Is it possible to glue wallpaper on washable wallpaper. How to glue wallpaper correctly in order to enjoy the result for a long time

If you do not have the relevant experience, then it is not recommended to glue new wallpapers over old ones. It would be good to carry out repairs quickly, in a short time, and even on a budget. And that means you have to do it on your own. Is it always possible? And will such savings affect the quality of work? If everything is done correctly, then the savings will be significant, and it is better to buy wallpaper more expensive and more beautiful than to give the extra money to the masters.

Problem: you can glue wallpaper on old wallpaper

The surface of the walls must always be prepared before pasting - any professional will tell you this. Gluing over old ones is a risky event. And it's not even that the new wallpaper can peel off or stick somehow not very well. The point, rather, is that the wall is not prepared for a new repair. But sometimes it needs to be leveled, primed.

But sometimes you just really need to stick brand new wallpapers without removing the old ones. In what situations does this happen? If there is very little time, and forces, means, time must be saved. If the walls are even, and preliminary alignment is not necessary.

New wallpapers can be glued on top of old ones if the old ones are thin and not seriously damaged.

But with this option, the following conditions must be met:

  • Old wallpaper must be only paper;
  • Old wallpaper, let it be very firmly, “tightly” attached to the wall;
  • The surface of the wallpaper should not be textured and embossed, they should be completely smooth;
  • Old wallpaper should be thin.

That is, as you can see, such a wallpaper sticker requires quite serious conditions. And not always the previous layer is paper wallpaper. And if you glue on vinyl, then definitely don’t expect good gluing. It will not take well, and even then, most likely, it will peel off in two layers at once.

Cons: wallpapering old wallpaper

Certain shortcomings, or, as the people call them, "jambs", most likely, cannot be avoided. And if you decide to save time, you should be prepared for them. Yet the technology of gluing is violated.

If you already glue new good wallpapers on top of the old ones:

  • The aesthetics of the selected pattern will decrease;
  • The quality of fastening new wallpaper will also be insufficient;
  • The risk of pasting defects is more than high - these are numerous "bubbles" and partial peeling;
  • Bacteria and mold can grow under the fibers, which are dangerous to your health.

If you stick new wallpapers on top of old ones, then after a while defects may form on them.

Well, if you glue white wallpaper, light and / or thin on top of the old ones, such a sticker is already doomed to failure. So you can’t stick it exactly - the previous layer will be too noticeable. There will be a feeling of dirty, sloppy work.

How to paste wallpaper on old wallpaper: the subtleties of the process

Suppose, nevertheless, your walls are covered with thin, smooth paper wallpaper, and you are going to glue new ones on them. However, before work, check that the old canvases do not have any defects, that there are no tears, and that all joints are carefully connected.

Another nuance: it is possible that the old wallpaper will suddenly show its coloring properties, this can be activated when wet from the new glue. And then, of course, all the work down the drain.

So, you have made sure that the old wallpaper is holding up perfectly. And yet, moisten the base, and tear off those pieces that fall off by themselves. And then the work goes on in the usual way, but only at first a test pasting is done. This means that you stick one strip and wait for it to dry. Wait at least an hour, if everything is fine - glue on.

Wall preparation: how to remove the old coating

But let's say it didn't work. You realized that high-quality gluing will not work, and nevertheless decided to free the wall from old wallpaper. Do not be afraid of this process, especially since it can be significantly accelerated.

Old wallpaper can be easily removed with a regular spatula.

You can quickly remove old wallpaper from the wall:

  • Making scratches on the wallpaper;
  • Wetting wallpaper;
  • Scraping off the old coating.

It is worth remembering that the degree of water permeability for different wallpapers is different. In order for water to penetrate as much as possible into the material, it is necessary to violate the entire integrity of the coating. For this, scratches are usually applied. Scratched in a large number of places, then the surface must be thoroughly moistened.

By the way, there is also a special composition on sale, a solution for removing old layers of wallpaper. It acts on the adhesive under the wallpaper, making it easy to peel off the wall. But this is usually necessary if the wallpaper is not removed by more traditional methods. If the glue is literally tightly held. And this does not always happen.

The solution itself is applied to the wall, while it should not drain over the surface. After the surface is wetted, it must be left alone for half an hour. And then you can safely remove the old layers. Usually in such conditions, scraping takes a little time. And, by the way, the wallpaper can be removed not with some special spatula, but even with an ordinary ruler.

