# Prep for wallcovering



## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

Doing a bid for a fast food restaurant. Calls for 967 square feet of wall covering. Painters usually responsible for priming and prep wall? Waiting to hear from a guy, just wanted to get some feedback from the pros!
Thanks!


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## ewingpainting.net (Jun 2, 2008)

RCP said:


> Doing a bid for a fast food restaurant. Calls for 967 square feet of wall covering. Painters usually responsible for priming and prep wall? Waiting to hear from a guy, just wanted to get some feedback from the pros!
> Thanks!


Use 1/4 nap rollor 
Oil base primer

What kind of feed back are you wanting? This seems like a DIY question


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## fauxhall (Aug 12, 2008)

Whenever we have to prep for hangers we prime it white with the rest of the place and then hit it with Sizing. Done.


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

I should have been clearer, sorry.
I am trying to determine if I should include priming and sizing in my bid or would it be part of the wallpaper hangers bid? Or does it depend on the hanger?
On the prints it is not part of the paint finish schedule.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

ewingpainting.net said:


> Use 1/4 nap rollor
> Oil base primer


:no:


fauxhall said:


> Whenever we have to prep for hangers we prime it white with the rest of the place and then hit it with Sizing. Done.


What the hell is sizing? I haven't seen sizing in over 10 years, unless I make my own to go over bare plaster walls. Nobody uses or sells sizing anymore. Its called primer now.

It really depends on the hanger. If you prime my walls with oil, you will meet one pissed off paperhanger. I'd say get them smooth, and walk away. If you can find out who the hanger is, call him and ask him how he wants them done. I always ask for Gardz as a primer. If I feel that they don't or can't comprehend that, I ask them to step away from the wall and I'll do it my damn self.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Priming and sizing are two vastly different operations. Almost no wallcoverings call for oil based primers anymore. If you prime yourself,you KNOW what is on the wall,if you let someone else do it,you don't.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

please read:

http://billarchibald.com/size.html

most hangers will spec what prime is suitable and almost all will prefer to apply their preferred prep coat.However, YMMD

May I suggest that you communicate with the wallcovering installer to make sure everyone is on the same page. 

Communication is the antithesis of failure (Hey, that may be a good sig line :thumbsup: )


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## RCP (Apr 18, 2007)

daArch said:


> please read:
> 
> http://billarchibald.com/size.html
> 
> ...


Thanks, that's what i was thinking, just trying to get my bid completed while I was waiting for his info.


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## Mantis (Aug 4, 2008)

Looks like you got the answer you were looking for already, but i dont care! When we bid a prime job, we generally bid to prime ALL bare drywall with whatever primer the job calls for (we're a preprite 200 fan). If the builder wants prep for wallpaper, we'll price that in with the finish coats as a single finish coat using Preprite PreWallcovering Primer.


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## CApainter (Jun 29, 2007)

Excellent! Thanks for the lesson Pro and Arch.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Excellent! Thanks for the lesson Pro and Arch.

What am I?? Chopped chicken liver?


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Mantis said:


> Looks like you got the answer you were looking for already, but i dont care! When we bid a prime job, we generally bid to prime ALL bare drywall with whatever primer the job calls for (we're a preprite 200 fan). If the builder wants prep for wallpaper, we'll price that in with the finish coats as a single finish coat using Preprite PreWallcovering Primer.


Mantis,

I do not know any of the S-W coatings, so I can not address the 
appropriateness of them.

One thing that we installers NEED on the walls (in this reduced VOC world) is 100% acrylic primers. 
The long wet out and torsional pull while drying that wallpaper 
subjects undercoatings to make less quality coatings inappropriate.

Also, many wall preps are the "tacky" type (Romans R-35, Calif Prep n size, 
etc). These are great to hang on, but often present issues when stripped.

PLEASE communicate with the professional wallcovering installer about the 
application of any coatings prior to installation, unless of course you are 
willing to sign your name to the guarantee that there will be absolutely no 
problems. (BTW, fixing a bad wallcovering job is way more expensive than 
fixing a bad paint job)

Each installer will have his/her prefered primer and/or prep coat depending 
on walls, wallcoverings, paste, and personal liking.


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## Mantis (Aug 4, 2008)

Both Prep-Rite classic and Prep-Rite PreWallCovering primers are 100% acrylic. I would be very suprised if any hangers had issues with the products I use. The walls they come to hang their goodness on get 1 coat of the standard primer, sanded, and a coat of the PrepRite PreWallcovering Primer. The PrepRite PreWallcovering Primer alone would be good enough as its a primer/sizer in one. 

As we do primarily new construction, we unfortunately almost never get to see the hangers unless they have to come back and fix something when we're punching. To be honest, I'm not sure I would use a different product anyway. Not to be a douche, but I'm not going to make a special trip to pick up a product from retailer X if I'm confident the products im currently using work just fine.

As far as problems and my liability, that's between the hanger and the general contractor. If the hanger wants to use a special primer he should communicate that with the GC when bidding. If the GC asks us to prep for wallpaper, all we can do is what we normally do. I think our process is great, honestly.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Mantis,

I hear you, but I'm not positive you heard me completely. 

Then again I could be wrong.

-Bill


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## Mantis (Aug 4, 2008)

Perhaps I need to adjust my antennae! _:tt2::laughing:_


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Mantis said:


> Perhaps I need to adjust my antennae! _:tt2::laughing:_


In the words of the inimitable Richard Dawson (Family Feud), 
*"Good answer!"* :thumbsup:


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## Dmax Consulting (Jul 22, 2008)

SW makes a pre-wallcovering primer. It gets the wall ready to have wallcoverings put onto it. It has sizing in it.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

I always use an oil based primer prior to someone putting up wallpaper. I once saw a friend use Benjamin moore 100% Acrylic fresh start on some plaster walls - and the paper hanger came in applied his paste to his paper - and then we both watched as hundreds of these really big expanding bubbles in the paper popped up. It was explained to me that it wouldn't have happened if an oil primer was used.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

I always use an oil based primer prior to someone putting up wallpaper

Please do not call a real paper hanger to install as he will have to re prime walls. Oil based primer is no longer used for ( almost all) wallcoverings


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