FIXATION



Like any other coating, wallpaper too requires proper surface preparation before its application on the substrate. First of all, wallpaper is not suitable for just any area. For instance, wallpaper may deteriorate quickly owing to excessive moisture or heat, like Kitchen and bathroom etc. Proper surface preparation is required to be done before the wallpaper is fixed on the surface. It should be predetermined where the wallpaper shall be fixed. That area should be away from the dampness and remain dry all through. The area should also be away from direct sunlight as UV radiation may fade off the colours. The earlier superficial coatings may be removed from the surface. The surface must be robust and in even in a single plane. And bulge or undulations must be done away with. Necessary repairs of any defects in the wall or plaster must be carried out. The weak surface must be redone and the loose / foreign material be removed. The prepared surface must be allowed to become dry before fixation of wallpaper. The fixation should be done by an expert. The adhesive must be non-staining and there must not be any shrinkage or wrinkles. Mostly a small quantity of carboxy-methyl-cellulose (CMC) is added to adhesive to achieve this. The tiling of the wallpaper must be proper and seamless.

REMOVAL OF WALLPAPER

Styles and taste Interior decorating change over time, and eventually one would like to replace the older Wallpaper. Dry scrapping of the wallpaper manually or mechanically may damage the surface underneath and you may end up incurring more money of surface preparation again. You can save a lot of pain and money by carefully removing the old wall paper. Paper Tiger, a wheel of sharp teeth, rolling on the wall creates small holes (perforation) in the surface of wallpaper, but leaves substrate unaffected. This can abet in the quick absorption of the chemical for quicker removal. Perforation also saves the volatile Chemical, which otherwise take more time to absorb and chemical may evaporate. This should be followed with the application of a chemical stripper or steam to dissolve the adhesive. After some time the wallpaper should be removed with a smooth scrapper and the wall (surface) should be washed with water and allowed to dry.

CHEMICAL STRIPPING

Chemical wallpaper stripper can be procured from paint or hardware shops. It is brushed/sprayed/applied onto wall surfaces. It is very volatile. It seeps through the tiny holes made with Paper Tiger and lifts the underneath adhesive from the surface. Several applications of Chemical stripper may be required to finally remove the existing wallpaper.

STEAM STRIPPING

Another method of removal is to apply steam to wallpaper in order to loosen or dissolve the adhesive. A electric steamer should be used for this purpose. The steam loosens lifts and dissolves the adhesive, allowing the wallpaper to be peeled off. However, care must be taken to prevent damage to the substrate.