Expert answer: is it possible to glue wallpaper on old wallpaper (video)

Gluing new wallpaper over old wallpaper is always a risky undertaking. You can ruin the new wallpaper, because they can even move away with the old ones. New wallpapers can become covered with bubbles, with which there is almost nothing to be done. Is it worth the risk? Only under certain conditions. And these are old paper wallpapers, thin, smooth, and glued evenly and firmly.

Quality repair!

Often you have to make repairs with limited funds, lack of time and labor. In such cases, attempts are made to save on everything. Particularly attractive is the possibility of pasting wallpaper over old ones. No need to grind the walls, spend time removing the old coating, just attach a new layer on top. But is it possible to paste wallpaper on wallpaper and still get a high-quality result?

If you consider the issue fundamentally, then yes. You can glue wallpaper on wallpaper, but with a number of restrictions:

  1. If they stick well to the wall. It is especially worth checking all the joints, the corners of the room, where waste from the wall is most often possible.
  2. With a perfectly smooth surface. Corrugated will not be able to become a homogeneous base, the adhesion area will be reduced.
  3. The wall itself must be unequivocally intact. Sometimes whole pieces of plaster stick only to old paper and, if it is soaked, both will come off under the weight.
  4. It is better to glue dark ones with a large pattern. Then the previous layer will not be visible to the outside, and bumps and roughness will more reliably hide behind the large details of the new canvas.

A number of requirements are put forward for gluing a new canvas over an old one.

In addition, you need to take into account the types of wallpaper, both those that should serve as the basis, and new ones that should lie tightly on the wall.

Paper

It is with them that you can work again boldly. In Soviet times, it was easy to find whole “puffs” of all colors. Today, these building materials have become denser, you can’t stick many layers - they will fall off. But gluing paper wallpaper is quite permissible. As a base, they smooth out roughness, fit snugly against the wall. As a second layer, they get wet well, are not heavy, stick easily and reliably, so they last a relatively long time. The only problem is to choose a pattern darker than the previous one, since a thin canvas can turn out to be translucent and let bright colors through.

Paper wallpapers are the thinnest, so they are easy to mount over old ones.

You can also glue ordinary photo wallpapers on paper wallpapers. The main thing is the absence of roughness. They become very noticeable and spoil the appearance of the premises.

Before reinforcing paper sheets on old ones, it is necessary to check if there are any bubbles, if they are moving away in some places. If found, clean it so that the moisture from the glue does not aggravate the situation and spoil the new repair.

Vinyl

It is absolutely impossible to glue vinyl wallpapers on vinyl ones or use them as a basis for any other types. Their surface is not only corrugated, but also oilcloth. The glue will not hold well, they will simply fall off.

If wallpaper cannot be glued to vinyl wallpaper, then vice versa is possible if the paper version acts as the basis. They will keep, but:

  1. Not for long. A heavy layer can pull off a lighter paper one, tear it. It is necessary that the base is very firmly held on the wall.
  2. In the future, the appearance of pathological microflora is possible, since the oilcloth of the second layer does not let moisture out, and the base is saturated with glue (moisture) more than putty can do.

In order for vinyl wallpaper to please you with its beauty for a long time, it is better to remove the old coating

Sticking vinyl wallpaper without removing the previous one is a possible, but risky step. Instead of gluing new vinyl wallpaper on old ones, it is better to level the walls, tear off the old canvases and apply high-quality, expensive vinyl for a long time.

non-woven

How can you glue new wallpapers on old ones if a significant part of them is transparent? The bottom layer will be completely visible through the new pattern and ruin all efforts. Even opaque samples should be used only with a perfectly prepared wall - the applied patterns perfectly emphasize all the bumps, bends and roughness. Although they can stick to a paper base, since they are synthetic paper in structure, it is strongly not recommended to glue non-woven wallpaper on old ones.

Under non-woven coatings, the walls must be carefully prepared

On non-woven fabric, all the more impossible. The surface is strongly corrugated, covered with a film, it is impossible to achieve a positive result.

fiberglass

Since the fiberglass itself requires subsequent plastering, it is unwise to install it on the old layer. No paper can withstand a layer of wet plaster. On the contrary - a great option, but after carrying out all the necessary work. Fiberglass actually represents a replacement for the reinforcing layer of plaster, simplifying alignment, strengthening, improving insulation. He will not be able to replace the wallpaper either, it will simply become the basis for painting, if covered with a high-quality primer.

