on the surface of the base.

The product is not harmful to the skin, but it should be stored away from children and sunlight. The shelf life is usually 2 years from the date of issue. After opening and application, the remnants of the primer can be stored for no more than 12 months - then it loses its properties. In this case, storage in the cold is unacceptable.

Like any building material, the primer has positive characteristics:

• It has an antiseptic effect. After processing, the surface is resistant to the formation of fungus, mold, blue, which is especially important in rooms with high humidity.
• The use of soil helps to reduce the absorption of moisture by the walls. At the same time, the vapor permeability of the walls does not decrease.
• The primer is able to eliminate the negative effects of minor dirt, making the walls strong. Due to its white color, it masks base spots.
• Due to the use of primer when pasting wallpaper with a glossy type of surface, the shine on the canvases becomes more pronounced.

There is a wide range of primers on the modern construction market.

By the type of solubility, primers are:

• based on organic acids (alkyd resins, polyurethane, latex);
• water-dispersion, which can be diluted with water (acrylic, latex, silicate, silicone);
• mineral (based on lime, gypsum, cement).

By appointment, they are:

• universal;
• specialized;
• antifungal;
• insulating;
• strengthening.

Consistency matters. Usually the transparent composition is more liquid. The white analogue has a higher viscosity and density. The consistency determines the penetrating ability.

Liquid transparent compounds strengthen the outer layer of the wall and bind dust. Among these varieties, you can find solutions with special additives, through which alkalis can be quenched. The price of such primers is reasonable.

Compared to their denser counterparts, their penetrating power is 25% higher. The disadvantage of such a primer is the heterogeneity of the application: when processing the surface, it is not visible which area is already covered with a primer. As a result, the part on which there is more soil gives itself away with gloss. Inhomogeneity is dangerous because the adhesion when gluing wallpaper will be different.

Thick primers, unlike liquid varieties, are able to adjust the surface of the walls before wallpapering. They eliminate small irregularities, have an antistatic effect, quench alkalis, creating a smooth film. Filling the micropores, they paint the wall surface, so that the entire treated surface is visible during processing.

Its penetrating power is lower, such a primer is good for walls with a homogeneous structure without visible defects. The smoothness that this primer creates is convenient for plaster and thin wallpaper, as well as photo wallpaper. Such a primer will not work for liquid wallpaper.

With the right choice, the primer will prepare the surface for gluing different types of wallpaper. Paper, vinyl, non-woven and textile wallpapers on paper and non-woven backing will adhere especially firmly to the prepared surface.

However, it should be borne in mind: re-gluing wallpaper, if necessary, requires reapplying the primer. Will stick well to the walls and fiberglass. Such a surface can be renewed by painting, which is convenient if you want to update the wallpaper background or mask dirt.

Liquid wallpaper will fit better on the surface without dripping over it when applied with a spray gun. It is important to consider: first, the walls are cleaned, only then they are treated with soil. Other options that have excellent primer adhesion are cork and bamboo. Self-adhesive PVC is glued deadly.

For each type of surface, manufacturers offer their own type of primer (for loose porous walls). Usually this information is on the packaging. For plastered walls, use an acrylic or emulsion primer. Such a composition is suitable for various substrates, except for metal, it is environmentally friendly and practical.

If you need to paste over a wooden plane, it is worth purchasing an alkyd primer. Such a solution perfectly impregnates concrete walls, it can be tinted.

If the interior decoration involves the treatment of sand-lime bricks, concrete and plastered surfaces, you can buy a mineral primer.

If the wood surface is knotty, you should use a shellac primer.

If the store does not have an acrylic primer, you can treat the walls with a polystyrene compound. However, it must be borne in mind that it is not at all harmless to health. If the repair involves not only gluing wallpaper, but also installing the floor (for example, for laying linoleum), it is worth buying a composition that is suitable for both walls and floors.

Before treating the surface of the walls with a primer, you must prepare:

• soil container;
• paint roller with medium bristles;
• medium flat brush;
• small flat brush.

It is advisable to use gloves when processing: when the soil dries, the skin surface darkens and sticks a little. Preparing the surface according to all the rules includes several stages.

First, remove the old coating. To do this with a minimum of dust, you should use an ordinary spray bottle, filling it with water: moistening the wallpaper will allow you to remove them in large fragments without scraping.

To prevent the two-layer old wallpaper from peeling off, you need to wait until it gets wet. This eliminates the need to use a spatula: mechanical movements can scratch the surface.

When the old coating is removed from the walls, you need to plaster the walls using cement-sand mortar or putty, cover up cracks, get rid of bumps, pigmented areas.

If lime remains on the surface, you can remove it with sandpaper. This process is difficult to complete without dust, so the doorway will have to be closed. After processing, dust is removed, including the one that has settled on the floor. This should be done with a sponge slightly dipped in water. The sponge should not be too wet.

Then you can treat the walls with a primer. If it is difficult to remove the old wallpaper from the walls during the preparation process, you can buy a special liquid that will not resist the strongest glue. Surfaces can be covered only after the putty is completely dry. If there is high humidity in the room, it will not be superfluous to spray the walls with a spray from fungus and mold.

It is not difficult to apply a primer to the walls with your own hands.

To do this correctly, you should read a small instruction:

• Initially, you need to prepare the tool for work. If the soil needs to be diluted, use room temperature water. It can be diluted with water only if the aqueous type of solvent is indicated on the package.
• It is necessary to dilute the product until a homogeneous structure is obtained. This is especially true for the material of the concentrated type. For such a soil, you need to prepare a separate container.

