Preparing your walls will save you a lot of grief if done properly.
You need to stop the suction of the surface so that the paste
forms a bond between the wall and the paper.
Flat latex paint does not do this.
Raw unpainted drywall and previously painted drywall must always be sealed with an oil based primer, or a latex preparation designed specifically for "Sealing".
This protects the paper face of the drywall
when the paper is removed later on down the line and allows your paste to stay on top of the surface,not get sucked into the drywall.
Plaster walls can be sealed with Sizing, a powder made from wheat or animal bone to be mixed with water.
Sizing is intended for plaster, not drywall.
Removing existing wallpaper is a
tedious time consuming job but can be speeded up with the use of enzyme additives for the water.
These products help breakdown the wallpaper paste. It also helps to score the surface of the wallpaper
with a razor knife by scoring lines on a 45 degree angle,
4-5" apart both left to right and right to
left. This produces a diamond pattern allowing the water to get under the surface coating on the paper. Wheel like tools are also available for scoring the face.
One tool that we use is called the "Paper Tiger".
Patch holes and dents etc with ready mixed spackle and sand flush prior to priming or sealing.
Turn off electrical power and remove all switch plates and outlet covers.
Gloss painted walls must be sanded to a dull surface.
The "liquid sandpaper" preparations are not recommended as a subsitute for sanding as they leave an oily film on the wall which causes poor adhesion.
A sanding pole with a 4' handle and 100 grit sandpaper makes short work of deglossing walls.
If you are going to repaint the door and base trim,do it prior to hanging your new paper. Saves a lot of cutting in.
Lets get Started Hanging...
Cutting
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