This wall has a texture on it that will look bad under the new wallpaper, and it will also interfere with adhesion. So the wall needs to be skim-coated / skim-floated to smooth it. But the current paint on the wall is glossy, as you can see on the right side of the photo. The smoothing compound is sticky stuff, but it (like many coatings) cannot be trusted to adhere to a shiny surface. I say it’s like the toy Colorforms … the new material will kinda stick – but not really stick . But if the surface is dull , or matt finish , the new coating will be able to grab ahold and adhere . To make this wall surface dull , I’m rolling on a primer that will dry with a flat / matt finish . There are various primers out there that will adhere to a glossy surface and then dry flat. But I’m using my trusty wallpaper primer , Roman Pro 977 Ultra Prime . Yes, this is a wallpaper primer . But it also checks all the boxes … it sticks to just about anything , it dries quickly, especially with a fan blowing on it, and it dries with a matt finish that wallpaper paste – and smoothing compound – will adhere to. At $70 or more per gallon , yes, this stuff is expensive . But it works , it’s low odor , it’s already on my truck , and it saves having to carry around an assortment of of primers and materials. Here’s my smoothing compound. Sheetrock brand Plus 3 joint compound used for working with drywall . Note that quick-dry formulas , nor spackling compound , are not suitable and won’t hold up under wallpaper . You can search here for my other posts to see more about the smoothing process for textured walls .
Obviously, this manufacturer has had complaints about their product. So they’ve come up with a CYA paragraph(s) designed to throw blame onto the wallpaper installer. Only thing is, most all of the above points they are trying to dodge ARE the fault / responsibility of the manufacturer – NOT the paperhanger . Gaps: poorly trimmed paper at the factory, possibly due to dull or wobbly trim rollers . Raised edges: poorly trimmed edges, or incompatible inks and substrates. Blisters: Usually due to off-gassing due to surfaces that don’t breathe and therefor trap moisture. Or to inks and substrates that are incompatible. … The substrate absorbs moisture from the paste and stretches , but the inks do not, resulting in wrinkles , warps , waffling , and / or quilting . But, hey – instead of doing some research and product development to improve our wallpaper , let’s just blame it on the paperhanger .
Originally simply painted a rather dull and lackluster sorta orange, the homeowner chose this pattern to both brighten the entryway and make it feel welcoming. Entry door wall primed and ready for wallpaper. I love the columns on either side. The black door and molding really stand out against the wallpaper. The mom / grandmother described this as “elegantly soft.” There will be artwork hanging on the walls, so it was important that the wallpaper pattern not overwhelm or take center stage. This Willow Boughs pattern will form a perfect backdrop for other focal points.Close up.Closer up, showing the light textured surface of this material.The designer is William Morris , dating back to the late 1800’s and early 1900’s and the Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts period. Morris & Co. is the manufacturer. Morris makes two types of wallpaper – non-woven and the traditional British pulp . It’s important that this homeowner took my advice and selected the non-woven option. NW is much easier to work with. But also, since it has a high polyester content, it’s designed to strip off the wall easily when it’s time to redecorate . It also is stronger and more stain-resistant than most other types of wallpaper . That’s good, because this family has three little kiddies running around! The home is in the Braes Heights neighborhood of Houston . installer
Taken from the current issue of The Installer , the newsletter of the Wallcovering Installers Association ( WIA ).
” The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shelter-in-place mandates brought home as never before how crucial interior décor is to our everyday lives. Surrounded by our own walls, we learned that bland, dull interiors make for a boring and dull life, while vibrant interiors create a sense of energy and liveliness. “
I didn’t get a picture of the original dull, putty-brown paint, which did nothing for this space. Here is the room primed with my favorite Roman Pro 977 Ultra Prime, formulated specifically for use under wallpaper. Sink / vanity area before.Wow! This billowy cactus pattern makes a statement! Tall! The ceilings in this home are over 10′ high. This very fluid, vertical design makes them seem even higher! Your eye just swoops up toward the ceiling! This back wall is what you see when you first enter the room, so I centered the cactus pattern on this wall. I was also able to center the pattern on this sink / vanity wall. It will look nicely balanced when the mirror goes up. A new light fixture is coming, and will be installed where you see the round hole / electrical box in the wall. Close up.Milton & King is the manufacturer, and San Pedro is the pattern name. M&K makes nice wallpaper, and I enjoyed working with this. It’s a non-woven substrate, so you can paste the wall if you like – but I usually prefer to paste the paper. The surface felt like a thin, flexible vinyl – durable and fairly resistant to splashes in a bathroom. Their patterns often come as a 2-roll set, with an ” A ” roll and a ” B ” roll. It can be a little tricky to measure for these until you get accustomed to how they work. Further complicating the issue is that this design has a 51″ pattern repeat. In a nutshell, this means that, in order to match the pattern from strip to strip, you may have to cut off and throw away as much as 50″ (more than 4′ ! ). Thus, with these high ceilings and the long pattern repeat, instead of getting three strips from each 33′ long roll, I got only two. So a lot of paper went into the trash pile. It’s important to be cognizant of that and include the waste factor when calculating how much paper to purchase. Better yet – have the paperhanger figure it up for you! These homeowners had already ordered their paper before I arrived for the initial consultation. After measuring and calculating, I told them to purchase one more 2-roll set. Another odd thing is that at the end of the day, we ended up with two full unopened “B” rolls plus one full-length “B” strip,,,, that’s a total of five full-length strips. But we had only one 10′ strip left of the “A” rolls. This points out that, depending on the layout of the room, you can use more “B’s” than “A’s” or vice versa. I’m sure glad I made them buy that additional 2-roll set! This new townhouse in the Heights neighborhood of Houston is home to a young couple. They will be married in a month or two. I had originally set their install date for a week or so before the wedding. I got a last-minute schedule change, they were able to get the room ready for me on short notice, and so I got their wallpaper up today,,, and they can spend the next months focusing on their upcoming special day!
Before: Drab, lifeless khaki paint.After: Bright and cheerful, and definitely unexpected.Wallpaper coordinates nicely with the stained glass window.Fun surprise – Are they pineapples or flower bouquets?The pattern is “Ludic” by Woodchip & Magnolia.
The home is a nicely renovated bungalow in the Houston Heights. The only place to tuck in a laundry room was in an alcove off the master bedroom. Not only does the wallpaper brighten the space, but it looks pretty when viewed from the bedroom.
The material is “non-woven” and can be hung by pasting the back of the paper, or by pasting the wall. I usually choose to paste the paper.
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