As an alternative to banal painting and whitewashing, many people prefer to wallpaper the ceiling. They will hide minor flaws in the base surface - cracks, small irregularities - allowing you to spend less money and effort on preparing the ceiling. A variety of textures, colors and designs at a moderate cost allows you to expand the wings of fantasy. In addition, you can glue wallpaper on the ceiling yourself, without involving professionals for this.
Choosing a wallpaper
The selected type of wallpaper affects the pasting technology and some other features of the process. Experts recommend stopping at one of the following varieties:
- paper;
- paper-based vinyl;
- non-woven vinyl;
- non-woven.
The choice will be influenced by the condition of the base ceiling, the requirements for the material and pattern, and financial possibilities. By the way, the paper version will cost you the least amount, and vinyl and non-woven wallpaper will cost more, but will also last longer.
Important! For the ceiling, a material with a minimum weight is selected. It should not exceed 110 g/sq. m. This parameter is usually indicated on the label of the roll.
The nuances of working with paper wallpaper
The surface and colors of canvases of this type may vary; in the simplest, the lower layer has a rough texture, and the upper one is smooth. It is on him that the drawing is applied. Due to the small thickness, paper sheets are quite difficult to stick correctly, besides, they will repeat all the existing flaws in the ceiling. If it is uneven, it is better to give preference to another type of finishing material.
True, hardware stores also offer thicker versions of paper wallpaper - embossed. Such canvases are already less demanding on the surface.
Vinyl on different substrates: which one is easier to glue?
Vinyl wallpapers differ in the type of base (paper or non-woven). It is she who affects the technique of gluing and the choice of wallpaper glue:
- the material on the paper backing is impregnated with glue and then applied to the surface, so gluing them to the ceiling is not very convenient, although it is still easier than ordinary paper wallpapers;
- canvases on a fiseline basis do not need to be lubricated with glue, the composition is applied only to the ceiling, so it is easier to work with them.
Compared to paper, such wallpapers are more wear-resistant, last longer, and due to their high density and relief, they better hide the flaws of the ceiling in the apartment.
Interlining - the perfect choice for the ceiling?
Wallpaper made of interlining - a non-woven material made from cellulose fibers - is a popular solution for the ceiling, giving it an original appearance and a soft glow. In this case, it is permissible to perform up to 12 repaints.
Non-woven wallpaper is different:
- high strength - it is very difficult to break them accidentally;
- lack of shrinkage - do not stretch when wet, do not shrink after drying;
- compatibility with any surfaces;
- the ability to level the ceiling with small defects.
Advice. If you want to paste over the ceiling with minimal effort, choose wide non-woven wallpaper or based on it. Unlike canvases on a paper backing, they do not need to be smeared with glue, the composition is applied only to the surface to be glued. This greatly facilitates work in uncomfortable conditions. Large strip widths will speed up the process and reduce the number of seams.
We select wallpaper glue
When choosing an adhesive composition, be sure to take into account the selected type of wallpaper. For the ceiling, this axiom is especially relevant, because under its own weight, heavy canvases glued to the wrong glue can simply fall off.
Wallpaper glue is chosen according to the following principle:
- For paper wallpaper, a starch-based adhesive composition is suitable, to which special components have been added that prevent the development of fungus.
- When using vinyl and non-woven wallpaper, you should choose starch glue with the addition of methylcellulose, which has high adhesion to the base and plasticity.
- If heavy vinyl finishes are chosen, the adhesive for them must contain polymer additives and a biocide in addition to starch and methylcellulose.
There are universal adhesive options that are suitable for any type of wallpaper. Their parameters are adjusted depending on the amount of added water.
When buying, carefully select the adhesive composition, read the instructions.
We prepare the base
The ceiling can be concrete, plasterboard, you can also paste wallpaper on chipboard and plywood. Before starting the final finishing, the base should be prepared. To do this, it is cleaned, leveled, cracks and other shortcomings are repaired. All previous coating must be completely removed. After completion of these works, the base is primed.
