It often happens that we put off repairs “for later.” And laziness is not always the reason for this delay. The majority of the active population are busy people, immersed not only in their personal worries and responsibilities, but also in work, which, as we know, is quite difficult to avoid. And if the majority, after all, try to spend their summer vacation on vacation, then a short winter break associated with the holidays - why is this not a reason to improve the interior of your apartment or house? It is for this reason that many people ask the question: is it possible to glue wallpaper in winter or is it better, after all, to transfer the wallpaper to summer or spring? Let's talk in more detail today about the winter option for wallpapering.
Opinions on this issue, as often happens, differ strikingly. So, if some experts argue that, in principle, it is possible to paste wallpaper in winter, provided, of course, that certain conditions are met, then others are inclined to believe that it is impossible to glue wallpaper in winter, since this is prohibited by a number of building codes and regulations.
However, if we look a little more closely at the fact that a significant part of the finishing work at various facilities is carried out precisely in the winter months (December, January, February), it becomes clear that companies that are engaged in finishing and interior improvement do this for a reason. If the results did not satisfy the customers, it is unlikely that they would agree to wallpapering in the winter. But the fact that there is practically no decrease in orders at this time of year indicates that there is practically no difference in the result.
Attention! If experienced craftsmen achieve good results in winter gluing, then why not simply adopt their methods, listening to the reviews and recommendations of recognized experts? Of course, anyone can do this.
Of course, any job has its pros and cons. And our case is no exception. Let's take a closer look at both the positive and negative aspects of this approach.
The advantages include such a factor as the absence of significant daily temperature changes, as well as drafts inside the apartment, since all windows, as a rule, are closed, and the temperature, thanks to heating, remains at approximately the same level. All this affects the fact that the likelihood of a better quality repair result increases significantly.
At the same time, you need to understand that certain problems can be created by the fact that the air humidity may be somewhat excessive. At the same time, constant heating, especially in cases where the room is really warm in winter, can, to a certain extent, eliminate this disadvantage.
Remember! In any case, in order to thoroughly dry the work surface, which, in turn, resists the appearance and spread of fungus and mold, it is enough to use a special construction hair dryer.
Be that as it may, the only significant disadvantage of winter wallpapering is that in such cases the wallpaper often dries unevenly on different parts of the walls. This happens because in places that are located close to heating radiators, the temperature is always higher than the average in the room. As a rule, this problem can be dealt with by using PVA glue, which is familiar to us all. This adhesive composition is very affordable, and its main advantage in our case is that it is much less susceptible to temperature changes.
So, what should you consider when gluing in winter so that the result pleases you for many years? Firstly, it is advisable not to do this in an unheated apartment. If there is no heating, experienced craftsmen advise not to start gluing. Well, besides this, you must follow the usual rules for wallpapering, which apply when carrying out repairs at any time of the year. The quality preparation of the working surface of the walls cannot be ignored. So, the first thing is to level them, especially in cases where there is significant damage and chips. This is done using putty.
Then, you need to coat the surface of the walls with a primer. Thanks to this layer, better adhesion will be ensured, which, as a result, means more reliable and durable gluing of the wallpaper to the wall surface. By the way, as an option, you can use the same wallpaper glue as a primer. It’s just that in such cases it can be diluted significantly. O more water.
As for the choice of wallpaper according to the type of material, the most common types on the market are the following:
In principle, any of these types of wallpaper can be hung in winter.
To summarize, it should be noted that it is possible to glue wallpaper in winter. However, during the gluing process it is necessary to remember some features of such work.
They say that whoever has not served in the army does not know life, but in our case, whoever has never done so and not in his own apartment is not ready for independent life. In general, there are a lot of jokes about repairs, but let's get back to serious things. From today's review by the editors of the online magazine site, you will learn how to hang wallpaper correctly, what is needed for this, and some of the subtleties of this seemingly simple process.
Before directly gluing the walls, it is necessary to free the surfaces from the old finish, as well as remove the trim, cladding panels and switches. If the walls are decorated with wallpaper, they can be removed in two ways:
wallpaper remover
If it is necessary to remove old paint or whitewash, the task becomes more complicated. The whitewash will need to be thoroughly moistened with water and removed with a spatula or metal brush. Oil paint is more difficult to remove, but there are still several ways to make the job easier. You can use the “old-fashioned” method and treat the wall with a blowtorch or a hair dryer. The paint will swell and can then be scraped off with a spatula. Also, the old coating is removed using a metal brush, scraper or turbine with a special nozzle.
There is another way to remove old finishes - chemistry. You can use the same surfactant products as for wallpaper. Under the influence of surfactants, the paint becomes loose and can be easily removed with a spatula. When using chemicals, it is imperative to use personal protective equipment: a respirator, gloves and safety glasses.
