Wallpapering the walls is still one of the most popular ways to decorate a room. There are many reasons for this: the relative simplicity of the work, which allows them to be carried out independently, the low cost of materials. A wide range of wallpapers offered on the building materials market makes it possible to realize almost any design idea. But in order to achieve high quality and durability of the coating, it is necessary to correctly apply the finishing putty under the wallpaper. The most expensive and high-quality material will not hide the defects of a poorly prepared base. The time until the next repair, as well as the ease of implementation of the latter, will depend on how competently the walls were puttied.
The choice of putty
Any finishing layer, including wallpaper, cannot be applied to unprepared walls, regardless of what material they are made of. Be sure to apply an intermediate putty layer. It will not only hide the defects of the base, but also ensure reliable gluing of the wallpaper to the wall. Which putty is better to choose? It all depends on the quality of the base surface, the type of wallpaper used and the conditions of their operation.
The composition of the putty mixture determines the microclimate of the room in which it can be used:
- Gypsum putty - easy to use, dries quickly, does not shrink, but is afraid of moisture. Suitable for living rooms, not suitable for the bathroom.
- Cement - significant shrinkage, dries for a long time, but can be used without risk in the bathroom, kitchen or other room with high humidity.
- Polymer putties have proven themselves in the processing of various seams and joints, it is very convenient to work with them. They are used in any room, give a beautiful flat surface. The most expensive option.
In addition to the chemical composition, the degree of grinding of the putty is of great importance. The smaller the size of the fractions of which it consists, the more even the surface is obtained. According to this indicator, the following types of putties are distinguished:
- Starting. Their main purpose is the preliminary leveling of the surface. Therefore, the grind is quite large. After it, it is necessary to apply a layer of finishing putty.
- Finishing. Finer grinding allows them to qualitatively eliminate all minor defects and ensure a perfectly smooth surface. If the walls do not have serious defects, then the finishing putty of the walls under the wallpaper can be done without the starting layer.
- Universal. The middle option between finishing and starting putty. It costs a little more, but is not inferior to the finish in quality.
The indispensable quality of the finishing putty is the whiteness of the resulting base. When using thick wallpaper, you can save a little by choosing a coarser finishing solution with a fraction size of 0.8 mm.
Additional selection criteria
Putty in the store can be purchased in the form of a dry mix or a ready-made solution. Professionals prefer a dry mix, but if this is your first time doing such work, then it is better to choose a ready-made one. It will cost a little more, but then there will be no question of whether how to prepare putty from a dry mix. In addition, the finished solution is available in a hermetically sealed container, but the putty prepared by one's own hands must be used before it dries.
If you chose a dry mix, then this video will help you prepare a quality solution.
You should not save on the quality of putty, it will not take so much. It is better to choose a trusted manufacturer, for example, the Knauf or Vetonit trademark.Excellent quality and price were the key to the wide distribution of Vetonit products in the building materials market. It meets European quality standards, is made from environmentally friendly materials. Under the Vetonit brand, the entire line of putty mixtures is produced, from starting to finishing, with various binder fillers. Including waterproof putty, as well as solutions that can be used at low temperatures. Mixtures "Vetonit" are packed in bags that provide reliable protection of the contents from atmospheric influences and are provided with clear labeling.
Required tool
Save on purchase puttying tools hardly worth it: its cost is low, but it will not be easy to achieve the required quality of the base using the old one. Therefore, it is better to purchase a new set of necessary tools in a hardware store:
- You need at least a couple of simple spatulas - wide and narrow. We will apply putty on the surface of the wall with a wide one, and it is more convenient to apply a solution on it with a narrow one. They will also remove excess putty and process hard-to-reach places.
- Angle spatula. Some prefer to do without it, but drawing corners with such a tool is much easier. Therefore, if you do not have good builder skills and a “stuffed” hand, then you must purchase it.
- To apply the primer, you will need a brush, roller and paint bath. You can get by with one brush, but then the process will take much longer.
- If the putty will be prepared from a dry mixture, then you need to prepare a container for stirring it, as well as a construction mixer. You can use a drill and a special nozzle.
- When working with starting putty, which will correct significant irregularities in the base, a rule will be required.
- The level is needed to control at all stages of work.
- To smooth out the unevenness of the dried putty, we will prepare a grater, preferably with a replaceable working coating. It can be emery of various grain sizes, abrasive mesh. For grouting large areas, a grinder or grinder with a special nozzle is used.
Preparing the surface for puttying under the wallpaper
Before applying putty, the wall must be properly prepared:
- Remove all old coatings. A building hair dryer will help in removing the paint, wallpaper and thin plaster are pre-softened with water, and then scraped off with a spatula. Thick plaster is knocked down with a perforator or hand chisel.
- Large cracks and irregularities are sealed with cement mortar. Cracks must first be expanded, cleaned of dust and treated with a deep penetration primer.
- On a plasterboard wall, the seams between the sheets and the holes for the heads of the self-tapping screws are sealed with a special putty, otherwise rust from them may appear on the surface of the wallpaper in the future.
- The base is covered with a layer of antiseptic primer. It is more convenient to use a roller, but you can’t do without a brush either - special attention should be paid to the corners. This is a favorite place for the growth of fungus and mold.
- It is recommended to prime in two layers. The second time you need to apply an antiseptic after the already applied layer dries. The process of priming the base is more clearly presented in the video.
Do not rush at the preparatory stage - any haste can lead to rather sad consequences. All applied components must be allowed to dry for the right time. Only after that you can start applying putty.
Wall putty
If the surface on which the wallpaper will be glued has significant defects, then a layer of starting putty is applied. There are different ways and it is difficult to say which one is the best, but the general recommendations are as follows:
- With a narrow spatula, the solution is applied to a wide one and applied from the corner to the center. The spatula should be held at a 45˚ angle to the surface.
- The solution is applied overlapping, overlapping the previous layer by 8–10 mm.
- The layer thickness should not exceed 2 mm; in case of serious defects, the putty is applied in several layers. Between their application should be at least a day.
- Corners are leveled with an angled spatula. In the absence of skill, you can first form one side of the corner, remove excess mortar after it has partially dried, and then remove the second.
- The quality of work is periodically controlled by the rule and level.
- After drying, sometimes even incomplete, grouting is performed.
The process of applying the finishing putty is almost identical to the work with the starting one, but still has its own characteristics:
- Be sure to apply two layers with a thickness of not more than 1-2 mm. Both layers must be rubbed with fine sandpaper. The last layer is recommended to be sanded with a suede or leather attachment on a sander.
- For grouting corners, you can use a rubber spatula.
It will be impossible to correct the defects of the finishing layer, therefore, the strictest control over the quality of the resulting base is necessary. Many use additional illumination from the side, which helps to reveal the slightest irregularities.
- After the putty has completely dried, the surface must be treated with a primer again to ensure good adhesion of the wallpaper.
This video will allow you to get a better idea of applying finishing putty on the walls under the wallpaper.
