
SEIDMAN PAPERHANGING
So Many Walls, So Many Primers
Part one
By Phil Reinhard, NGPP Public Relations Chair
O
f all the factors that determine the success or failure of a wallpaperinstallation, probably the most over looked, yet most important
is the type of primer to use on each particular job. Choosing the
right primer means the difference between a job that installs well,
holds up to the test of time, and removes easily at re-decorating
time. Picking the wrong primer can mean any combination of one
or all of these qualities can break down, leading to a job that fails.
Any paperhanger with more than a week’s experience has seen jobs
where seams are lifting, and the primer and paint from the wall are
stuck to the paper, and lifted from the wall. And removal problems
have been the scourge of the industry since the introduction of
builder’s flat paint on unprimed drywall.
The National Guild of Professional Paperhangers will, over these
issues of Jobsite Magazine, take you through the maze of wallpaper
primers, wall conditions, types of paper, and the best primer choice
for most combinations. This first article will concentrate on why it is
so important to prime, and the basics of primer application. The
types of primers, types of wall surfaces
and paints to be primed, types of
wallcovering, and the how to make the
best decision of what type of primer to
use will be covered next, and the lastt
article will cover the major manufacturers
of primers and what primers
they offer in each category so that
each reader will know what primers to
use, and which brands are available in
each type. Readers will then have the
information needed to know what
primer choices to make, and what
brands are available in their areas of
the country. It is important to know
that the NGPP is not endorsing any
brand of primer, simply providing
information to help paperhangers
make the best choice of primer for
every job.
The first thing any paperhanger has to
know about primers is the fact that
there is no such thing as a universal
primer. The primer that will seal a
builder’s flat paint and bond it so that
it won’t lift years after installation of the wallpaper won’t perform as
well on a semi-gloss paint. Different traits are required on each surface
to ensure job success. The next piece of general information
that is needed is that primer and size are not the same thing.
Primers are just that, a paint-like product applied to the surface to
either seal it, or provide a surface that the wallpaper adhesive will
stick to. Size is a thinned adhesive, applied to a wall to promote
adhesion, period. There are times when both priming and sizing are
necessary on a job.
Why prime? The wall is painted, isn’t that enough? Does it cost
extra? These questions are asked by customers regularly when
paperhangers talk about priming during an estimate. Here are
some answers to help the paperhanger sell priming and the help
customer understand the importance of priming. The basic
answer is that a properly primed surface ensures three things; 1)
the wallpaper will adhere to the wall, 2) the wallpaper will stay on
the wall as long as the customer wants it there, and 3) the wallpaper
will remove easily without the wall damage so often associated
with wallpaper removal. Most customers need no more
explanation than that, since any apprehension they have about
wallpaper is probably covered in one of those three factors. As for
the cost issue, simply saying it is included in the cost of the job,
and it is not negotiable generally solves the issue. If it goes further,
simply explain that it is a basic part of any wallpaper installation,
and that it’s a step that cannot be skipped. If the customer
refuses still, it’s time to decide if you want to take on a job that
has a high chance of failure and doing damage to your reputation.
In 30 years of hanging wallpaper I’ve learned that if I am pleasantly
confident about the importance of this step, the customer
will accept it. It is important not to make priming a line item on
an estimate, with a separate cost. This will give the customer the
idea that they can eliminate that step. Simply include it in the
cost of the job. Accepting a job without priming is doing a disservice
to both the client and the installer. There are exceptions
to this, obviously, but very few.
For the paperhanger, why to prime is a bit more complex. First it’s
important to know something about the characteristics of paper
applied to a wall. The first factor that affects the wall is the moisture
of the adhesive. Keeping that moisture out of the paint and/or
drywall is a function of the primer.
Papers and most vinyls shrink slightly as they dry. This exerts a
force on the surface the paper is applied to. If the surface is not
sound and well adhered to its base, there is a chance of the bond
failing. In other words, if the wallpaper is applied to a paint that is
not bonded well to the wall, the shrinking action of the paper has a
good chance of breaking the paints bond. If the paint fails, so does
the paper. Many vinyls, especially paper backed vinyls, keep trying
to shrink long after the installation of the job is complete and dry.
You can see evidence of this when you see a job where the seams
of a vinyl have lifted and the paint is on the back of the paper, lifted
from the wall. If you try to re-fasten the vinyl to the wall, the seams
no longer come together. While there are a lot of factors that need
to be taken into consideration to prevent
this particular problem, the right primer
is a critical factor in preventing this type
of failure.
Primers are also used to lock down
weakly bonded builders flat paints.
Application of wallpaper to these paints
without the proper priming has lead to
many failures. New types of primers on
the market now can penetrate and bond
these paints to the wall, greatly reducing
the chance of failure. Removing wallpaper
applied to builder’s flat or to an
improperly primed flat has long been a
problem
Choosing the right primer aids in the
removal of wallpaper by sealing the wall
in such a way that the adhesive can be
re-wet by the removal solution, releasing
the bond of the dry adhesive. The
wet adhesive can also be washed away
much more easily on a sealed wall. By
sealing the wall with a primer the moisture
sits on top of the primer, without
penetrating the paint and drywall, so the drywall stays dry, and the
walls are do not get damaged from scraping and washing wet drywall.
One of the most important factors in priming a wall, and one of the
most overlooked, is the importance of proper application of the
primer. Far too often the right primer is used, but the application of
the product is so poor that the primer cannot perform its’ job. To
perform properly the primer must be applied to clean, dry, sound
surface. That means that new drywall needs to be dust free, wallpaper
adhesive from previous installations must be washed off,
spackled areas need to be dry, etc. Failure to follow these basic
tenets of painting only serve to weaken the bond between the
primer and the surface it is going over. It is also important to prime
the whole job. Seems like a dumb sentence, doesn’t it? Of course
the whole job has to be primed. Yet far too many times paperhangers
use a roller to prime and get as close as they safely can to the
edges, but do not cut in to the edges. These unprotected areas
stand a good chance of causing problems after the installation is
complete. Another basic rule of priming a surface that is often overlooked
is that a full, wet coat of primer needs to be applied. That
means that it is very important to keep the roller full of primer, apply
the primer liberally, and not exceed the recommended coverage for
the particular primer being used. If there are holes in the coat of
primer, the primer is virtually useless, as it cannot seal the surface.
Using quality tools is one of the best ways to ensure proper coverage.
A high quality roller cover is one of the least expensive, yet
most important tools any paperhanger can use when applying a
primer.
Priming a wall for wallpaper installation is probably the biggest single
factor in the success or failure of a job. Hopefully this article has
supplied you with the information you need to understand why. In
the next issue, look for a guide on what type of primers perform best
on the most common, and some of the less common surfaces to be
covered with wallpaper.