The strength and durability of the glued wallpaper depends not only on the gluing process itself, but also on the correct preparation of the ceiling. The technology of cleaning the surface from the old finish, puttying and leveling the coating can be mastered independently. Ceiling wallpapers, in comparison with wall ones, are heavier, they are more dense. Therefore, it is important that they not only look aesthetically pleasing, but also hold tight. To do this, you need to pay special attention to the preparation of the ceiling, since without it the whole process of wallpapering will go down the drain.
Features of preparing the ceiling for wallpaper
The essence of the work is to clean the surface, level it, antiseptic protection and improve adhesion. To ensure all these factors, you need to carry out several stages of preparing the ceiling for wallpaper:
- Cleaning … It involves the removal of the old finishing layer.
- Repair … It is necessary for leveling out large defects (potholes).
- Primer … It is necessary to improve the adhesion of the coating with subsequent layers. Protects against mold and mildew.
- Gain … It occurs due to pasting with glass cloth.
- Putty … It allows you to hide minor irregularities in the ceiling.
- Grinding … Provides a perfectly smooth surface.
Each of these processes has certain features that must be taken into account when preparing a ceiling for wallpapering. But first, it is important to prepare the premises for work. To do this, de-energize the room, remove all small-sized furniture from it, remove the chandelier, curtains, carpets. Cover the window and door openings with plastic wrap.
Remember to wear work clothes and a hat. Prepare safety goggles, rubber gloves and a respirator. These protective equipment may also be needed at work.
Before starting work, you need to stock up on a tool. We will need: several metal spatulas with a pointed end of different widths, brushes, rollers with a long, soft nap, sanding fine-grained paper.
Of the materials, you need to stock up on rough (dry) and finishing putty, deep penetration primer, glue, drying oil, painting net and fiberglass. It is advisable to use wallpaper glue, primer and putty from one manufacturer.
Cleaning the ceiling for wallpapering
The surface cleaning technique depends on the type of previous coating. It is important that after this no elements of the old finishing layer remain on the ceiling. Thus, you will ensure the durability and good adhesion of the wallpaper.
How to remove whitewash from the ceiling for wallpapering
If the ceiling was previously whitewashed with chalk, then you can wash it off with plain water. Lime is more aggressive, therefore, alkaline solutions based on laundry soap and adhesive are usually used to remove it from the surface.
We carry out the work in the following sequence:
- Prepare the solution and moisten the ceiling abundantly with it using a roller or brush.
- A few minutes after the swelling of the whitewash layer, remove it from the surface with a metal spatula.
- We wash the ceiling with plain water using a foam sponge.
If the area is large, it is better to carry out the procedure in small squares.
Removing paint from the ceiling under the wallpaper
Cleaning the painted surface is less dusty but more time consuming. If the ceiling was painted with oil paint, then it is enough to simply degrease it with alcohol or industrial solvent.
In other cases, we act in this way:
- We apply a production wash to the surface. Please note that during the process, be sure to use rubber gloves, goggles and a respirator, as the liquid emits toxic fumes.
- We are waiting for the start of the reaction. Typically, this data is in the instructions for the wash.
- Remove the old layer with a spatula. If necessary, we beat off individual sections with a hammer.
- Upon completion of the work, we sand the surface with a metal brush.
This method is one of the simplest. You can also remove the paint by beating it off with a hammer.
Removing old wallpaper from the ceiling before gluing new ones
Ceiling wallpaper usually consists of two layers. The upper one gets soaked faster and is easy to remove, while the lower substrate can be difficult.
We delete it in this order:
- We wet the surface with plenty of warm water.
- After getting completely wet, remove the wallpaper with a spatula.
- If the bottom liner remains on the ceiling, then repeat the procedure separately for it.
At the end of removing the old wallpaper, you need to wash the surface with a foam sponge in order to finally remove all the elements.
How to remove stains from the ceiling under the wallpaper
If, after removing the trim, traces of fungus, mold or rust are visible on the ceiling, then you need to get rid of them. It is impossible to start further work, since the stains will appear on the new cladding after a while.
