Hello
After living in the house for 12 years, we have ordered a new kitchen.
This seems like a good opportunity to re-wallpaper the walls.
Although I used to wallpaper often and enjoyed doing it, and I’m not unskilled, some questions have come up:
The current wallpaper in the kitchen is peeling off at the edges in some places. I assure you I applied plenty of paste evenly.
What could be the reason?
Should a lining paper be applied before wallpapering?
Are there different qualities of lining paper?
Any other tips specifically for the kitchen?
I am doing the wallpapering myself. I’m confident it will turn out better.
Steven
After living in the house for 12 years, we have ordered a new kitchen.
This seems like a good opportunity to re-wallpaper the walls.
Although I used to wallpaper often and enjoyed doing it, and I’m not unskilled, some questions have come up:
The current wallpaper in the kitchen is peeling off at the edges in some places. I assure you I applied plenty of paste evenly.
What could be the reason?
Should a lining paper be applied before wallpapering?
Are there different qualities of lining paper?
Any other tips specifically for the kitchen?
I am doing the wallpapering myself. I’m confident it will turn out better.
Steven
H
Hutchinson1233 May 2022 10:58Hi,
I could imagine that the steam from cooking in the kitchen is causing the edges to peel.
We recently removed all the old textured wallpaper throughout the house and replaced it with painter’s fleece.
Besides thoroughly removing the old wallpaper and applying a primer on the drywall (plasterboard), we didn't do any other preparations.
Based on my experience with this, here are two tips:
1. Ideally, buy ready-to-use wallpaper paste. It’s quite expensive, but in my opinion, it sticks much better than the powdered paste you mix yourself. In the end, it was definitely worth the extra cost.
2. Apply plenty of paste in the corners, better too much than too little.
At first, I was always too cautious about applying paste where the previous strip was already stuck, which often caused the corners to peel off.
Eventually, I started spreading the paste so generously that the surface of the previous strip got some paste on it as well. After hanging the new wallpaper, the excess could be easily wiped off with a damp sponge.
The reward: an almost perfectly wallpapered living room without ugly seams or peeling.
We deliberately started on the upper floor to get into the rhythm, so we would do better on the ground floor (the living room really has to look good…).
We had wallpapered a few times before, but if you only do it every few years, you always have to start from scratch.
The upper floor was so-so because the two of us hung the strips together and it never turned out quite straight.
On the ground floor, we started the same way, and luckily my girlfriend got so frustrated after the second strip that she gave up 😉
So I had to wallpaper the entire ground floor on my own.
The result: a finish that even a professional probably couldn’t have done better 🙂
I could imagine that the steam from cooking in the kitchen is causing the edges to peel.
We recently removed all the old textured wallpaper throughout the house and replaced it with painter’s fleece.
Besides thoroughly removing the old wallpaper and applying a primer on the drywall (plasterboard), we didn't do any other preparations.
Based on my experience with this, here are two tips:
1. Ideally, buy ready-to-use wallpaper paste. It’s quite expensive, but in my opinion, it sticks much better than the powdered paste you mix yourself. In the end, it was definitely worth the extra cost.
2. Apply plenty of paste in the corners, better too much than too little.
At first, I was always too cautious about applying paste where the previous strip was already stuck, which often caused the corners to peel off.
Eventually, I started spreading the paste so generously that the surface of the previous strip got some paste on it as well. After hanging the new wallpaper, the excess could be easily wiped off with a damp sponge.
The reward: an almost perfectly wallpapered living room without ugly seams or peeling.
We deliberately started on the upper floor to get into the rhythm, so we would do better on the ground floor (the living room really has to look good…).
We had wallpapered a few times before, but if you only do it every few years, you always have to start from scratch.
The upper floor was so-so because the two of us hung the strips together and it never turned out quite straight.
On the ground floor, we started the same way, and luckily my girlfriend got so frustrated after the second strip that she gave up 😉
So I had to wallpaper the entire ground floor on my own.
The result: a finish that even a professional probably couldn’t have done better 🙂
You don’t *have* to apply a primer coat before wallpapering waste paper. However, depending on the substrate and the type/design of the non-woven wallpaper, it might be advisable if the wallpaper is too transparent or thin.
Otherwise, use a primer/sealer and apply adhesive properly, and it will hold. Even if it starts to loosen after years (due to moisture or drafty areas, for example), you can easily fix it anytime with a small brush and some adhesive.
I’ve always done wallpapering myself and maintain that while some professional companies are faster, they don’t always achieve better results.
Good luck!
Otherwise, use a primer/sealer and apply adhesive properly, and it will hold. Even if it starts to loosen after years (due to moisture or drafty areas, for example), you can easily fix it anytime with a small brush and some adhesive.
I’ve always done wallpapering myself and maintain that while some professional companies are faster, they don’t always achieve better results.
Good luck!
G
Gartenfreund4 May 2022 03:20My parents and I have never used primer. I imagine it either didn’t exist in the 1950s or was simply unknown.
The issue with water vapor could be true. However, it’s also possible that those areas were not properly pasted or that too much paste was removed by touching them.
These are just a few possibilities.
Do you have a wallpaper seam roller? If not, get one. It helps to firmly press down the edges again.
The issue with water vapor could be true. However, it’s also possible that those areas were not properly pasted or that too much paste was removed by touching them.
These are just a few possibilities.
Do you have a wallpaper seam roller? If not, get one. It helps to firmly press down the edges again.
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