Is it possible to glue wallpaper on wallpaper?

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

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

When can I glue new wallpapers on old

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

• existing finishing material, on top of which it is planned to fix a new one, should be paper;
• previously glued canvases should firmly adhere to the wall, not go away at the joints and have no defects;
• the surface on which new strips will be glued should be smooth, without a relief pattern;
• It is highly desirable that the old material be thin and single layer.

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

New vinyl cover wallpaper: is it possible or not?

Mount new wallpaper directly on vinyl canvas not allowed. Regardless of the type of glue chosen, most likely, nothing will work out, since the synthetic coating has water-repellent properties. This is especially true for washable wallpapers. In addition, most vinyl materials have a textured pattern that will show through a fresh finish.

However, there is still a chance to avoid the complete elimination of such coverage. If, after removal of the vinyl wallpaper, it was possible to remove the upper polyvinyl chloride film, and the remaining paper or the non-woven layer does not want to peel off and adheres firmly to the wall, it is also allowed to glue on it a new one the canvas.

On non-woven wallpaper

With pure non-woven, things are as follows. In a two-layer material, the top layer should be fairly easy to remove. A smooth, thin coating of 70% cellulose will remain on the wall. If it holds firmly, new sheets can be glued onto it.

We assess the degree of risk.

Before gluing the wallpaper on top of the old coating, take into account the possible risks and disadvantages of this method:

• the quality of the fit of the paintings is reduced, as well as the service life of the new coating;
• under several layers of material the probability of development increases mold;
• there is a big risk of defects on the surface, such as “bubbles” and partial peeling;
• an old coating that has become wet after applying the adhesive can stain a new canvas.

Given these points, it is worth considering whether it makes sense to glue such expensive types of wallpaper as silk-screen printing or non-woven fabric onto an unprepared wall.

How to choose material for sticking on old wallpaper

What wallpapers are suitable for gluing on top of the previous ones? When choosing, color intensity and brightness of the pattern on the old canvas are taken into account. If the new material for gluing is lighter than the previous one, then the color of the lower layer will be visible. When choosing, the following tips will help:

1. The material is selected darker than the coating glued before.
2. Too thin canvases do not fit, an old drawing will be visible through them.
3. You can’t use non-woven wallpaper for the top layer: they often have a translucent structure.
4. Be careful with vinyl material, since it is heavy enough 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 made of embossed paper, as in the following photo: on a smooth surface, possible flaws will be especially noticeable.

Gluing rules

To successfully stick on the selected wallpaper material on already pasted walls, use the following recommendations:

1. Be sure to ensure that the old canvas holds securely. You can slightly dampen the surface, and then tear off pieces of material extending from the base. The most problematic places are the joints of the paintings - inspect them most carefully.
2. Do not rush with sticking - start with one strip, wait until it dries. If everything is in order, then the check was successful and you can continue to work.
3. Limit the amount of glue - it should be sufficient, but not excessive. If you apply too much glue, the sheets will get wet, become heavy and may fall off some time after gluing.
4. Avoid movement of air and drafts during operation. Do not use a convector, fan or air conditioner; windows and doors must be closed.

Important! If a small number of bubbles appear on the surface after gluing, do not despair. You can try to smooth them 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.

How to deal with liquid wallpaper

After we figured out the paper, vinyl and non-woven base, we will find out whether it is possible to glue new canvases on liquid wallpapers. This is essentially not a wallpaper in the standard sense, in terms of properties they are more reminiscent of decorative plaster, with a paper web they are related by the presence of cellulose. Since this material, applied in a layer of several millimeters, creates a fairly smooth surface, it will serve as a suitable basis for gluing a new finish. In addition, cellulose absorbs some of the water from the glue, which will also contribute to high-quality adhesion of the material.

In order for everything to work out as it should, consider several 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. The primer applied to the wall will significantly improve the adhesion of materials.
4. The relief structure of liquid wallpaper can cause a poor-quality result, a new finish will look good only on a smooth base coat.
5. It is better to glue a dense material of a saturated or dark color on the surface with a pattern, but not light.

Thus, figuring out whether it is possible to stick wallpaper on a previously glued surface, you need to start from the type of material that is now on the wall.

The next video will help you figure out the nuances of sticking new wallpapers to old ones.