• If necessary, white color can be added to the composition. If it is necessary to tint the primer under the wallpaper, it is undesirable to use beige, pink or another color: they will distort the original color of the wallpaper.
• It is worth pouring the primer into the container in parts. Firstly, the abundance of liquid will interfere with uniform application to the surface of the walls (ceiling). Secondly, in the process of work, there should be no primer left: at the bottom of the container, in any case, there will be dust particles, specks, which should not be poured into a common canister.

In the arsenal of an experienced master there is a spray gun, by means of which the time for priming the walls is halved. At the same time, it is much easier to process hard-to-reach places (for example, slopes). It is easier for a beginner to apply the composition with a roller. To do this, the roller is lowered into a container with a working solution, moistened in the ground, and lightly rolled inside the container.

There should not be a lot of soil, otherwise it will flow along the roller, then along the handle and flood the floor surface before it hits the desired plane. Economy is also unacceptable: if the composition is small, it will not be able to penetrate the walls properly, therefore, it will not strengthen the base.

You can orient yourself like this: if the soil does not pour in a stream and does not drip, you can process the surfaces. If it is planned to wallpaper the ceiling, the processing becomes somewhat more complicated: you need less composition and more rolling on the surface.

When processing the main walls, use a roller. It is lightly pressed to the surface, rolling several times in one place, evenly distributing the composition.

Fluid must not run down walls or drip from the ceiling. The soil layer should not be dense. In hard-to-reach places (corners, slopes) use a brush.

Where it is difficult to reach with an ordinary brush, take a small one. The use of brushes allows you to save primer and process difficult areas as accurately as possible. At the end of the working process, the instruments and containers are thoroughly washed. The second layer of soil is applied only after the first one has dried.

The drying time of the primer depends on its type and density of the solution, as well as the place of application, the temperature in the room and even the season. On average, the primer dries from 12 to 24 hours.

Some varieties dry faster: this process can take 5-6 hours. Usually, the manufacturer indicates the drying time on each package of the composition, so that the buyer knows this in advance before purchasing.

For example, acrylic varieties dry for about 24 hours (one layer), quartz analogs need less time, mineral ones also need several hours.

Shellac, containing alcohol, dry quickly. However, the masters believe that, despite the assurances of the sellers, such primers need at least 10-12 hours for the film on the wall surface to be as strong as possible.

The same can be said about alkyd compositions: it is better to wait 12-14 hours and only after that do wallpapering, laying tiles, water-based paint, if the design provides for it. The process can be accelerated, but methods for accelerating drying have not only advantages but also disadvantages. Experienced craftsmen have a heat gun for this.

Choosing between the right type of surface, each craftsman has his own preferences based on the quality of the material and its properties. Experienced professionals can use two types of primer. When processing the surface before gluing the wallpaper for the first time, level the structure of the walls with a transparent mixture. After that, another (white) primer is applied: it is the final stage of preparation for facing.

Based on their experience, masters recommend starting from the thickness of the wallpaper when choosing a primer. Deep penetrating compositions are able to keep particularly durable wallpaper canvases on the wall surface. These varieties include structural heavy varieties. For example, two-layer vinyl models or versions for painting: with each layer of such wallpaper, the thickness will increase. Due to the soil, you can not worry about it: the wallpaper will stay on the walls for up to 20-30 years.

With regard to liquid wallpaper, the situation is different. To keep them firmly on the plane of the walls or ceiling, you need a primer with quartz. Varieties that form a smooth surface are not suitable for them.

The structure of liquid wallpaper is such that for a secure grip it needs to hold on to something. For such wallpaper, it is not necessary to perfectly align the planes: the primer can be applied to an unplastered surface, while the roughness is important. This way the mass will cling to grains of sand, and it will be easier to smear it on the walls.

The mixture is diluted in small portions. This will not only exclude an excess of the solution, but will also help to ensure that the composition is always clean during the priming process. The prepared solution is used on the same day. It is unacceptable to store such a composition, as it loses its properties.

If you need to apply liquid to the plaster, do not dilute it additionally: the cement-sand mortar is highly absorbent. This treatment will take a very long time to dry, which will delay the drying time.

If, during the processing of the walls, the primer falls on a plane that cannot be finished, it is necessary to immediately wipe it with a cloth soaked in water. If the tools are not washed immediately, the bristles and roller coat will harden at the same time as the primer dries.

It will not be possible to return them to their former softness; for subsequent work, you will have to buy new brushes and a fur coat. If there is furniture in the room that cannot be taken out (for example, drawers in a kitchen unit), cover it with a wide plastic wrap, which can be purchased at a hardware store.

Experts recommend buying a primer in larger quantities or in concentrated form. As a rule, when processing walls before gluing wallpaper, it will take much more than indicated by the manufacturer. The number of soil layers matters: craftsmen pay attention to the fact that walls made of concrete, brick, fiberboard, drywall can be primed no more than 2 times before gluing the wallpaper.

If the wall is wooden, two layers may not be enough. However, this does not mean that the surface can be poured abundantly with mortar. Better to apply several thin coats.

The use of a primer is convenient because the wall does not get dirty. When gluing wallpaper, stains will not appear on it.To avoid the formation of lumps during stirring, you can use a construction drill with a special attachment. You can start pasting when the surface stops sticking.

Applying a primer before wallpapering is an important process. This is evidenced by the reviews left on the forums dedicated to the repair and finishing work. The comments point out the special importance of the primer. She is given great importance and is considered a good helper for obtaining the highest quality result.

According to those who use primer to prepare walls for gluing, this tool makes it easier to glue wallpaper. They fit better on the surface.

The adhesive composition is evenly distributed under the wallpaper. It is noted that there are fewer bubbles, it is easier to remove them. The wallpaper seems to get used to the surface: they hold firmly, do not slip down, even if the width of the panels is one meter.

The comments indicate: the glue leaves much less than when gluing surfaces without primer.

Master class on priming walls for wallpapering, see below.