TOP 15 best putties for walls under wallpaper: 2022 rating and which one to choose

In order for walls covered with wallpaper to look beautiful, the walls must be properly prepared and carefully leveled. For this purpose, special putties are used, which not only make the surface of the walls smooth and even, but also effectively hide all defects.

High-quality putty should adhere firmly to the wall, and additional coatings should adhere well to it, be it paint, wallpaper or other finishing material. Accordingly, when choosing a putty, it is necessary to take into account what surface it will be applied to, what components are included in the composition, and how effectively the finished mixture will fill the unevenness.

To make choosing a putty easier, we have compiled a list of parameters that people pay attention to when choosing, and a rating of the best putties for walls under wallpaper according to the 2022 version.

Rating of the best putties for walls under wallpaper in 2022

Is it worth artificially accelerating drying?

The vast majority of experts do not recommend doing this. When using various heating devices (hair dryers, heat guns, etc.), the surfaces of the walls dry unevenly; more precisely, only the surface layer dries out. Therefore, to speed up work, for example, with finishing putty, the method of accelerating drying is quite acceptable. When working with starting mixtures applied in a thick layer, forced drying can cause cracking, peeling of the top layer, crumbling or destruction of the entire restoration site.

Conditions that will help naturally speed up the drying process:

• optimal air temperature,
• high-quality ventilation in the room,
• normal humidity.

To speed up the repair at least a little, modern quick-drying putty is often used. There are options for such mixtures for surfaces made of concrete, metal, wood, as well as universal compositions, which, as a rule, are inferior in quality to both starting and finishing mixtures, while being significantly more expensive than both the former and the latter.

Excellent results in terms of drying time for latex putties. They are quite expensive, but the price/quality ratio is optimal. Such compositions are elastic, adhere well to the walls, one layer dries for about an hour at +20-25° C. Another advantage of this material is its readiness. Latex putty is produced immediately ready for use and does not harden for a long time.

How to choose putty for walls under wallpaper in terms of price/quality ratio?

To prepare the walls for subsequent wallpapering, a special type of putty is used. It applies easily and evenly to the walls and dries quickly. In addition, in most cases the finished coating does not need to be further rubbed to level it.

Among other parameters, pay attention to:

1. Consistency. Most inexpensive putties are sold in the form of a dry powder, which is diluted with water immediately before use. If your budget allows, it is better to buy an already prepared mixture. It is completely ready for use, and the owner can be sure that the putty will have the optimal consistency for uniform application.
2. Surface. Putty is chosen based on the material from which the walls are built. Concrete, brick, wood and plaster have their own compositions with optimal adhesion.
3. Basic component. To speed up finishing work, it is better to buy polymer putty. It comes ready to use, is easy to apply, dries quickly and does not require sanding. In dry rooms with a stable temperature, you can use gypsum putty. It is better not to use cement-based compositions. Despite their affordable price, they are difficult to apply, and the coating itself takes a very long time to dry and requires grouting.

Benefits of use

• Convenient packaging; buckets of ready-made putty are available for sale from 300 grams to 30 kg, which allows you to choose the most convenient format of the material
• During the repair work, dust and construction dirt do not appear, which allows you to work indoors without a respirator, but it is still recommended to keep the windows slightly open for access to fresh air
• Using vacuum equipment, it is possible to improve the quality of applying the composition to walls
• High quality processing of seams and corners
• Easy grinding process, including grinding with equipment
• Strong increase in productivity using ready-made putty mixtures

The best inexpensive putties for walls under wallpaper

If the walls in the room are initially devoid of serious flaws, but they still need to be leveled before wallpapering, you can buy inexpensive putty.

Universal acrylic varnish

Despite the fact that this putty is inexpensive, it is provided in a ready-to-use form. It should be borne in mind that the product is not suitable for masking serious defects, although it boasts excellent adhesion.

Thanks to this, it can be applied not only to concrete and plaster, but also to brick walls. To ensure that the finish coat is perfectly smooth and the putty itself fills all defects, it is better to apply it in several layers.

Since the putty has a fairly thick consistency, it will not be difficult for the user to apply it not only to the vertical surface of the walls, but also to the ceiling. In this case, the product will not flow or splash. In order for the putty to adhere better to the surface, the walls must be clean and dry.

Specifications:

• dry in 24 hours;
• application material: concrete, brick;
• purpose: walls, ceiling.

pros

inexpensive but easy to use putty;

increased resistance to cracking;

very good adhesion.

Minuses

not suitable for wood.

TEX finishing Pro

If you need to quickly level the walls or ceiling for wallpaper or painting, but the budget for repair work is limited, you should give preference to this putty. Despite the affordable cost, it has the necessary characteristics for carrying out preparatory work.

The putty is provided in a ready-to-use form and can be easily applied using a regular spatula. In addition, the consistency of the putty is quite thick, so it is easily applied not only to walls, but also to the ceiling.

