Apt.1 1F Japanese Room: Wall Repair Vol.5

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u270fufe0f Originally published: 2021-09-20 / ud83dudd04 Updated: May 2026

Hi, it’s DIY Dad! Last time, the woodwork painting had finished and I thought the wall was done u2014 but something still looked off. Since this room is planned as the living room, the finish really matters. After staring it down long and hard, I decided to go over the painted surface with wallpaper. More time and money down the drain… but hey, early on, this kind of thing happens to everyone. (I tell myself.)

2026 DIY Dad Notes: 1F Japanese Room Wall Repair u2014 Prep to Wallpaper Finish

2026 DIY Dad Notes: 1F Japanese Room Wall Repair u2014 Prep to Wallpaper Finish

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Building on the lessons from the 2nd floor, the 1st-floor Japanese room (u548cu5ba4 washitsu) wall renovation moved more efficiently. Here’s a deeper look at turning old sand-plaster walls into a clean wallpapered finish.

Sand Plaster to Wallpaper: Why Surface Prep Is Everything

Skipping proper prep on old sand-plaster walls is how you end up with peeling wallpaper later. The steps:

Test the sand plaster’s adhesion u2014 touch it and see if it crumbles
If it crumbles, apply sealer (a consolidating primer) over the entire surface to bind the sand plaster
Once dry, fill surface irregularities with joint compound (patching plaster)
Repeat the patch-then-sand cycle until the surface is smooth enough to paper
Finish with a final coat of sealer to even out absorption across the surface

When papering over sand plaster without removing it, the sealer coat is the most critical step. Insufficient sealer means the plaster absorbs the paste faster than the paper can bond u2014 and peeling follows.

Identifying Wall Types and How to Handle Each

Old Japanese rental apartments have a variety of wall materials:

Sand plaster (u7802u58c1): Rough, sandy surface. Consolidate with sealer then patch with compound u2014 relatively manageable.
Fiber plaster (u7e4au7dadu58c1): Surface has visible fibers mixed in. Sometimes needs to be removed entirely; the fibers prevent compound from adhering properly.
Juraku plaster (u3058u3085u3089u304fu58c1): A type of earthen wall with a yellow-gray tone. Sealer plus patching works, but the uneven thickness takes extra effort.
Shikkui (u6f06u55b0): Hard white lime plaster. In good condition, a sealer coat alone may be enough. In poor condition, the surface may need to come off first.

Regardless of wall type, “seal the surface first” is always step one.

Wallpaper vs. Paint: Which to Choose for Rental Walls

Wallpaper:

Pro: Wide range of colors and patterns. Relatively fast to install. Inexpensive (from u00a53,500 for a 6-mat room).
Con: Can yellow or peel over the years. Certain spots are trickier for DIY beginners.

Paint:

Pro: Very durable. Easy to touch up. Unique finish quality.
Con: Requires more tools and effort. Prone to streaks and uneven coverage, especially on ceilings.

For Apt. 1’s rental units, DIY Dad chose wallpaper u2014 “it’s the finish tenants are most familiar with, and it reads as clean and fresh.”

Wallpaper Application Tips

Adhesive: Apply evenly across the full back of every sheet u2014 any dry spots lead to peeling
First sheet: Get it plumb and positioned perfectly u2014 all subsequent sheets follow from this
Air removal: Use a smoothing brush working from the center toward the edges
Seam bonding: Press seams firmly with a seam roller
Trimming: Press a straightedge against the wall surface and cut cleanly with a utility knife

The first few sheets take time, but once you’re in the rhythm you can do a sheet every 15u201320 minutes. DIY Dad can now finish a full 6-mat room in half a day.

I used a pre-pasted fabric-weave wallpaper u2014 a standard type available at any home improvement store. For a rental property, “always available for future patch repairs” is an important criterion. Here’s how the papering went: