Many people wonder if puttying is really necessary when it comes to getting your walls ready for wallpaper. Although it may appear like an extra step, it is essential to getting a uniform, smooth finish.
By filling in minor voids and flaws, puttying the walls produces a smooth surface on which the wallpaper can stick correctly. If this step is skipped, even small wall imperfections may stand out more once the wallpaper is installed.
This post will explain the benefits of puttying and walk you through the steps to get the best possible wallpaper.
| Question | Answer |
| Do you need to putty the walls before gluing wallpaper? | Yes, puttying walls creates a smooth and even surface, ensuring that the wallpaper adheres properly and looks good. |
| How do you correctly putty walls before wallpapering? | First, clean and prime the walls. Apply a thin layer of putty with a wide spatula, covering all imperfections. Let it dry, then sand the surface until smooth. Finally, apply another coat if needed, and sand again for a perfect finish. |
Why do you need putty under the wallpaper
Do you remember the days before wallpaper? Paper whose edges needed to be overlapped and one side cut before being glued. This allowed for the smoothness of the base to not be a major concern; before the final finishing, the walls were typically covered with old newspapers.
Even though the old newspapers have been abandoned today, people still fiddle with the walls’ imperfections to get the wallpaper to lay properly. For this reason, a lot of people would rather to hand these tasks over right away to independent craftspeople, who can complete them more quickly, calmly, and expertly.
The wallpaper of today is glued together. Additionally, a subpar seam results from even the smallest hole or protrusion at the intersection of adjacent canvases. It should ideally be invisible, so the base needs to be leveled carefully. However, putty’s function goes beyond this.
Functions of putty
Using finishing putty, you can use it to solve various issues besides just leveling walls or ceilings. These issues include:
- Elimination of defects such as cracks, chips, large scratches, etc.n.;
- Giving the base greater strength;
- Increasing the adhesive properties of the base – its ability to firmly adhere to the finish coating;
Kindly take note. Primers fully possess this property, and in certain situations, if other putty qualities are not relevant in your case, it may be sufficient to use only primers.
- Reducing the ability of the wall material to absorb moisture. This is important for high-quality wallpapering and allows you to save glue;
- Aligning the surface color. White putty will reliably protect the wallpaper (see. Wallpapering walls in the right way) from stains that can show through them from an untreated wall.
As you can see, putty serves a variety of purposes, each of which can have a significant impact on the final product’s quality.
Puttying different materials
Let’s now determine if putty is always required and how this varies based on the base material:
- Brick walls definitely need leveling. If the masonry is fairly even, you can do without plastering by using several layers of starting coarse-grained putty and finishing the preliminary finishing with a thin finishing layer.
- But concrete walls can be so even and strong that they do not require puttying. Especially if they have an even color, you have chosen fairly dense opaque wallpaper, and the room will have a constant temperature and normal air humidity.But you definitely need to prime them before pasting – this is required by the instructions. The primer will improve adhesion and create a waterproof film on the surface.
As a point of reference. It is sufficient to apply putty solely to the small potholes, chips, and joints between slabs that are visible on the concrete surface.
Concrete rarely has a high-quality surface, so puttying is still frequently necessary.
- Plaster. Plaster mixtures are quite coarse. And even if the surface is flat, it is unlikely to be smooth. Sand particles make it rough, unsuitable for gluing wallpaper.
- Plasterboard walls still cause the greatest number of disputes on the topic – whether they need to be puttied or can you limit yourself to just sealing the seams. After all, they are used precisely for leveling the walls instead of plaster.
In this case, putty is also needed, but to protect the drywall itself (see. How to putty a plasterboard ceiling and avoid mistakes), or rather – its outer paper coating. If you stick wallpaper directly on it, then during the next repair, the paper will be removed along with the old wallpaper, exposing the gypsum core, which will lead to the need for a complete replacement of the sheets.
It is clear that the price of such a repair is incomparable with the cost of putty.
- Wooden surfaces also require puttying – plywood, OSB boards and other similar materials. The reason is their high absorption capacity. Water from wallpaper glue can cause the base to swell, causing the wallpaper to fall off.
Kindly take note. To protect the walls from moisture, they must be primed with a resin-based compound before puttying or gluing the wallpaper.
Puttying the walls is essential before applying wallpaper adhesive because it provides a smooth, even surface that improves wallpaper adhesion and extends its lifespan. This step gives you a professional finish by making sure that flaws like cracks or uneven areas are covered. Apply a thin, even layer of putty, smooth it after it dries, and make sure the wall is clean and dry before adding wallpaper. This is how it should be done.
Ultimately, investing the time to putty your walls prior to wallpapering can greatly impact the project’s durability and end result. Even, smooth walls make the ideal backdrop for wallpaper, preventing ugly flaws and guaranteeing a good bond between the wallpaper and the wall.
Even though it could take some work, it’s a step worth doing if you want results that look professional. A little more planning ahead will pay off in the long run by streamlining the wallpapering process and improving the finished look.
Recall that the quality of your wallpaper finish is directly influenced by the quality of your wall preparation. Thus, take your time, do this step correctly, and you will be rewarded with stunning walls that will last for generations. Don’t rush it.
Video on the topic
How to putty walls under wallpaper
