Do I have to take the Old Wallpaper OFF? REALLY?
The answer to that question is always...always..... "YES!"
Because of modern technology most wallcoverings today have some vinyl protection on them. This vinyl gives you a great deal more protection then what you got with the old fashion paper wallcoverings of decades ago. You can wipe wallcoverings down without getting water stains on them. The wallcoverings stay brighter and newer looking for a much longer period of time. The advantages are many.
Nothing, however, is one sided. When you get that protection from that vinyl you also gave up the ability to hang safely over the old wallpaper. You can't have it both ways no matter how much you yell, scream or holler!
You know that food in a baggy in your refrigerator?
When your wrap food in a baggy (one of those zip-lock things) you are wrapping the food in the same material (vinyl) that is on the face of your old wallcovering you would like so much to hang over.
So what??? Hang it there with me...I'm going to show you....
You put that food in a baggy...so it won't dry out. The plastic wrap or vinyl keeps the moisture in the food. Common sense...yes? REPEAT after me....IT KEEPS IT FROM DRYING OUT!!!
Now you have a vinyl wallcovering on your wall. You are going to paste with WET adhesives another piece of vinyl wallcovering and put it over that old vinyl...
With me so far?
QUESTION: Where do you think that moisture in your adhesive will go? How will your paste ever dry?
It won't. It will stay wet. Just like the food in that baggy in your fridge. SAME PRINCIPLE. SAME MATERIAL. SAME ACTION.
So what then happens to this moisture?
It can grow hair. In other words, mold and mildew . . .
Imagine the mess. The stink. Phew. Just like that stuff you left in your refrigerator that you no longer recognize.
Now if that isn't enough....There is another reason not to install over old wallcovering....
The last time the old wallcovering was hung, it was not hung with an adhesive designed to hold two layers of wallcovering. That installer was worried about his wallcovering staying up. He didn't know a thing in the world about this new layer going up.
He didn't know about the weight of your wallcovering. He didn't know about the stress it was going to put on his job.
He didn't have your best interests at heart -- because he didn't know you would be coming along.
Now you are going to base the whole success of your new wallcovering installation on the kind of job he did, years before. Does this really make good sense?
Wallcovering can look tight to the wall and fall off completely when you add another layer with more stress. Anytime you take a chance and hang over an old wallcovering you are gambling with your new wallcovering. It is a big gamble and it's got long odds for success.
After saying all that......What about vinyl over vinyl adhesives and primers?
There are primers and adhesives sold that are designed to help you hang over vinyl wallcoverings. Do they solve the problems that we have discussed?
First read the buckets on these primers and adhesives, and find out what the manufacturer will cover IF your job fails.
Will the manufacturer pay you to take down the job and start over from scratch?
They won't
Will the manufacturer pay you for the wallcovering that needs to be bought again?
They won't
Will the manufacturer pay you to rehang the job if their vinyl to vinyl primer and adhesive don't work?
They won't
What will they pay for?
They will give you the price of the adhesive and primer back.
BIG DEAL.
The job is ruined. You need to remove the old paper and the new paper you've put on top of it. You must buy new wallcovering -- again. You need to hang the wallpaper -- again.
The truth is that vinyl over vinyl primers and adhesives sometimes work. Sometimes they don't. When they don't --- it is not the primer or adhesive manufacturer's problem. It is your problem. Now, you decide if you want to take that chance.
Now after saying that I know some of you just plain are not going to take the old vinyl wallcovering off the wall. You are sort of like teenagers....you think all that bad stuff only happens to other people... SO
If you are going to use the vinyl over vinyl system, make sure that you use the primer and adhesive from the same manufacturer. This doesn't give you a 100% chance of success. It does somewhat lessen your chances of failure.
If you are determined to hang vinyl over vinyl you need every thing you can get going for you.
Prayer might also help.
Go back to Lesson index
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