| After you have removed the old wallpaper, you need to prepare your wall for the new wallpaper. The goal in this step is to make the wall as smooth as possible. Any lumps or grooves will show through the wallpaper, and you don't want that.
Materials
Repairing the wall
- Spackling compound (joint compound)
- Putty knife
- Self-adhesive repair fabric
- Sandpaper
- Protective gloves & goggles
- Scissors
- Step ladder (if necessary
Materials
Priming & sealing the wall
- Primer (oil-based)
- Wall sizing
- Paint roller
- Rolling pan
- Protective gloves & goggles
- Scissors
- Step ladder (if necessary)
Step-by-Step
Filling in Small Nail Holes or Gouges
- With your putty knife, scoop out some spackle (joint) compound and slather
it over and into the hole.
- Completely cover the damaged area with spackle and scrap off any access with
the putty knife. You want as smooth a surface as possible.
- Allow the spackle to dry completely.
- Take your sandpaper and sand over the entire area until it's baby smooth
Filling in Hairline Cracks
- Cut a strip of self-adhesive repair fabric slightly longer than the length of
the hairline crack.
- Press it firmly over the crack until it adheres.
- Spread a coat of joint compound over the fabric.
- Let the coat dry thoroughly, then repeat until the crack is no longer visible.
Be sure to let each coat dry before applying another.
- Sand the dried compound smooth.
Priming and Sealing the Wall
- It's important to use an oil-base primer instead of a latex paint. When
the oil-based primer dries, it creates a hard surface. Latex will just soak right
into the drywall. Apply the primer with the paint roller.
- When the primer has dried, it's time to apply the sizing. Paint this on with
the roller over the entire primed wall - you will be able to tell if you missed
any spots because the sizing is usually blue in color.
Once you have all the imperfections ironed out and you've primed and sealed the
wall, you are ready to hang the wallpaper.
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