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Discover wallpaper installation cost. Learn about material, labor, and project factors to estimate your budget and make informed choices for your home.
Why Is It Important to Prime Before Wallpaper Installation?
Get prime results with the right wallpaper prep
Get quotes from wallpaper pros near you
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Get quotes from wallpaper pros near you
No obligation · 100% free
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Wallpaper primer or sizing creates a protective barrier that helps your wallpaper adhere properly and prevents the adhesive from damaging your drywall or paint.
Unprimed walls absorb wallpaper adhesive, which softens latex paint and damages drywall, creating a sticky mess that prevents your wallpaper from drying correctly.
You should apply primer to your walls before wallpaper installation and let it dry fully for 24 hours to ensure the best adhesion.
Hiring a local wallpaper installation professional ensures your walls are prepped and primed correctly, giving you flawless wallpaper that looks great for years.
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When you’re ready to change a room’s look with wallpaper, it’s important to do the job right. Using wallpaper primer is an important step in the installation process—without it, your wallpaper won’t perform as expected and may start to peel or bubble, damage your walls, or be difficult to remove. Learn why wallpaper primer is necessary and why it’s so important to prime before wallpaper installation.
What Is Wallpaper Primer?
Wallpaper primer is specially designed to be applied to your walls before you install wallpaper. It has a lot in common with paint primer—it’s a liquid that comes in a can and is rolled onto your walls. Unlike paint primer, though, wallpaper primer ensures your wallpaper can adhere to the wall correctly and protects both your wall and the wallpaper from damage.
How many coats of primer you need depends on the type of primer and the surface you’re priming, so be sure to consult the instructions for your wallpaper and the primer.
Ensure Good Adhesion
Photo: fotoduets / Adobe Stock
The primary function of wallpaper primer is to help it properly adhere to the wall. Whether you’re installing wallpaper over drywall, paint, or existing wallpaper, primer provides the ideal surface to ensure your wallpaper adheres well and won’t peel or bubble. Wallpaper adhesive won’t stick well to everything, so it’s important to prime the wall with a product made just for that purpose.
Protect Your Walls
Wallpaper primer protects your wall by forming a protective layer between the adhesive and the wall. Unfinished drywall can absorb wallpaper adhesive, damaging the drywall. Wallpaper adhesive can also soften latex paint, leading to a soft, sticky mess that doesn’t properly dry under the wallpaper.
Make Removal Easier
When it comes time to remove your wallpaper, you’ll be glad you used primer. By creating a barrier between the wallpaper and your wall, primer prevents the adhesive from bonding too strongly to the wall. When you try to remove wallpaper bonded directly to the wall’s surface, there’s a good chance you’ll end up taking part of the wall off with the wallpaper. Primer leaves the wall intact and makes the removal process a lot smoother.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
If the prep process seems too involved for you to tackle as a DIY project, hire a pro who installs wallpaper to get the job done right. A local wallpaper installer will prep and prime your walls, giving you a flawless finish and wallpaper that’ll look great for years to come.
Wallpaper installation costs an average of $1 to $7 per square foot, plus the cost of the wallpaper. Whether you’re wallpapering an entire room or just making a wallpaper accent wall, a wallpaper installation pro will ensure you get the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wallpaper services reviews from real Angi homeowners in Columbus, OH
5.0★ avg. • 6 total reviews
- Sue B.
Terrible experience. Walls/trim/floors/cabinets/doors all have drip marks, overspray, etc. Tiling at the fireplace had to be redone by another vendor due to incorrect and shoddy install by Profect. Contractor had his children in our house while he was on site without prior authorization or...
Profect painting & exteriors - Jim V.
The Cisco team did an exceptionally good job of painting (very detailed), and they were professional, courteous, helpful and just pleasant to have in our home for a week. I have already recommended Cisco to some neighbors.
Cisco Finishes - Mark B.
I cant stop admiring my newly painted walls. Custom Paint Jobs LLC made my house feel brand new.
Custom Paint Jobs, LLC - Kathy W.
Would hire again. Wall looks great. Happy with job.
Central Paving - Locke M.
The task proved more difficult than anticipated. When they arrived the first day, they had no tools with them at all, and had to make a run to purchase appropriate tools. It was quickly determined that the paper had to be steamed off, and neither the workers, nor the company itself, had...
ABS Interiors of Mid-Ohio LLC - Alesia B.
We needed them to do extra work to remove existing wallpaper, and provide full primer and painting/trim work around existing furniture etc, during a move-in period. They did everything top-notch with minimal mess. They were always extremely on time, and very professional. They also cleaned...
- William B.
WALLS IN OLD VICTORIAN WERE GOUGED AND CRACKED AFTER REMOVAL OF WALLPAPER. VERY CAREFUL WORK. GOOD ATTENTION TO DETAIL. CLEAN-UP WAS A LITTLE MESSY.
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