Pictured is what happens when the wrong primer is used. The primer absorbed the adhesive’s moisture and lifted off the wall at the seam and the edges started to curl. Proper primer is essential. If priming your own walls, I use Romans Pro 999 RX-35®. It is fast drying and specially formulated to prevent the adhesive on the wallcovering from penetrating the primer.

A primer such as Shields or Kilz should be used if the walls have had staining, pencil marks, markers, crayons, or nicotine or have been patched, and show dark and light color variations or the walls have been painted a dark color.

When you paper a room, there is no reason not to get the perfect job you envision. Yet many people end up with bubbles, seam splits, edge curling, gapping at the top or bottom, or background colors showing through. Proper surface preparation is key.