Fiberglass has its own purpose in repair

There is no need to glue glass wallpaper on paper. Their main advantage is environmental friendliness, the complete absence of fungus under the top layer. Applying them to wet paper, diluting mold means losing an important advantage of high-quality building material. In addition, do not reduce the durability of new wallpaper. After all, cullets consist of the smallest strands of glass, withstand moisture, do not scratch or tear, and are great for painting.

Liquid

They are not intended to be applied over other surface coatings. The good thing is that the final putty can be carried out less carefully. They themselves perfectly perform this function, being both a putty and a beautiful decoration for the walls.

Liquid wallpaper gives a huge scope for independent creativity

It is convenient to glue wallpaper on liquid. By their very existence, they guarantee the absence of irregularities and roughness (if they are laid according to the right technologies, of course), and the cellulose will absorb the glue and will firmly hold the new layer. The main thing is to choose a darker tone, especially if color drawings were previously made. Otherwise, they will shine through.

Penoplex

Penoplex can be called a new generation of foam plastic, so it is impossible to lay it on an uncleaned old layer. It is recommended to lay a film under it by technology, which will lead to moisture retention in the paper coating and the appearance of fungus.

Penoplex - a self-sufficient option for wall decoration

It is possible to apply wallpaper on penoplex, but only after preparatory work has been carried out. The material is fragile, it must be reinforced with a top layer of putty. Then the usual actions are taken.

Insulations containing expanded polystyrene are best used on external walls, since a small part of the harmful substances are contained there.

Cork

This type of wall decoration is good for everyone. It is durable, looks great, environmentally friendly, saves heat, has fire-fighting properties and so on. Gluing cork wallpapers is a pleasure, since their bottom layer is akin to paper. Such a cork backing allows you to securely mount them on the wall, even if the bottom is old, paper.

Cork is an environmentally friendly and pleasant looking wall covering for any room.

Nothing can be applied to such a coating. With the exception of cheap, non-waxed and quickly deteriorating, cork wallpapers owe the outer layer to waxes and varnishes. Their presence guarantees durability, protecting from moisture, strengthening the soft natural substance. Naturally, sticking something on varnish or wax is unrealistic.

For painting

Gluing wallpaper on painted ones is the same as trying to attach it to paint. They just won't stick to paint.

If you plan to paint the coating, it is worth cleaning the surface first. One tone, small patterns - all this will expressively emphasize any unevenness. An exception is if before that they decided to stick paper ones on an excellent final putty, which is very rare. Painted wallpaper will not hold up if many layers of paint are applied. Therefore, not only glue wallpaper on painted, but vice versa is not worth it.

Finishing for painting - a relatively new word in design

Other cases

Ceiling materials are the most demanding. A small drawing will outline any bend, a heavy weight can fall off at any moment. Therefore, you can glue wallpaper on the ceiling only by bringing the surface into perfect condition. Naturally, tearing off the old coatings.

It is not necessary to glue photo wallpapers on old ceiling wallpapers. In the evening or in poor daylight, every joint will be visible. You can wallpaper newspapers if you are concerned about the ancient surface. They are thin, absorb moisture well and will merge reliably with the ceiling.

It is difficult to glue photo wallpapers correctly, it is better to call the master.

You can’t stick anything on washable ones, even if they are cheap and get wet from moisture themselves. All the same, they have a film on top that will not allow the glue to soak the bottom layer.

It is better to glue self-adhesive wallpapers on a flat surface without old layers, since they do not apply a lot of glue, which allows them to be stretched or soaked and slightly compressed during the drying process. Even if they put paper or vinyl on an adhesive base.

What problems may appear with the new coating

If we systematize the main ones, we get:

  1. It is not advisable to glue photo wallpapers on wallpapers due to the appearance of joints, irregularities, and roughness.
  2. If there are dark or bright patterns underneath, some of them may show through the lighter tones.
  3. It cannot be applied to old new ones if there are defects in their layer - peeling, bubbles, and so on. In such cases, it is imperative to remove old wallpaper at least in such places. If there are many defects, it is better to remove them all.
  4. Even a thin paper layer will not withstand heavy coatings. If you apply many layers of paint or paste over the old ceiling, the repair will not last long.

Fast pasting can lead to repeated work or poor-quality repairs in the future.

How to glue wallpaper over old ones

If the decision to glue wallpaper on wallpaper is still made, you must follow simple rules that will help solve some of the problems:

  1. The base must be firmly attached. There are no irregularities and areas of peeling from the wall.
  2. The bottom layer can only be paper with a flat surface. All others will be inappropriate coverage.
  3. The top pattern is darker than the bottom.
  4. Wallpaper pasting is carried out between the joints of the previous layer in order to fasten its parts.
  5. The adhesive is applied in an even layer to prevent bubbles or distortion of the glued coating.

Wallpaper glue

For high-quality and durable pasting, you need to choose an adhesive in accordance with the following criteria:

  • weight and coating material;
  • foundation features;
  • humidity level;
  • room temperature.

There are universal adhesives that are suitable for all types of wallpaper, and special ones. Most materials are glued universally, only for the mixture you need to take different proportions depending on the weight of the wallpaper and absorbency. However, when choosing which glue to glue vinyl wallpaper with, it is better to take a special one, for example, Super Vinyl, which contains antifungal components.

Many manufacturers that produce wall coverings also produce glue that is optimally suited to them. It is correct to glue the wallpaper in this way.

Materials and tools

To paste wallpaper on old wallpaper, you do not need a lot of materials or technical means. This is the most economical option in terms of time and preparatory work. A spatula is enough to check the base web. They also close up problem areas in the plaster, if any. It's good to have some putty with you to level the walls in such places. In addition, you need:

  • wide brushes for applying glue, some coatings require a roller, then this is indicated on the package;
  • a roller that expels air and ensures the tightness of the sheets;
  • oilcloth - coating for lubrication;
  • soft cloth to remove possible excess glue at the joints;
  • tape measure for measuring walls near doors and windows, with ledges and bevels;
  • stationery knife for cutting rolls;
  • the wallpaper itself and the glue suitable for them.

Preparatory work

You can start gluing only after the walls are completely cleared of poorly adhering islands, the cracks are frayed, the putty has dried out. If there are air bubbles, you can try to remove them with a hot iron (only through gauze). In order to increase the adhesion of the base to the wall, a deep penetration primer is used, which is impregnated with the entire surface. Once dry, you can start gluing.

Sticking technology

Depending on the type of canvas, the adhesive is applied only to the wall or to the wall and the corresponding piece of wallpaper. When cutting, you need to take into account the flow of the pattern, achieving a complete match between the canvases. Cut off parts should not be thrown away - they can be used near doorways, radiators and other things.

How to glue - step by step instructions

To glue wallpaper on wallpaper, you need to distribute the canvases so that the joints fall into the middle of the old canvases. Sticking should start from the ceiling down, gradually laying the cut in its permanent place. Then, with light movements of the roller, remove air bubbles and excess glue. Wipe the latter with a soft cloth.

Ideally, you need to strengthen one canvas and wait a day to check if the bottom layer will fall off. Only after that continue work.

The gluing process should take place at a stable temperature of 15-25 degrees, without drafts, so windows and doors should be tightly closed, air conditioners should be turned off. They can only be used after the glue has dried.

Such wall decoration, despite the measures taken, will still remain less durable in comparison with gluing on the finishing putty.

Pros and cons of the solution

You can glue wallpaper on wallpaper, but the disadvantages of fast pasting are obvious. There is a chance that repairs will have to be redone in a few years, and beautiful, modern materials may look unattractive due to bumps or the appearance of bulging parts. It also increases the risk of fungus.

In fact, the old layers are easily removed from the wall, for this there is a special tool - "wallpaper tiger", which easily removes the previous coating, leaving the plaster intact and intact. Priming with modern materials quickly. Therefore, pasting wallpaper on wallpaper does not save much time. An apartment or a house requires a more attentive attitude towards them. Unless the repair in the country, which you want to finish in a day, allows you to use the accelerated development of events.

Reliability is not rushed. If there is the slightest opportunity, it is necessary to use it and make repairs in accordance with all the rules. Then even walls will delight with an impeccable pattern for many years.

The answer to the question of whether it is possible to glue new wallpaper on another coating largely depends on what material the old wallpaper is made of. If they are paper and glued securely and evenly, the answer will be yes.

Here again it is necessary to make a reservation that this is possible if there are no flaws, irregularities and tears in the old wallpaper. Be sure to check all the joints of the previous coating for lagging behind the wall. If there is even the slightest chance that at the junction of the old wallpaper the new ones may lag behind the wall, it is necessary to treat these areas with joint glue.

Be careful when applying wallpaper paste. It should not be applied in large quantities on a new coating. Otherwise, the old wallpaper and old adhesive will soften, and the new coating may move away from the wall along with the old one.

In addition, it is worth considering the possibility of a coloring property in the old paper coating. If you stick thin wallpaper on it, the paint can show through and spoil all your work. Also, as a result of gluing thin wallpapers (especially plain ones) over old structural and colorful ones, the fact that an old coating is under them may appear.

Vinyl wallpaper has the ability to repel water, and hence wallpaper adhesives. Therefore, it is almost impossible to stick a new coating on vinyl. It is also worth considering that most vinyl wallpaper has a relief structure. If the new coating is thin and transparent, it will be quite noticeable.

As for non-woven wallpaper, they have a vinyl surface, and therefore it is also not recommended to glue a new coating on them. However, non-woven wallpaper can be easily removed from the walls. More precisely, their vinyl surface is torn off, and interlining remains on the wall. In this case, a new coating can be glued onto the interlining.

What do you get when you paste wallpaper on wallpaper

To decide whether it is worth gluing wallpaper on wallpaper, it is advisable to first weigh all the pros and cons of this decision.
What benefits will you get:
- save a lot of time and effort on peeling off the old coating;
- no need to align the walls.

What are the disadvantages of this method of wallpapering:
- the walls will not be aligned;
- the new coating may not adhere well;
- bubbles may appear on the new coating after pasting;
- increases the risk of developing various bacteria and molds that are harmful to human health;
- the service life of the new wallpaper will decrease, they will begin to peel off along with the old ones.

How to minimize the risk of negative consequences

To minimize the risk of negative consequences, old wallpaper must meet the following requirements:
- be smooth in texture, not have a three-dimensional pattern;
- in its composition completely paper;
- securely attached to the surface;
- relate to thin wallpaper;
- a light pattern or pattern does not pretend to be visible through the new wallpaper.

In addition, you should be more careful with the choice of adhesive composition. To increase the strength of the new coating, it is desirable that the glue soak through the old wallpaper and be able to keep it on the wall surface.

Secrets of gluing new wallpaper over old

First, you need to check the reliability of fastening the old coating to the wall surface. Sticking new wallpaper should start with one strip, allowing it to dry until the next day. If the first one is well fixed and does not pull off the old coating, continue to glue the new strips one by one.

It is more reliable to clean the wall surface from the old coating, prime and degrease, and only then proceed with gluing new ones. The preparation of the walls requires time and financial costs, but the result will be more durable.

If after a while some bubbles appear on the wallpaper, you can try to smooth them out with a hot iron. For the duration of the work related to wallpapering the walls, exclude the active movement of air. To do this, keep the windows closed, turn off the air conditioner or fan, and move around the room at a moderate speed.

You can ventilate the room only when the new wallpaper on the walls is completely dry, i.e. in about 3-5 days.

Tsugunov Anton Valerievich

Reading time: 5 minutes

Tired of old wallpapers? So, it's time to update the look of the room and start an easy one. The process of sticking wallpaper material itself is simple and does not take much time, the most tedious and time-consuming part of the work is often the removal of the old coating and surface preparation. Against this background, a natural question arises: is it possible to glue wallpaper on old wallpaper, and if so, in which case?

To get a decent result, the old canvases are removed, the wall is leveled, degreased and primed. But to save time, effort and finances, the preparatory stage is sometimes omitted by gluing new wallpapers onto the previous ones.

When can I glue new wallpaper on the old

In principle, it is possible to apply material to an already pasted wall, but only under the following conditions:

  • the existing finishing material, on top of which it is planned to mount a new one, must be paper;
  • previously glued canvases must be firmly attached to the wall, not move away at the joints and not have defects;
  • the surface on which new strips will be glued must be smooth, without a relief pattern;
  • it is highly desirable that the old material be thin and single-layered.

The requirements for an already applied wallpaper coating and the rules for gluing photo wallpapers on it are described in .

New wallpaper for vinyl flooring: is it possible or not?

You can not attach new wallpaper directly to it. Regardless of the type of adhesive you choose, it's likely that it just won't work because the synthetic coating is water-repellent. This is especially true for washable wallpaper. In addition, most vinyl materials have a textured pattern that will show through a fresh layer of finish.

How to choose material for pasting on old wallpaper

What wallpaper is suitable for gluing over the previous ones? When choosing, the intensity of the color and the brightness of the pattern on the old canvas are taken into account. If the new gluing material is lighter than the previous one, then the color of the bottom layer will show through. The following tips will help you choose:

  1. The material is selected darker than the coating glued earlier.
  2. Too thin canvases are not suitable, the old pattern will show through them.
  3. Non-woven wallpaper cannot be used for the top layer: they often have a translucent structure.
  4. Handle the vinyl material with care as it is quite heavy and there is a risk of it falling off the wall along with the base layer.
  5. It is better to stay on a canvas of embossed paper, as in the next photo: on a smooth surface, possible flaws will be especially noticeable.

Gluing rules

Important! If a small amount of bubbles appear on the surface after gluing, do not despair. You can try to smooth them out with a special spatula or even a simple iron. No need to be too zealous - after the surface has completely dried, they can smooth out by themselves.

What to do with liquid wallpaper

After we have dealt with the paper, vinyl and non-woven base, we will find out whether it is possible to glue new canvases on liquid wallpaper. This is essentially not a wallpaper in the standard sense, in terms of properties they are more reminiscent of the presence of cellulose in common with a paper web. Since this material, applied in a layer of a few millimeters, creates a fairly even surface, it will serve as a suitable base for gluing a new finish. In addition, the cellulose will absorb some of the water from the adhesive, which will also help the material adhere well.

In order for everything to work out as it should, consider a few important points:

  1. The layer of liquid wallpaper should not be damaged, any flaws must be corrected.
  2. If there are voids under separate sections of liquid wallpaper, they must be opened, smeared with glue and the surface dried.
  3. A primer applied to the wall will significantly improve the adhesion of materials.
  4. The relief structure of liquid wallpaper can cause poor-quality results; the new finish will look good only on a smooth base coat.
  5. On a surface with a pattern, it is better to glue a dense material of a saturated or dark color, but not light.

HELPFUL INFORMATION: What wallpaper will make the bedroom beautiful and cozy


The question “Is it possible to glue wallpaper on wallpaper” is asked quite often and this is understandable - people want to save their time and effort. In order to tear off old wallpaper, you need to apply, sometimes as much force as for pasting them. Sometimes you can spend a whole day or more to tear off old wallpaper and oh, how you don’t want to do it. Let's see what the desire to save in this way will lead to.

Professionals unequivocally state that the most important thing is to properly prepare the walls for wallpapering from the very beginning - this is not even half, but most of the success. But you really want to do everything faster. It is absolutely unknown who came up with the idea of ​​​​not removing the old wallpaper and immediately sticking a new layer on top of them, but it is obvious that he was a very lazy person.

Those who were engaged in repairs in an old apartment, it was not uncommon to see a whole sandwich up to a centimeter thick covering all the walls. It is very difficult to deal with such disgrace - it usually turns out that the walls are not prepared at all and you have to start everything from the beginning. At this moment, I want to swear at entire generations of home craftsmen who left behind such a legacy. Although, maybe they had no other choice and they are not to blame for anything.

It is human laziness that makes people ask the question again and again: “Is it possible to glue the wallpaper right on top?”

It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. Let's figure out what are the pros and cons of sticking wallpaper on wallpaper.

The advantages include:

  • Significant savings in time and effort. Sometimes it is possible to reduce the duration of work by 2 times. True, if you make a mistake, then not only the repair time but also its cost will double, this option is quite likely.
  • No surface preparation costs. The bottom layer of wallpaper levels the wall and it will not need to be primed. No wonder in the old days newspapers were first glued to the walls. But keep in mind that newspapers are newspapers, and wallpaper is a completely different matter. And in those days there were no such means that made it possible to level the walls quickly and efficiently. Again, in case of failure, the cost of repairs, on the contrary, will increase significantly.
  • If the bottom wallpaper is smooth and papery, then the top layer sticks very well and for a long time. If this is your option, you can try, just remember that stains of grease or paint can ruin all your plans, be sure to check this before you start.
  • It will be ideal if separating wallpaper has been pasted before. Their top layer is easily separated from the bottom, which remains on the wall and serves as an ideal basis for a new one, but very few can be so lucky and it is better not to count on such an option.