After the old finish has been removed, you need to level the walls and correct any existing imperfections (pits, scratches, cracks, etc.). And there will certainly be various defects from removing old wallpaper or paint. Minor flaws can be corrected with finishing plaster or acrylic. Significant defects (depressions or bumps) are corrected using or knocked down with a chisel or perforator, depending on the defect. Fixing defects is completed by sanding the wall and cleaning it from dust and dirt using a brush, broom or rag.
Wallpapering itself is not difficult; problems begin if there is a pattern on the canvas that requires matching. There are several types of print:
The selection of the pattern and, accordingly, the waste of material is affected by the step of the pattern (rapport). Data on the repetition of the image on one strip is on the label of the finishing material. Knowing the repeat, you can calculate a more accurate number of rolls and, accordingly, reduce the amount of waste. It is recommended to leave allowances of several centimeters on both sides of the canvas for perfect alignment of the pattern.
Advice! To minimize waste, it is advisable to cut the canvases from different rolls when adjusting the image.
Before gluing wallpaper, you must first cut the canvas. The length of the strip should correspond to the height of the walls with an overlap of 50 mm on the floor and ceiling. Next, you need to prepare an adhesive composition, which is selected depending on the type. Instructions for diluting the glue are indicated on the packaging.
If it is necessary to apply glue to the wallpaper, then the edges of the strip are wrapped in such a way that the coated sides should touch each other, and the folds should not be smoothed. This is necessary so that the canvases are well saturated and air bubbles do not form. If necessary, glue is also applied to the wall, for which an area slightly larger than the width of the wallpaper strip is coated. Places near the floor, ceiling and in corners are generously lubricated with adhesive.
Next, take the prepared strip of wallpaper and apply it to the starting line, not forgetting to make an overlap of about 50 mm onto the ceiling. With light movements we smooth the canvas away from the drawn vertical line using a flexible silicone spatula, rag or paint roller, expelling the air. The overlap on the ceiling and floor needs to be trimmed after the wallpaper has dried a little. This is best done using a wide spatula, the edge of which is applied to the joint between the pasted wall and the floor or ceiling, and the excess is cut off with a stationery or wallpaper knife. The second and subsequent strips of wallpaper are glued in the same way.
For your information! One of the conditions for high-quality wallpapering is the very first strip attached to the wall strictly vertically.
One of the difficult stages of wallpapering is finishing corners, especially internal ones. But, in principle, even a beginner can cope with this, especially if he uses one simple method. You need to place one side of the wallpaper onto the opposite wall by 10-20 mm, and the second with an overlap directly into the corner. However, in some species such a junction is clearly visible.
There is another way. One canvas is glued to the wall with an overlap of 20-30 mm over the other, and the second is attached in exactly the same way. It is good to iron the joints. Next, you need to take a wide spatula, place it in the corner of the wallpaper and use a special cutter to run along the metal edge. Moving the spatula, we cut the canvas from the ceiling to the floor. If the wallpaper was well glued, then the joint between them will be perfect.
We glue the wallpaper on the outer corners with our own hands in almost the same way. One strip is placed on the other wall around the corner by 10-20 mm, and the second is glued strictly along the edge of the corner. If the overlap is noticeable, you will have to cut the joint along the entire length of the canvas.
Wallpapering the outer corners One of the fastest ways to change the interior of a room is to stick wallpaper on the walls. All that remains is to find the right time for this work. In this article we will look at the stages of the process, and also find out whether it is possible to glue wallpaper in an apartment or house in winter.
For some, this may be a funny question, since other times, like on vacation in cold weather, they have never done repairs. But there are also many home craftsmen who try to do everything “according to science.” Each of them will be able to find enough reasons to prove that they are right about when it is better to glue wallpaper in winter or summer.
To this we can only say one thing - professional finishers don’t care when it’s time to re-glue the wallpaper, since they can do it in any season. So, let's take a closer look at the problem.
Each method has advantages and disadvantages, so working in the cold season is no exception.
Let's find out what pasted wallpaper is “afraid of”:
Is it possible to exclude such troubles in winter? It’s easy. At this time, the heating system is operating, which is capable of maintaining a normal microclimate in the premises. It is unlikely that you would even think of opening windows and doors wide in cold weather.
The photo shows the gluing technique
Among the problems of “winter” repairs, one can note the work of gluing wallpaper next to heating radiators, where special care is required. Otherwise, the canvas tends to lag behind the base.
This happens due to the rapid drying of wallpaper glue, which does not have time to be absorbed into the wall and dries on its surface. The problem has the following solution - in these areas you will have to spare no material and lubricate the areas as much as possible, and also apply it both to the base and to the wallpaper itself.
Tip: for reliability, you can use PVA glue.
