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 .
Powder room before. The original paper dates to the ‘90’s , and was a popular theme at that time. Fast-forward 30 years and add a young family with active kiddies = time for an update . For various reasons, the existing wallpaper could not be removed . So I’m prepping and will hang the new paper over it. Here I’ve skim-floated over the seams, so there will be no ridges showing under the new paper . Next I’ll seal with a stain blocker (see previous post) and follow that with Roman Pro 977 Ultra Prime wallpaper primer .Primed and ready to for wallpaper .Such a pretty pattern , full of movement and cheer . The homeowner wanted something dramatic , hence the dark color . Dark works quite nicely in a small room like a powder room . The homeowner also wanted the ceiling papered . Close up .From a distance . A large , sculpted mirror with a heavy white frame will be hung over the sink. This will contrast against the dark paper , and really stand out . I like to think that the wallpaper is the star attraction , but I really think the mirror will take center stageThe pattern is Cornflower and is by Rifle Paper , made by York , one of my favorite brands . This is a non-woven / paste the wall material . It’s relatively easy to work with , and is designed to strip off the wall easily and in one piece without damage to your walls when it’s time to redecorate . This was purchased from Dorota at the Sherwin-Williams on University in the Rice Village . Excellent help in tracking down your perfect paper , and discounted prices , too. Wed – Sat . Call before heading over (713) 529-6515 . The home of this install is in the West University / West U area of Houston .
You’ve heard of Cajun coffee being so strong that a spoon will stand up in it? Well, same thing’s happening with my latest batch of wallpaper primer ! My preferred Roman Pro 977 Ultra Prime seems to be performing nicely, though, so I’m not worried. One nice side benefit is that it is so thick that it’s not splattering at all when rolled onto the wall . BTW, the fabric around the cans is to catch drips – the plasticized labels used by this factory don’t absorb drips like most paper labels do, so I came up with using absorbent “collars.” They’re cut from the sleeves of men’s T-shirts, babies’ headbands, or babies’ underpants, all for pennies at the thrift store.
This window had leak issues ( rain , sprinklers ) some years back, which have been solved by replacing the window, and doing other repairs. In the photo, I’ve applied my light blue wallpaper primer to the top half of the wall but not yet the bottom portion, so that’s why the color differenceEven though the leak has been stopped, vestiges of it are still appearing. Water that entered the wall left vertical streaks on the drywall . All these years later, after the paint and texture have been removed , the stains remain.Water stains , along with some others, such as blood , rust , ink , marker , grease , oil, cosmetics , and the like, will bleed through joint compound , primer , paint , and wallpaper , creating new stains on the surface . It may take a couple of months , but they will make an appearance . In this photo, I’ve already applied my blue primer. It only took a half an hour for these stains to work their way through. This is the top right corner of the window , where the bracket for the mini-blinds is attached to the wall. Note the stains on the underside of the window . To prevent these stains from working their way through the new coating / paint / wallpaper , it’s imperative to thoroughly cover them with a stain blocker . And – trust me – water-based products won’t work, despite what the label claims. You need an oil-based product like this KILZ Original , or a shellac-based like BIN by Zinsser . Both are prone to splatter , so be sure to cover your floor and baseboards with dropcloths . KILZ has strong fumes and can make you high , so ventilate or wear a respirator mask . It’s a hassle cleaning the liquid out of the brush , so I use a cheap-ish disposable “ chip brush ” from Home Depot or Sherwin-Williams . The products usually dry pretty quickly. Note that wallpaper paste won’t stick to most oil-based primers , and shellac is too glossy for good adhesion , so I’m going to go over the stain blocker with my usual Roman Pro 977 Ultra Prime wallpaper primer , which sticks to just about everything , and creates a good, matt finish surface for the wallpaper to cling to.
