ᐅ Always Use Primer Before Wallpapering?

Hello everyone,

We are currently renovating our recently purchased house (built in 1997). Since we don’t like the wallpaper on the walls, we are in the process of removing it, which is quite easy because it is non-woven wallpaper. Except for one or two walls, we plan to use non-woven wallpaper again with a texture similar to traditional woodchip wallpaper.

Question:
The walls have been wallpapered and painted twice before (most recently about 10 years ago) by a painter. Do I still need to apply a primer (deep primer)? Except for a few small areas (sloped ceilings and in front of the roller shutters), the walls are solid.

In short: Yes

is what my painter would say now.

I would give it a try. Non-woven wallpapers generally require stronger adhesives anyway. The reinforcement is made of "plastic" and creates a more effective barrier on the wall than regular adhesive. If you apply something from the non-woven adhesive directly onto the bare wall and the wall absorbs it evenly and doesn’t soak up the adhesive immediately, then you can safely skip the primer.

The active ingredient in the primer and the reinforcement in the adhesive produce similar effects in the applications I am familiar with. However, I am not a professional painter but bring my experience from decorative painting, which is not exactly the same.

Enjoy your renovation!

Gabriele

Primer is inexpensive and requires little effort. The primer reduces the absorbency of the underlying material, evening out differences in absorbency. This uniformity is especially beneficial when working with the new wallpaper. I would not recommend cutting corners here.

Hello,
I would also give a clear YES.

I have renovated three apartments so far and each time scraped off the old wallpaper. In one apartment, the builder had previously applied a primer. Removing the wallpaper there was no problem and could be done without significant damage to the walls.

In the apartments where cost-cutting was done, removing the old wallpaper was a nightmare. We also had to do some patching on the walls afterward.

I would not save money here, even if it might no longer directly affect you.

@hampshire I’m surprised that you recommend primer? Or have you used an alternative in your own house?