Can I paint over wallpaper?
by
Ruth
+15
I need to know if I can paint over wallpaper. I'm finally redoing this ugly as sin guest room. We will be ripping up the old carpet, replacing the blinds, and getting rid of the nasty wallpaper. Instead of removing the wallpaper, which I understand can be quite a tedious task, I would like to simply paint over it. But this is something I have never tried before. Can you paint over wallpaper? If so, is there special prep or procedure I need to follow? Please share your experiences. Thank you!
I have used paint with primer in it successfully for paper that was well adhered. Then I used some other colored paint to give it a sponge painting like effect. It turned out very well
You can paint on wallpaper. For that bright stuff you have you’ll have to use multiple coats. We had wallpaper that was painted over in our bathroom and didn’t know it until we replaced the fixtures with more modern ones.
Number one rule. Never ever paint over wallpaper. That wallpaper will need to come down eventually and will be 100 times harder to do so once painted. Do yourself a favor and remove now. Do it right from the get go. Yes, it is a pain, but no one said renovation wasn't messy and inconvenient. Gotta get ugly before it gets pretty. That wallpaper and those curtains - reminds me of a kaleidoscope.
Score and steam is my preferred method.
https://www.lowes.com/projects/paint-stain-and-wallpaper/remove-old-wallpaper/project
While it is 'possible' to paint over wallpaper, just because some folks have done it, it doesn't make it right. I agree with Naomie that if you don't like the wallpaper, do it right the first time, and remove it first before painting. If you still are not convinced, just read some of the postings from other Hometalkers who are now faced with the huge problem of how to remove painted wallpaper
Don't paint over wallpaper. Yes, it's work to remove it, but your paint job will look much better, last longer, and make future owners exceedingly happy that you didn't take short cuts to home improvement.
As a once homeowner remove the wallpaper it a task but it worth it. And it looks so much better and you will sleep better knowing you did the job right.
i love the wall paper
It is possible that your wallpaper is recent enough that it was made to be replaceable. Try pealing it before you touch it with paint. I am in my 70s and remember wallpaper that wasn't much different than newspaper. That stuff is a pain to remove, but wet it sufficiently and it will scrap off with a wide blade. Wallpaper I hung myself in the 1970s was made to be easily stripable.
Please do NOT paint over the wallpaper. If it is loose anywhere, the paint will only make that fact obvious as the paint will cause it to bubble out. Yes, removing wallpaper is a chore, but the finished results will be so much better if you take the time to do it correctly.
I would not recommend painting over wallpaper at all. I have seen first-hand what that can do after many years.
My mom lives in a very, very nice home and she has lived in it for 15 years. The previous owners painted over the wallpaper and now the wallpaper is starting to come down on the walls plus is a real problem because it is where some of the ADT sensors are and her home in her huge living room.
Again, I would not do it. After seeing what it does or can do possibly after years, that would never even be an option now.
Good luck and I'm sure whatever you decide on will turn out fine. After all, you are the one that will have to look at it everyday... Just don't forget that.
This may help: https://salvagedinspirations.com/painting-over-wallpaper/