Successfully applying wallpaper to painted walls requires careful preparation to ensure proper adhesion and a smooth, long-lasting finish. Simply sticking wallpaper onto paint without the right steps can lead to peeling, bubbling, or visible imperfections. The key is creating a clean, smooth, and appropriately sealed surface.
Essential Wall Preparation Steps
Before you even think about applying wallpaper paste, you need to prepare the painted surface. This involves a series of crucial steps designed to clean, smooth, and prime the wall. Based on best practices for preparing painted walls for wallpapering, follow these steps:
- Remove loose paint: Scrape off any paint that is loose or cracking.
- Clean the wall: Wash the wall thoroughly using a sugarsoap solution.
- Rinse the wall: Wash the wall again with clean water and allow it to dry completely.
- Sand the surface: Sand the entire wall using the appropriate grit sandpaper:
- Use 60 – 80 grit sandpaper for enamel paint.
- Use 120 grit sandpaper for acrylic paint.
- Dust: Thoroughly dust the wall to remove all sanding residue.
- Apply Sealer: Apply an oil based, pigmented sealer to the wall.
- Apply Size: Apply size to the wall surface.
Detailed Look at Key Stages
Following each of these steps diligently is vital. Removing loose paint ensures the wallpaper isn't attached to a failing surface. Cleaning removes grime and grease that could interfere with adhesion.
Sanding is critical for smoothing out imperfections and, especially with glossier enamel paints, creating a surface that the sealer and paste can grip onto. The reference specifies different grit levels depending on whether the paint is enamel or acrylic, highlighting the importance of tailoring your approach to the existing paint type.
Applying an oil-based, pigmented sealer serves multiple purposes: it blocks stains, provides a uniform color base, and creates a sealed surface that prevents the wallpaper paste from soaking unevenly into the wall or activating old paint layers. Finally, applying "size" (often a form of wallpaper primer or wallcovering adhesive primer) further prepares the wall, aiding slip and slide for easier wallpaper installation and improving adhesion.
Proper preparation significantly increases the chances of a successful wallpapering project, resulting in a beautiful finish that lasts.
