Wallpapers, if installed meticulously can enhance the beauty of your walls in no time. And with wallpaper stick and paste services from the vendor, the task gets completed without much effort. If your wallpaper sticks well with the adhesive leaving no space between the wallpaper and the wall, the wallpaper looks smooth and neatly done. However, if the wallpapers weren’t smoothed out or put in place properly, over a span of time you will start noticing air bubbles or wrinkles that ruin the beauty of your walls. To avoid that from happening, we shall explore why you get bubbles in your wallpaper and how to fix wallpaper bubbles.
Why Do You Get Bubbles in Wallpaper
Here are two major reasons why see air bubbles or wrinkles pop up on your wallpaper:
1. Trapped Air Pockets
One of the major reasons for air bubbles forming under the wallpapers are the air pockets. These small air pockets get trapped between the paper and the wall and due to exposure with moisture (primarily from the adhesive or heat) they start to expand and cause the wallpaper to poof up. This is most commonly seen in wallpapers that are initially flattened out but over time gets wrinkly perhaps due to constant exposure from heat or moisture. The way wallpaper dries can have a huge impact on air bubbling.
2. Inadequate Adhesion
If the adhesive used to stick wallpapers is of poor quality or it was sparsely used to stick wallpaper, then it can cause air bubbles in your wallpaper. Hence, it is crucial to apply a good quality adhesive in the proper amount to paste the paper to the walls. After adhesion, it is important to use a wallpaper smoother or a rolling brush and apply gentle pressure on the walls to eliminate all the air bubbles.
3. Rough Wall Surface
Oftentimes there are some minute holes, cracks or uneven texture on the surface of walls due to paint, daily wear and tear etc. When wallpapers are applied hastily on walls without fixing these tiny bumps or smoothening the wall with primer, air bubbles and wrinkles are bound to form. To counter this problem, please read below easy techniques on how to repair old wallpaper bubbles or air wrinkles from your wallpapers to enhance the longevity of your wallpapers.
How to Fix Wallpaper Bubbles
1. Locate Your Wallpaper Bubble
The very first step to remove air bubbles is to precisely mark their location on the wallpapers. The task may not be as easy as it may sound, especially on the massive walls of halls, corridors or living rooms. Most times these bubbles are formed at the end of the panel, at the top of the walls or at the bottom. You can use your bare hand and run against the wallpaper to feel any tiny bump or wrinkles. Once you are aware how big or small the bubbles are and their location, get ready with tools to flatten those bubbles and push the air away.
2. Use a Snap Knife to Make a Cut
Next step is to make a micro incision, a small x on the air bubble but be extremely careful. At this step, you want to create an opening, an outlet for air to pass through but not to damage the wallpaper. After you open the bubble, look for any dust particles, chips or any other hard particles which may have caused the bubble. If you have applied wallpaper freshly and locate a bubble, chances are there might be more than required adhesive causing the bubble to form. Hence, squeeze the excess adhesive out and using a wallpaper brush smoothen the surface.
3. Fill wallpaper with Glue Syringe
Now, the next step is crucial to fix wallpaper bubbles. Here you need to take a glue syringe which you can buy online. Fill up the glue syringe with adequate adhesive, and then carefully insert the syringe’s tip to the centre and gently squeeze the trigger to inject the glue into the bubble. Be careful with how much glue you want to inject in, as too much or too little will affect the desired outcome.
4. Use a Smoothing Wallpaper Brush
Use a wallpaper brush to smoothen the bubbles by gently pressing onto the bubble and moving them out. You may have to apply broad strokes of wallpaper brush or any other smoothing tool over and over again on wallpapers to completely rid of bubbles.
5. Remove any Excess Adhesive
Take a damp cloth and wipe off the excess glue on or around wallpapers. Be careful that the area that had the incision is still placed firmly after you have wiped off the surface.
How to Prevent Air Bubbles in Wallpaper?
Here are some ways in which you can prevent wallpaper bubbles:
- Make sure the wall is smooth and free from any holes, cracks or any abrasive finishes. This is the primary reason bubbles develop while applying wallpaper. Hence, properly prep your wall before the wallpaper application.
- Use a good-quality wallpaper and adhesive paste to stick wallpapers on walls. Oftentimes, low quality glue or wallpaper doesn’t stick well and may peel off over time.
- Lastly, consider taking the help of professionals who are experts at wallpaper installation. If you buy wallpapers from SNG Royal, we offer free installation of wallpapers ensuring your wall looks clean, flawless and bubble-free.