How to apply liquid wallpaper to the ceiling with your own hands

A decorative and adaptable material, liquid wallpaper can change the appearance of any space. One inventive way to give your space texture and elegance is to apply it to the ceiling. This DIY project can be a gratifying and rewarding experience, regardless of your desire to add a unique touch to your room or simply update a plain ceiling.

We’ll walk you through the process of applying liquid wallpaper to your ceiling in this article. You’ll discover what supplies you’ll need, how to get ready, and the best methods for a polished, seamless finish. Even if you’re not experienced with DIY projects, you can still create a gorgeous ceiling that improves the room’s atmosphere with a little perseverance and attention to detail.

Let’s begin the process of using liquid wallpaper to turn your ceiling into a piece of art. You’ll be well on your way to having a stunning and long-lasting finish that you can be happy of with our simple instructions.

Step Description
1. Preparation Clean the ceiling, remove dust and old paint, and apply a primer to ensure proper adhesion.
2. Mix the wallpaper Follow the manufacturer"s instructions to mix the liquid wallpaper with water, and let it sit for the recommended time.
3. Application Use a trowel or a roller to apply the mixture evenly on the ceiling, starting from one corner and working your way across.
4. Smoothing Once applied, smooth the surface with a clean trowel, gently pressing to remove air bubbles and ensure a uniform texture.
5. Drying Allow the wallpaper to dry completely, which may take 24-48 hours depending on the room"s humidity and temperature.

Features of liquid wallpaper

The content includes:

  • Natural cotton.
  • Synthetic dye.
  • Fibers.
  • Cellulose.
  • Silk.

The final two ingredients aid in the increased elasticity of liquid wallpaper.

Among the material’s benefits are:

  • Not subject to rotting – contain antifungal inclusions, which allows their use in the bathroom and toilet, in rooms with high humidity.
  • Antistatic properties – dust does not accumulate on them.
  • When gluing wallpaper, pattern adjustment is not required, due to the absence of joints. After application, liquid wallpaper becomes a continuous canvas, which allows you to hide small differences, pits and cracks.
  • When applying such material, no special knowledge is needed, a person who is not involved in apartment renovation can handle this task perfectly.
  • After the material has completely dried, the ceiling can be painted in any color.
  • Before applying liquid wallpaper with your own hands, no preparatory operations are required to carry out. They are applied to existing putty or paint and will adhere to them excellently.

Advice: You should wash off the whitewash on the ceiling. And use putty to erase noticeable surface variations (see. How to properly apply putty to a ceiling using your hands) and reprime.

  • Liquid wallpaper is very easy to dismantle.

Among the material’s drawbacks are:

Liquid wallpaper resembles a silk bedspread more visually, and it will not look good with regular glass, non-woven, or paper wallpapers.

Tip: Look for a solution that works well for finishing the walls or covering them with liquid wallpaper before determining whether it is feasible to apply liquid wallpaper to the ceiling.

What types of material exist and its characteristics

A unique paint and plaster combination is reminiscent of liquid wallpaper, which can be applied to both walls and ceilings.

The traditional elements of this kind of coating are:

  • Cellulose fiber.
  • Binder.

Furthermore, the composition consists of:

  • Special dyes.
  • Fabric fiber.
  • Dry seaweed.
  • Crushed tree bark.

Advice: Avoid using liquid wallpaper in areas where water may come into contact with it.

It is preferable to use for the apron when used in the kitchen:

  • Tiles.
  • Mosaic.
  • Other waterproof materials.

Plasboard sheets work well with liquid wallpaper; however, in this instance, the surface must be prepared beforehand. This includes:

  • Puttying the joints (see. How to putty plasterboard joints according to technology).
  • Painting over screw caps.
  • Surface primers.
  • Cleaning plasterboard sheets.
  • Applying liquid wallpaper.

You can draw on the ceiling with the material (see Liquid Wallpaper and Drawings: Application Technology). Although it is relatively easy to accomplish, it will require a significant amount of extra time—much more than with traditional surface decoration.

The following steps must be taken in order to apply the pattern:

  • A pattern is applied to the prepared dry surface with a pencil.

This needs to be done very carefully, with multiple measurements made. Afterwards, different liquid wallpaper shades will be applied in accordance with the sketch.

  • When applying the coating, the following is important:
  1. the color of the wallpaper and its number in the selected pattern;
  2. the idea and complexity of the sketch.
  • Carefully apply the necessary elements of the pattern to the prepared wallpaper.
  • Using a small glass spatula, press the wallpaper mixture along the edges of the pattern.