This is where the pros end and the cons begin:

  • Nothing can be pasted on vinyl and embossed wallpapers. Vinyl does not absorb glue and the relief reduces the area of ​​​​the connection and, accordingly, the strength of gluing. If your wallpaper is vinyl, leave the idea of ​​sticking it on top, the same can be said about embossed wallpaper - rip it off without pity and don't experiment, spending your time and money on it.
  • If the first layer of wallpaper is not firmly attached to the wall, you will get (at best) ugly bubbles and at worst everything will just fall off the walls. It is quite difficult to check - there can always be some kind of surprise and everything will go wrong. If you are not sure, play it safe - so you will be calm for the future result.
  • On top of dark and contrasting old wallpapers, you should not stick light ones.- the pattern will shine through and you will have to re-glue everything. In this case, there are only two options to get out of the situation - peel off the junk and do it all over again (as we recommend) or buy thick wallpaper with a bright color, preferably not geometric.
  • Joints between panels are usually uneven and will protrude through the new layer. If the predecessors glued the wallpaper with an overlap, do not try to glue it from above - nothing good will come of it.
  • If the new wallpaper is vinyl, under the second layer the first one will get wet and fall off. The vinyl film does not allow the glue to dry out and the whole sandwich will get wet up to the wall, and then it can easily fall off.
  • Old wallpaper has absorbed all the smells over the years and after a fairly short time, you will again have a musty unpleasant smell in your apartment. If you don't believe me, try it, but keep in mind that this warning is not taken from the ceiling, but is based on numerous observations. Smells penetrate through any, even the most dense paper, non-woven wallpaper. How this happens is not clear, but the fact is obvious.

Let's move from theory to practice.

When you can stick new wallpaper on top of the old:

  1. You yourself glued the first layer and are sure that you did everything with high quality. In this case, the likelihood of trouble is much less - there will be no unexpected surprises from the predecessors.
  2. Old wallpaper was paper or non-woven without vinyl coating and paint. Both paper and interlining are excellent bases, the main thing is that they are initially laid with high quality.
  3. The first layer is not embossed. Everything is clear here, it is impossible to paste over a bumpy surface - it will still fall off, or irregularities will be visible the farther, the more
  4. The new wallpapers are quite thick and darker or brighter than the first ones. e. Here, too, everything is clear, for example, linkrusta will close any irregularities. Only if you have the money for expensive linkrusta is it worth saving on proper surface preparation.
  5. The old wallpaper is completely intact and there are no peeled places.. Any damage will be magnified or visible. Don't experiment with it.
  6. In the first layer, all wallpaper joints are firmly glued s. This is one of the most important conditions - the joints are the weakest point and the ingress of moisture peels them off instantly, and if they are already moving away, expect trouble.

When you should not glue new wallpaper on top of the old.

  • The first layer is glued loosely. Run your hand along the wall, if periodically there is emptiness at hand, then you will hear a characteristic rustling.
  • First coat with vinyl or embossed
  • The wallpaper is very old and smells bad
  • Part of the wallpaper is peeled off or the joints are peeled off.

How to actually glue.

If you still decide on such an experiment, start by saying that wipe the entire surface of the wall with a slightly damp cloth. Actually this is important. So you will remove a layer of dust, soot, etc. You might be surprised how much good stuff there is. In addition to the strength of gluing, this will also affect the appearance. Less likely to get stains around the seams (dust can mix with wallpaper paste and give this effect).

The next step (especially if the pattern on the first layer is unstable) it is necessary to coat the wallpaper with a solution of glue. This is done in order to fix the paint a little and it does not wear off and does not smear a new layer at the joints. After the glue has dried, you can start gluing. Further action must be done in accordance with the instructions for gluing the appropriate type of wallpaper. We recommend using non-woven wallpaper for this, they will hold better.

We really hope that this information will help you avoid mistakes and save money and time. Whichever option you choose, remember that the best way is to peel off the old wallpaper and do it all over again.

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