There are several ways to remove stains from the ceiling:
- We get rid of mold and mildew with a deep penetration antiseptic primer. It eats away and prevents mold from forming.
- Remove fat with turpentine, gasoline or washing powder dissolved in water.
- Traces of rust can be removed with a solution of copper sulfate in a ratio of 1 to 10 with water.
- Soot is easily removed with hydrochloric acid at a concentration of 2%.
If the ceiling is covered with polyurethane tiles, then it will not work to dismantle it without damage. With a sharp spatula, it can be easily peeled off from the coating. If the tile is ceramic, then you have to work hard. This process is done with a drill and hammer.
Repairing the ceiling before wallpapering
This process is only required if large cracks and potholes exist. It can consist of both full plastering and local puttying, depending on the scale of the defects.
We carry out the work in the following order:
- We tap on the surface with a small hammer to determine the presence of voids.
- Use a screwdriver to check the joints and corners.
- If there are problem areas, we clean them and remove dust.
- We examine the ceiling and estimate the amount of work.
- If the coating is uneven, has many cracks, potholes, then we plaster it completely, having previously primed it.
- If there are several deep cracks, then blow them out with polyurethane foam.
- Potholes with a depth of 1 cm or more are sealed with a cement-based putty.
- We wipe small defects with a rough putty, having previously moistened it with water. The composition is applied first across the crack, and then along it using a narrow spatula.
- After drying, sand the putty with sanding paper.
Grout may settle and the surface will not be perfectly flat. This will be corrected by applying the following layers.
Ceiling surface primer for wallpaper
Before the subsequent puttying, be sure to prime the ceiling. This will improve adhesion and provide anti-fungal protection. For work, you need a brush and a roller with long and soft fibers. First, apply a primer with a brush at the corners and joints, then with a roller on a long rod we process the surface, evenly applying a primer coat with a slight overlap.
It is better to give preference to an acrylic-based primer. It dries faster and is ideal for indoor use in living spaces.
Strengthening the ceiling before wallpapering
This process involves pasting with fiberglass, and in some cases with masking net. This allows for a better leveling of the surface, making it harder for applying putty and preventing future cracks.
We work in the following sequence:
- If the ceiling has large drops and irregularities, then cover it with a 2 * 2 mm painting net with the same glue on which the wallpaper is supposed to be glued.
- Apply a layer of rough putty and wait for it to dry completely.
- Sand the surface with fine-grained paper.
- We remove dust with a vacuum cleaner or a damp sponge.
- We prime the coating with wallpaper glue.
- We glue squares of glass cloth with a thickness of 1, 5-2 mm, processing in the process of joints with a metal brush.
- We cover the "cobweb" with oil paint to prevent shedding.
- You need to proceed to further work only after the paint layer has dried.
If the ceiling is sheathed with sheets of fiberboard or chipboard, then only the joints previously treated with linseed oil should be glued with a mesh. After gluing the glass cloth, the seams must be sanded and leveled with putty. Please note that the caps of the self-tapping screws must be recessed inside.
Putty and sanding the ceiling under the wallpaper
The putty should be applied in two coats perpendicular to each other for maximum leveling of the coating. This is especially important when preparing the ceiling for liquid wallpaper, since even minor defects are visible with such a finish.
When carrying out work, it is advisable to use a flexible light source that will shade all irregularities. The second layer is applied only after the previous one has completely dried.
You can finally level the surface with a sander or fine-grained paper.
We work in the following sequence:
- We process the entire area with rotational movements.
- We remove dust with a vacuum cleaner.
- We prime with an adhesive to improve the adhesion of the coating to the wallpaper.
After the primer has dried, the ceiling is completely ready for pasting.
How to prepare a plasterboard ceiling for wallpaper - look at the video:
The process of preparing a surface for wallpapering consists of several stages, each of which needs to be given special attention. It is important to properly clean the coating from the old cladding, remove defects with high quality, level the surface and prime. The recommendations of experts and step-by-step instructions will help you figure out how to prepare a ceiling for wallpaper.