The product itself does not contain toxins and has no unpleasant odor, dries in about a day and does not crack after complete drying. Another feature of the putty is that it can be applied in several layers for perfect leveling, but you will have to wait until the previous layer has completely dried.

Specifications:

• dry in 24 hours;
• application material: concrete, plasterboard;
• purpose: walls, ceiling.

pros

cheap but high-quality putty;

Suitable for concrete, plaster and drywall;

does not flow when applied to the ceiling.

Minuses

For perfect alignment you need to apply several layers.

finishing Super

Using this putty, you can easily level the surface so that paint or wallpaper looks more attractive. The release form is a dry mixture, but instructions for preparing the working solution are given on the packaging.

Due to this, there will be no difficulties in preparing a solution of the required consistency. If the surface of the walls is uneven or has serious defects, it is better to apply the putty in several layers.

It should be borne in mind that, despite good adhesion, each layer of putty needs to dry well. Each layer dries for about a day, and to obtain a perfectly even coating, all layers need to be sanded. Because of this, the duration of finishing work can be long, but this disadvantage is compensated by the affordable cost of the product.

Specifications:

• dry in 24 hours;
• application material: plasterboard;
• purpose: walls, ceiling.

pros

does not flow when applied to the ceiling;

even beginners do not have any difficulties preparing the working solution;

does not smell and does not contain toxins.

Minuses

Supplied without spatula.

Putty technology

The technology of applying material to the wall is from bottom to top, from the corner to the center and from the ceiling down.

To work, take two spatulas in both hands. I use 350 mm and 400 mm spatulas, with an inclined handle. The spatula is taken into the working hand with a painter's grip (see photo below). We stick a 100 m spatula into the bucket with the diluted putty; it will be needed to remove the putty from the bucket.

Using a 100 mm trowel, place the putty on the edge of the work trowel. Holding the putty knife at an angle to the wall, apply the putty to the wall. Start the movement from the floor up or from the corner to the middle of the wall. When applying putty, apply light pressure on the spatula. Clean off any excess putty using a spatula in your other hand. From the second spatula, transfer the putty to the working spatula and repeat the movement of applying the putty.

When the putty on the spatulas runs out, put a new portion on the spatula and repeat everything again. Each new layer should overlap the previous one by 10-15 cm. Take special care to remove the joints of the layers.

If the surface is not primed, the putty will drag behind the spatula. Look at the photo for several common defects:

Defect: Curling putty

Defect: not a miss

Defect: subsidence of putty with a thick layer

Spatula ridges

Important! When puttingtying the first, rough layer, hold the spatula almost parallel to the wall. This will create a minimal layer of putty. Apply subsequent layers of putty with a spatula at an angle of 45⁰.

Most likely, unevenness will form; it is advisable to smooth them out immediately. Smooth the putty to as even a layer as possible. But don't get carried away with time. The putty dries quickly, and the dried putty will follow the new layer of putty, as if curling up. You'll see if you work.

At first, alignment will not work, but be patient and everything will work out. If you apply layers evenly, it still doesn’t work. Don't worry, there is a sanding stage and sandpaper will help you level everything out.

I repeat, in the corners we move from the corner to the middle, we putty the wall itself from the bottom up, then from the ceiling down.

The putty layer dries in 12-16-18 hours.

Which company should you choose?

It is not recommended to buy cheap putty from a little-known brand. It is possible that even after proper dilution, the composition will turn out to be too thick or thin, and the dried coating will become covered with cracks.

We analyzed the assortment of the modern market, studied reviews from users and professional builders, and found that in 2022, the companies TEX, KNAUF, Weber, PUFAS, Rusean, Ceresit, DANOGIPS and Lakra were recognized as the best manufacturers of putties for walls under wallpaper.

What affects drying time?

Each composition dries differently. This depends on various factors:

• thickness of the working layer,
• temperature in the room where work is carried out,
• air humidity level,
• presence/absence of additives affecting drying speed,
• base material and priming.

The greater the thickness of the working layer, the longer the putty dries. Finishing compounds on any binder dry quickly because they are applied with a thickness of no more than 2 mm.

The higher the ambient temperature, the faster the putty dries, the lower it is, the longer. It is not recommended to work at sub-zero temperatures. In the cold, the polymerization process of the putty is disrupted. Even if it hardens, it will still fall off quite quickly, and the work will have to be done again. The introduction of frost-resistant additives will help correct the situation.

The higher the humidity level, the worse the surface dries. This point must be taken into account if outdoor work is carried out.

All modern putties contain additional substances that ensure plasticity, viscosity, adhesion, and drying speed. To find out if the purchased mixture contains any of the above, study its composition indicated on the label.

The base material and priming have a direct bearing on the drying speed of the putty. If you tidy up regular and primed walls, the latter will dry less. The primer reduces the level of moisture absorption by the surface. Accordingly, the drying time of the putty is reduced.