Do you need to putty drywall under wallpaper – advice from an experienced craftsman

Drywall is frequently the surface of choice when wallpaper installation is about to commence. It’s fluid, simple to use, and provides you with a blank canvas. However, a frequently asked question is whether drywall putty is necessary before wallpapering.

This may seem like a pointless extra step, particularly if the drywall appears smooth already. But ignoring it could cause problems later on. An expert craftsman will tell you that a little extra planning goes a long way toward improving the appearance and durability of your wallpaper.

We’ll explore the reasons why it might be worthwhile to putty drywall before wallpapering in this post. We’ll discuss the advantages of this step for a faultless finish and offer advice from experts who know what works best.

What is the threat of improper finishing

We will state that such pasting is feasible in the future, but with one disclaimer: a do-it-yourselfer may not even be aware of the issues that may arise from this. But let’s approach things sequentially.

Putty and wallpaper

Drywall is a material used for rough finishing surfaces and usually needs additional processing. The only time it’s not used is when structures are mounted beneath ceramic tiles. But even in this instance, adhesion improvement is necessary because of how well this material absorbs moisture. Deep penetration primers are used for these objectives.

• After the primer has dried, the tiles are laid directly on the drywall. As you probably already guessed, such a structure turns out to be monolithic.
• Due to the fact that the surface of the drywall is a thin paper layer, dismantling the tiles without damaging the base is almost impossible.
• When gluing wallpaper (see. Wall repair and wallpapering: do it yourself) with high-quality adhesives, a similar situation arises. Everything will be fine with you, until the moment when you want to change the appearance of the room. When removing wallpaper, it is very easy to damage the top layer of cardboard, or remove it completely along with the plaster part. The wall, of course, will not collapse, but its evenness and strength will suffer greatly. These defects are especially noticeable when gluing expensive thin wallpaper, which emphasizes every unevenness.

We create an intermediate layer that levels and strengthens the wall surface when we putty drywall.

Unevenness develops when joining some frames at the intersection of the horizontal posts and vertical lintels. The 2-3 mm height variations are caused by overlapping profiles and screwed-in screws (see photo below).

It is only natural for screwed drywall to distort and occasionally shatter in these areas. Even with very thin layers of wallpaper, finishing putty of drywall beneath the wallpaper helps minimize all differences.

There are those who would argue that we adhered it to uneven walls with adhesive, and the results were long-lasting. We will respond to this by saying that there is no purpose in starting such an alignment only to have to stop in the middle. Furthermore, a 30-kilogram bag of universal putty typically costs between 200 and 350 rubles, so it won’t put a significant strain on your budget. There will also be little labor expense.

Here are step-by-step instructions for puttying drywall quickly.

What else can be caused by improper finishing?

There are a few more unpleasant situations that can occur when wallpaper is directly adhered to drywall.

Try to minimize all issues if our arguments don’t convince you and you still want to glue something on an unprepared surface:

• When installing drywall in rooms with high humidity, moisture-resistant GKLV sheets are used, which have a characteristic green tint. If your wallpaper is a neutral color, then get ready for it to turn green after hanging.
• The same situation is with fireproof sheets, only in this case the walls will turn pink.
• Almost any drywall has markings applied in ink. On some models it is printed on the side, and on others – right in the middle of the sheet. So, most likely, it will show through the wallpaper.
• Even in the case of gluing directly onto the drywall, you will still have to take a spatula in your hands to seal the seams between the sheets and hide the black heads of the screws. If there are pressed-in screws on the surface (screwed in too tightly), or just potholes, you will have to repeat this procedure until complete alignment, since a deep hole will never be completely hidden the first time.
• When completely filling the surface, there is no need to return to each cap.

Counseling! When priming, mix white water-based paint into the primer to partially cover the surface and eliminate drywall color overprinting. Additionally, you have the option to use a wallpaper primer that is specially made by the manufacturer and is partially tinted. Among the choices listed below.

Many people wonder if puttying drywall is necessary before hanging wallpaper. A skilled craftsman would tell you that putty is necessary for a durable, smooth finish. Puttying smooths over any blemishes to produce a smooth surface that guarantees perfect wallpaper adhesion. Although skipping this step could save time, the outcome may be less durable and have visible seams and bubbles.

Putty application to drywall prior to wallpapering may seem like an extra step, but it can have a significant impact on how your walls turn out in the end. Even, smooth surfaces improve wallpaper adhesion and lessen the possibility of flaws showing through.

The drywall isn’t flawless, even though it’s already smooth. Under wallpaper, small dents, seams, and screw holes can cause noticeable bumps. These flaws can be smoothed out with a thin layer of putty, giving your finish a cleaner, more polished appearance.

It’s a smart investment to take the time to putty drywall if you want results that last. Small actions now can help avoid larger problems later on, such as peeling wallpaper or noticeable seams.

Ultimately, the look you want to achieve and the amount of time you’re willing to spend will determine whether you putty or not. However, it’s a step worth taking into consideration for people who value a polished appearance.

Video on the topic

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