Wallpapers are common decorative features in a large number of modern residential premises. The intricate designs and patterns often featured on wallpapers make for great aesthetics in various interior living spaces.
Perhaps the best thing about wallpapers is their relative ease of installation, which excites a large number of DIY-minded homeowners. Adequate surface (wall) preparation is essential for a high quality finish on newly-installed wallpapers. This article provides three tips on surface preparation for the installation of wallpapers.
Getting Rid Of Old Non-Washable Wallpaper
Before a homeowner begins to strip out old wallpaper, it's important for him or her to ensure that the flooring system in the affected room is adequately protected. This is because the stripping exercise will involve wetting old wallpaper before the actual stripping out. Thus, an unprotected flooring system might end up absorbing water that drips from the wall.
Old and dry pieces of cloth can be laid on the floor so as to absorb excess water.
Stripping off of wet wallpaper is less cumbersome and it often gives better results than pulling off loose and dry pieces of the old wallpaper.
Getting Rid Of Old Washable Wallpaper
For old washable wallpapers, the penetration of water through the wallpaper surface is often difficult. The same applies for old wallpapers onto which a coat of paint was applied after wallpaper installation. This is because the two types of wallpaper have a protective outer layer on the surface of the wallpaper that prevents water from reaching the paper base of the decorative items.
In such situations, DIY-minded homeowners are advised to scratch the surface of the old wallpaper using an abrasive material (e.g. sandpaper) to eliminate the protective barrier. This will expose the paper base of the wallpaper and it will allow the base to get wet in preparation for stripping.
DIY-minded homeowners should remember that a few scratches on the protective surface of old wallpaper are enough to allow for the penetration of water. As such, excessive scrubbing using the abrasive material should be avoided.
Testing For Water-Soluble Paint
Water-soluble wall paint is often not the best underlying surface for the installation of wallpapers. This is because water-soluble paints often don't allow for superior bonding with the adhesive component of the wallpaper. Thus, it is necessary for DIY-minded homeowners to scrub/wash off water soluble paint as part of the surface preparation exercise.
Determining whether paint on the wall is water-soluble will require a homeowner to hold and rub a damp cloth over a small portion of the wall for a minute or so. In the event that the paint is water-soluble, significant quantities of the paint colour will be transferred to the damp cloth.
For more information, contact wallpapering services in your area.