Typically, white liquid wallpaper is utilized as the foundation. Although they are nearly entirely smooth, silver glitter may be added to their set if needed to give the surface a hint of sheen.

What tools need to be purchased

Prior to covering the ceiling with liquid wallpaper, get ready:

  • A container for swelling the material in it.
  • Construction spatula or trowel, for laying the material on the ceiling. It is quite easy to make a trowel yourself from a piece of organic glass. An equilateral triangle should be cut out of it, with sides 5-6 centimeters long. Then a handle is screwed to the organic glass.
  • Foam rubber or rubber roller.
  • Plastic graters.
  • Sprayer.
  • Relief roller.

The package includes specific instructions for figuring out how much wallpaper is there. For an area of roughly five square meters, one package weighing 1.7 kg is typically sufficient, with a layer thickness of 1.5 millimeters.

How to prepare surfaces

High adhesion or good adhesion to surfaces with a base made of different materials is a characteristic of liquid wallpaper. The material’s primary benefit is that it doesn’t peel off over time.

The ceiling needs to be ready before applying liquid wallpaper:

  • The surface must be completely solid and strong enough so that nothing falls off.
  • When in contact with moisture, the base should remain the same color. This applies to metal elements that tend to corrode when in contact with moisture.
  • The materials on the ceiling should not absorb moisture.

When getting the ceiling ready,

  • First, remove fragments of the old finish that do not adhere well to the surface.
  • When pasting the ceiling with paper wallpaper, they are completely removed.
  • Large cracks are puttied. They can also be filled with liquid wallpaper, but this will increase the cost of repairs.
  • Before finishing, the ceiling surface is primed with a deep penetration primer of white or colorless color (see. How to prime the ceiling: let"s figure it out step by step), which will create an obstacle to the penetration of liquid deep into the surface and make the coating stronger.

Advice: Use a concentrated primer diluted in a 1:3 ratio for this work. Ceresit CT17 material leaves yellow spots on the finished surface and is not recommended for use.

  • If there are metal inclusions on the ceiling that can cause rust on the wallpaper due to corrosion in certain places, they must be covered with PF enamel or water-based paint.
  • At the last stage of preparation, the ceiling is made rough.
  • After applying the plaster or starting putty, liquid wallpaper is applied.

Advice: Sanding the surface is not necessary prior to applying the material. Additionally, if the ceiling is smooth, quartz dust-containing primer ought to be applied.

  • For smooth laying, without tearing the material, quartz dust or fine sand can be added to the primer.

Adding liquid wallpaper to the ceiling is an easy do-it-yourself project that can drastically change your room with little work. All it takes to get a smooth, textured finish that gives your ceiling personality is to prepare the surface, mix the wallpaper, and spread it evenly. You won’t need any specialized equipment or skills to achieve professional-looking results because this guide will walk you through the process.

How to prepare liquid wallpaper

The material is typically packaged in buckets and can be purchased already prepared for use. However, using a dry mixture in bags—as seen in the picture—is preferable.

Advice: Give the material-filled bag a good shake before diluting the solution. This will ensure that the composition is better mixed and that there are fewer lumps when the solution is applied.

  • Select a suitable container for mixing liquid wallpaper, taking into account that it can hold one package of liquid wallpaper, usually about 7 liters. For ease of use, it is better to take a container with a depth of up to 30 centimeters, a diameter of up to 65 centimeters.

  • Pour in clean water of the same temperature as the room. In hot liquid, the adhesion of the material decreases, and in cold liquid it is uncomfortable to work, making kneading with bare hands.
  • Liquid wallpaper can be diluted one package at a time or use several packages at once, choosing a container of the appropriate size. It is more difficult to mix the contents of several packages, but this way it is easier to achieve a uniform shade.
  • Liquid wallpaper is thoroughly mixed by hand, and then left for 12 hours. After this, the solution is mixed again.

Although it may seem difficult, applying liquid wallpaper to the ceiling is a task that can be successfully completed by one person if they have the proper tools and approach. The secret is to apply the product steadily, prepare carefully, and give it enough time to dry.

You can create a gorgeous, textured ceiling that brings warmth and elegance to any space by following the instructions provided. To ensure even coverage and a smooth finish, always take your time and work in small sections.

When finished, your new ceiling will not only make your room look better, but it will also be durable and simple to maintain. Savor the sense of accomplishment that comes from a job well done and the changes that liquid wallpaper makes to your house.

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Dmitry Stepanov

Professional decorator with 10 years of experience. I know everything about renovating apartments, houses and offices. I will be happy to share my knowledge and experience with you.

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