How To Prep Your Living Room Walls To Install Peel And Stick Wallpaper

Preparing your walls to install peel and stick wallpaper is vital in getting it to stick. If you do not prepare properly, your wallpaper can have problems sticking and peeling off. This article is about how to prep your living room walls for peel and stick wallpapers so that it will not only look amazing but last longer and be easier to remove.

Do You Need To Prepare The Walls Before Wallpapering?

It’s time to get serious about your walls in the living room. Peel and stick wallpaper for the living room is a great way to add personality and color but before you can start staining, priming, and painting, you have to prep the wall properly. So is it important? Why is it important to prepare the walls before wallpapering?

Helps Remove The Grease

Preparation is very important in the application of wallpaper. Preparation of the walls will help to remove any grease from the wall and make it easy for you to apply the wallpaper. Preparing the walls for wallpaper application can be done in several ways, such as sanding, scraping, and spraying with water.

Sanding To Remove The Dirt

Sanding is a very good method to prepare your walls for wallpaper application because it removes dirt, dust, and grease from your wall easily. You can use sandpaper or just a hand sander to remove all these dirt particles from your wall.

Scrapping To Remove Paint Residue

Scraping is another method that you can use to prepare your walls for wallpaper application because it removes paint residue and dirt easily without leaving any scratches on the wall surface.

Water To Remove Dust

Spraying with water is another method that you should use before applying wallpaper on your walls because it helps to remove dust and debris from your wall surfaces easily. It also helps to clean up any grease that may be present on your walls.

Tools Needed

• Craft knife
• Cutting surface
• Pencil
• Step stool
• Tape measure
• Squeegee
• Straightedge or ruler
• Level
• Clean water
• Cloth
• Sandpaper

Things To Put In Mind When Preparing The Wall For Wallpapering

Here is a list of things to keep in mind while preparing the wall for wallpapering:

• If the wall has a lot of texture, apply a primer and then paint the wall with a flat, non-textured paint.
• Make sure that there are no cracks or gaps between the paper and the wall.
• If you are using a float, make sure that it is level with the paper before applying it to your walls. You also need to make sure that there are no bubbles on top of your walls before starting to apply it to them.
• Use only good quality paper because cheap ones might tear easily while applying it to your walls
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions while installing their products
• The texture can be tricky-Wall papering is a fun activity, but it can be tricky to get the texture right. If you don’t prepare the walls well and it’s not the right texture, then you can get issues while applying.
• Peel and stick Wallpaper can’t work in the dirt- If you want to use peel and stick wallpaper, which is what we recommend for most walls, make sure that there is no dirt on the wall. Dirt will ruin the adhesive on your wallpaper and cause it to come off when you try to remove it later.
• The walls should not be wet for the adhesive to stick- The best way to keep your walls dry is with a good sealer such as spray paint or latex caulk. This will prevent any water from getting into the wall and causing any peeling or bubbling problems later.

Prepare Your Walls For Wallpaper Application

First, you will want to prepare your walls by sanding, cleaning, and priming them with a semi-gloss latex paint primer made specifically for this purpose.

Push Out Any Cracks And Holes In The Wall

Use a drywall knife to push out any cracks or holes in the drywall. If there is mold or mildew in the wall, use a scraper and putty knife to scrape off as much as possible. Then sand the surface with a fine-grit sandpaper. Sanding can be done by hand or with an electric sander.

Remove Any Existing Old Wallpaper

This is the most important step in wallpapering. You can remove your old wallpaper by using a wallpaper scraper or even a knife. Make sure you do not damage the walls while removing the paper so that they can be repainted easily in the future.

Use A Sand Paper To Remove The Existing Adhesive And Papers

Use sandpaper to remove all the adhesive and other materials that are stuck on the wall. This will help you make your wall smooth and neat so that it looks perfect when you paint it later on.

Clean The Walls With A Cloth To Remove Dirt

Clean your walls with a cloth to get rid of dirt and dust particles that might have accumulated over time. Make sure you use a clean cloth so that there is no dust left over after the cleaning process.

Clean With Dish Soap To Remove Grease From The Walls

After removing the previous wallpaper, use dish soap to clean off any remaining grease from the walls so that they are nice and clean before applying the new wallpaper with no problems at all!

Leave The Walls To Dry Before Application

When removing wallpaper, it is essential that you leave the walls to dry thoroughly before applying new wallpaper. Otherwise, you risk damaging your new wallpaper by making it stick to damp surfaces.

Conclusion

Wallpaper is one of the most flexible and functional ways to personalize your living space. The different designs, patterns, and textures are sure to lend your room a more cozy feel. However, ensuring you prepare your walls properly will help enhance the overall decor and can also help improve the life span of your peel and stick wallpaper. With that said, we encourage you to follow these steps so you can begin preparing the walls for wallpapering!