Typical textured wall in new homes in suburban Houston has been skim-floated , sanded smooth , and primed with Roman Pro 977 Ultra Prime wallpaper primer . All ready for baby Noah! The parents-to-be will spend the weekend bringing in the crib and other furnishings . This is a 4-panel mural . Here I’ve laid out the panels , to ensure correct placement , and get accurate measurements . We had some ” issues ” and I wasn’t completely happy with this product / vendor . For starters, they custom-printed custom-sized the material to the exact dimensions I had asked. Problem is, these panels are intended to be overlapped and double-cut ( spliced ). That means losing an inch on every seam . The company should have accommodated for that by providing us with four extra inches. They did not, so I had a real math and juggling match trying to plot how to get enough paper to cover the width of the wall.The grey colors go nicely with the current trend toward greys and beiges ; the rest of the home follows this color scheme . i thought this was going to be a pre-trimmed non-woven / paste the wall material. I was caught off guard when I discovered it was a textured vinyl on a paper backing , untrimmed and had to be double cut . See other post and/or do some Searching here for more info on this DC process . I think a better material would have resulted in better seams . But – wallpaper is meant to be viewed from about 5′ away, and from there, the wall is perfect. Remember the picture of the panels laid out on the floor . The panel on the far right had a cool train near the top. It was a prominent feature in the scene . But, as you see in this photo, that train was cut off by the door. So all you see over the door is blank sky . I really liked that train, and so did the mom . I wanted to put it where she could see it . So I took the bottom portion of that last panel and found the train. I used a straightedge to cut the bottom edge, and then used a scissors to trim around the top of the train and its trail of smoke . Vinyl is slick , and wallpaper paste won’t adhere to it. So I applied special paste designed to grab ahold of vinyl. Then I placed it over the door , butting it up against the right where it meets the adjoining wall. But – dangnabit! I forgot to take a picture of it finished! It looked great. Over the door was no longer all that dead-air blank space. Now there is a streamlined train with wisps of smoke , heading toward the distant castle ! I’m not going to mention where this was purchased from, because it’s one of the sites that I hope people will steer away from – a place that sells batteries , jewelry , fishing tackle , and – oh, yeah – wallpaper, too,,, you’re just better off with one of the established companies that specializes in wallpaper . nursery installer houston sienna
This powder room was originally painted a very dark brown. The new homeowner had her painters cover it with a good quality sealer and stain blocker, oil-based KILZ Original. This makes a good wallpaper primer, too. So I didn’t need to do any prep, but could just start hanging wallpaper.
But when I looked at the walls, I noticed some light dots all over one area. It looked to me like possibly something bleeding through – as if oil or mold or something had gotten onto the wall. This is a problem, because these substances can bleed through wallpaper and stain the surface.
Or – the dots could have simply been because the painter had a lump stuck to his roller, and it was leaving this pattern with each rotation of the roller.
But you never know, and I didn’t want to risk having something stain the new wallpaper. Even though I had been told that the room had been painted with KILZ, and I know that that product seals off stains and prevents bleed-through, I wanted to be extra sure. So I got my “emergency” quart of KILZ out of my van and daubed more on, on top of each of those little dots.
In the photo, you see some dots, and some daubs of KILZ.
In this Rice University area powder room, the original towel bars were not going to be replaced. So someone (I suspect the homeowner) removed them, and then attempted to fill in the holes left from the hardware. What people don’t realize, though, is that, even though the holes have been filled in, there are still dents, and also ridges from the gummy material used, that will all show under the new wallpaper.
So I “floated” joint compound (kind of like plaster) over the area, let dry, and then sanded until smooth. The second photo shows after this work has been done – a nice, smooth surface that will be invisible under the new wallpaper.
The walls were originally a lilac color. I primed with a thin white wallpaper primer, which you can see in the second photo. Then I applied my patching compound. The material I use to patch works better with a different primer, which is clear, so that’s why you see a little color difference, and a little of the lilac paint still showing. Don’t worry – none of this showed through the new wallpaper.
Man, I was surprised when this roller cover didn’t fit the roller cage. I can’t say I’ve ever had that happen before! You cant just “use it anyway,” because the plastic tip of the cover holder will accumulate paint / primer but won’t hold it, so there is a great potential for paint to get slopped or dripped all over the floor or walls.
These are the 6/$7 disposable roller covers I get from Home Depot. Luckily, I had extras, and the second photo shows the proper size and fit.
I use them for rolling on wallpaper primer, essential for every wallpaper job.
I was at the Montrose Sherwin Williams the other day, and overheard a woman asking the S-W guy about wallpaper adhesives, tools, and the like. So I went over and gave a little advice.
I also suggested she use a primer. Now, right in front of her on the shelf were two varieties of primers designed specifically for wallpaper – the S-W brand and the Roman’s brand called R-35, and I pointed these out to her. Then I mentioned that I, myself, use KILZ.
Immediately, she said that she would use KILZ, and that she had a can of it at home. I said, “There are several types of KILZ, you really want to be sure you are using the right one … But why not remove all doubt and buy a gallon of primer made specifically for wallpaper, right in front of you on the shelf?”
She insisted that she had bought the most expensive KILZ, and that therefore it must be the right product. Then she hurried out of the store and on to her wallpaper project.
Sigh.
When people have experts right in front of them, and have been given expert advice, why oh why do they not listen??
When it’s a half inch short!
The Wallpaper Lady's Blog 