Wallpaper with proper preparation can be glued even on complex surfaces:
- on the ceiling, insulated with foam or polystyrene;
- old PVC panels that you don’t want to remove due to defects on the draft ceiling that will have to be fixed;
- a surface painted with oil paint, which is very difficult to remove and from which the wallpaper may lag behind.
In the three cases listed above, fiberglass is attached to the ceiling. How and how to glue it on different coatings, read here. After installing the fiberglass, the surface is primed and puttied.
The stages of preparing a concrete base are described in detail here.
Read about the processing of drywall before wallpapering this article.
Ceiling markings
First of all, you need to decide whether the wallpaper will be glued along or across the long wall. You can choose the direction of the strips according to several principles:
- Focusing on the location of the windows. The wallpaper should go perpendicular to them, in the direction of the incident light, then the joints will not be so noticeable.
- Minimizing the number of seams. In this case, the stripes are located along the long wall. Please note that the gluing process will become more complicated: long canvases are more difficult to manage both in terms of lifting to the ceiling and in relation to matching the joints.
- Emphasizing the maximum ease of gluing. It is much easier to work with short strips than with long ones, especially when finishing the ceiling alone. From this point of view, it makes sense to glue the canvases along a short wall, along the width of the room.
First, we outline the guide line for the first strip. The easiest way to do this is with a laser level, or pull a string from one of the walls, along which you can mark.
Important! If the ceiling plinth has not yet been installed, it is necessary to make markings so that the extreme canvases go onto the wall with an overlap of 2–3 cm.
We cut the wallpaper
You can make your work easier if you pre-cut the required number of strips. It is considered, taking into account the parameters of the room, the width and length of the roll.
If customization of the pattern is required, this should also be taken care of at the cutting stage.
Glue paper wallpaper or paper-based vinyl
These two types of material are glued according to the same principle, with one difference: paper sheets, especially thin ones, require much more careful handling. After impregnation with glue, they can tear and crumple.
Work order:
- We evenly apply the adhesive solution directly to the canvas.
- We fold a piece of wallpaper, but not like for walls, in half or with an “envelope”, but with an “accordion”, leave it for 5-10 minutes. It is important to ensure that the glue does not get on the front side.
- We also apply glue to the base, using a medium pile roller for this.
- We apply a strip of material to the marking line in any convenient corner with a slight overlap on the wall, smooth it with our hands from the center to the edges, gradually fixing the entire canvas.
- Excess glue and air bubbles are driven out with a brush or a plastic spatula, moving from the center to the edge at an angle of 45 °.
One person is unlikely to be able to qualitatively perform these actions, it is better to find an assistant.
Advice. You can cope with sticking paper wallpaper alone with the help of drywall lift, which will support the canvas, and several tables or building goats, drawn up in a row to move around them.
We glue non-woven wallpaper or vinyl on non-woven base alone
We also combined these types of wallpaper into one group: they have a common gluing technology. Its use will help to finish the ceiling on your own, without assistants.
- We apply glue directly to the base in a uniform thick layer, using a long-haired roller for this purpose. It is not necessary to cover the entire ceiling with the composition at once, it is enough to lubricate the surface for the width of the strip with a small margin.
- The edge of the cut off wallpaper, previously rolled into a tube, is applied to the mark.
- With one hand we hold the resulting thin roll, with the other we smooth the canvas.
- With a plastic spatula we expel air from under the sheets.
- We begin gluing the next strip immediately after the first, because the adhesive composition dries quickly. The fabrics are glued together.
The last step is the same for all types of wallpapers:
- Excess material at the ceiling plinth is cut off with a sharp knife, which is supported by a wide metal spatula used as a ruler, as in the next photo.
- If the fillet has not yet been installed, an overlap of several centimeters is left, which, after drying, is cut off in the same way.
Important! Until the finishing material is completely dry, drafts should not be allowed to occur in the room.
Pasting the ceiling with wallpaper is a laborious, but not very difficult process that can be done by hand. The main thing is to choose the right material, adhesive composition and find an assistant who can provide all possible assistance. For more information, please watch the videos below.