In addition, you should definitely adhere to the general rules for wallpapering so that your work is not in vain. Unfortunately, many home craftsmen do not always attach importance to this, believing that even a child can handle this work.
Therefore, situations often arise, for example, a seam has come apart or a corner has come unstuck, which can subsequently become the reason for a new repair. Of course, all the above-mentioned shortcomings can be re-glued, but this does not mean that you were able to eliminate the reason why this happened.
There are certain simple instructions that are useful for any wallpaper and any base. You should not neglect it and invent some of your own rules, so as not to carry out repairs again, wasting time and money.
They are suitable for any season, so let’s take a closer look at them:
Tip: do not use a rag for smoothing, as this can damage the structure and pattern on the canvas, as well as leave stains.
The simplest in structure are paper ones. They have a wide range of colors and the same number of different patterns. Their price is the lowest among other types.
They are made from environmentally friendly material - paper, but they are also the most short-lived in use.
After a short time, these wallpapers:
There is a more expensive option - two-layer
As a rule, we carry out repair work in our apartment or house during vacation. And often our vacation falls in the winter. That’s when doubts come to mind: is it possible to change the wallpaper in the house during this period? Some of our friends who have experience in repairs claim that wallpaper should not be glued in winter. Others say it is possible. Still others recommend waiting until spring.
But professional finishers work throughout the year. This means that wallpaper can still be hung in winter.
The most feared thing is freshly pasted wallpaper:
But in winter, when heating is on in living quarters, the temperature is very stable. Thus, our task is to ensure that there are no drafts. That is, we will not open the windows and the front door. So, the advantages of working with wallpaper in winter include the presence of a stable temperature and the absence of drafts. In addition, when the heating is functioning, the excess moisture that inevitably appears in a room covered with wallpaper evaporates quite quickly. This is also a plus.
The disadvantage is that wallpaper pasted close to a working radiator often begins to lag behind the walls. This happens because the adhesive composition has already dried before it “sets.” What could be the solution here? Firstly, you need to lubricate these areas of the wallpaper much more generously. And, secondly, use PVA glue.
In order for wallpaper pasted in winter to last long and reliably, the surface of the walls must be treated with a primer before pasting. As a primer, use the same glue that the wallpaper will be glued to, but only more diluted. Thanks to the primer, a thin film is formed on the wall. Subsequently, the wallpaper glue will no longer be absorbed into the wall, but will hold the wallpaper panel.
If you are forced to wallpaper your walls in winter, you will most likely have to prime the wall surface not once, but several times. This should be done if the wall is quite porous and absorbs the adhesive instantly. This option is typical for new buildings. So, the walls should be primed until a thin film of glue is created on their surface. It can be easily seen with the naked eye.
It is well known that the cheapest wallpapers are the most capricious, i.e. paper And, accordingly, all wallpapers made on paper. If the room temperature is quite high, the panels will dry out too quickly. There is a high probability that the edges of the wallpaper will soon fall away from the wall. The way out of the situation is to paste the wallpaper not end-to-end, but overlapping (of course, if the wallpaper is not too heavy and dense) in compliance with the “window” principle.
Wallpaper made on a non-woven base does not need to be coated with glue. In this case, it is enough to just coat the wall thoroughly with glue. Such wallpapers usually do not present “surprises” when applied in winter.
Thus, the question about wallpapering walls in winter can be confidently answered positively.
The room temperature should be in the range from 150° C to 250° C.Having this information, you can safely glue wallpaper in winter and provide your friends with comprehensive recommendations on this issue.
Someone will definitely start convincing you that hanging wallpaper in winter is not the best idea. They can give you their sad experience as a powerful argument.
There is reason to think, but do not despair. It is possible that the reasons for wallpaper lag are not related to the time of year, but were caused by a violation of the work technology.
A large difference in temperature between the inner and outer walls, as well as freezing of the walls and the appearance of condensation in unheated rooms, can lead to the appearance of mold on new wallpaper, or the wallpaper simply will not hold up well and will quickly fall off.
If the heating works stably, then there will be no temperature changes in the room.
The main thing is to avoid drafts. Excess moisture from the walls will be removed thanks to the heating.
Conditions under which the wallpaper will stick well to the wall: no temperature changes or drafts.
It is very important to maintain indoors optimal temperature.
If it is too hot, the glue will dry before the wallpaper sticks to the wall. And in a cold room, the wallpaper will remain wet for a long time, which can cause mold.
Often those who decide to wallpaper in winter are faced with another problem - wallpaper lagging near batteries.
This happens because the areas near the radiators are too warm. The glue dries quickly and does not have time to set.
Tips to help avoid problems when wallpapering in winter:
So, is it possible to wallpaper in winter? Yes, the main thing is to follow the basic rules:
