How to Wallpaper Over Plaster Walls

The walls in many older homes are made of plaster. If you own or live in a home with walls made of plaster, you can spruce up the walls by applying wallpaper. Applying wallpaper over plaster walls is not difficult to do as long as the wall is properly prepared beforehand.

Things You'll Need

  • Bleach and water solution
  • Primer
  • Wallpaper sizing
  • Wallpaper
  • Tape measure,
  • Wallpaper glue
  • Smoothing brush
  • Scissor or cutting knife
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Instructions

    • 1

      Ensure the plaster wall surface is clean. If the wall was previously wall papered, be sure to remove all of the old wallpaper and wallpaper glue.

    • 2

      Remove any existing mold with a bleach and water solution. Use one part bleach to four parts water to remove the mold. Wash the plaster walls with the bleach solution and allow to dry completely. If you don’t have mold, you can skip this step.

    • 3

      Prime the plaster walls with a latex primer.

    • 4

      Apply wallpaper sizing. After the latex primer has dried on the plaster walls, apply a coat of sizing. The sizing allows the wallpaper to slide into place.

    • 5

      Hang the wallpaper. Once you have applied the coat of wallpaper sizing, you are ready to hang your wallpaper. Measure and cut your wallpaper in accordance with the measurements of the room. Apply the wallpaper glue, hang the wallpaper and use the smoothing brush to remove all bumps and air bubbles.