Put some downy in a spray bottle fill with hot water 50/50 solution spray it on the wall paper and like magic it lets go and comes right off. I spent a week trying to remove a wallpaper border, my aunt called and told me the trick. It is amazing!
I wouldn't paint over this because I can see a crack in the paper which will be much worse after painting. Here are some more elaborate instructions to remove but similar to Jaz's post. I've used it many times and works better than anything including steamer or fancy solutions.
Peel as much as possible from the walls.
If you can't get to the backing, you may need to score the paper with a tool. Paper Tiger is easy to find. Light pressure because you don't want to damage the wall behind the paper.
Mix 50/50 fabric softener & warm water in a spray bottle or garden sprayer. I've read that vinegar is as effective but I have never used it.
Allow the mixture to sit for 5 - 10 minutes so that it saturates the adhesive on the paper backing.
Scrape with a plastic scraper.
Once it is all removed, wash the walls with warm soapy water (blue Dawn is my go-to) and a microfiber cloth.
if the wallpaper isn't that old, you may be able to peel off the first layer.. then it is easy to remove!! I had this problem and never removed wallpaper before.. and I used a plastic spatula for the scraping..
The 50/50 mix of fabric softener works well, but takes a lot of work to clean the walls so paint can adhere. I had much better success with the 50/50 mix of hot water and vinegar. It was so easy, my 14 yr old daughter took over and did the master bedroom and bathroom in a few hours.
You asked how to cover the wallpaper without having to remove it.....Sheets of bead board sold at Lowes or Home Depot are easy to install and cover wall paper completely. You can find online videos showing you how to apply the bead board. Good luck!!
Professional painters don't remove wallpaper anymore. They use 1 or 2 coats of primer, then texture, then paint. This was done to our "new" house before we bought it.
Professional painters do that? What a travesty! I'm sure your walls look nice, but I wonder why they would go to so much trouble when removing paper is not that difficult--just tedious.
The wallpaper only bubbles if you paint over it with latex primer and paint -- it is water-based and the water in it loosens the wallpaper and creates the bubbles. Prime with an alkyd or oil-based primer, securing any loose places with wallpaper glue and repairing and cracks first. Then you can paint with latex if you want.
Bessie, I just had to laugh when you said the "old" guy at Home Depot gave you the same advice as I did! Because I am "old", too, I guess, at 62! But you know what they say: With Age Comes Wisdom!
And by the way, I grew up being called "Bessie" by my three younger brothers! They couldn't pronounce the "th" sound in my name so they changed it, and sometimes today they still call me that. I love it!
You can paint over it, but you wont be happy with the results. Follow advice given by Cathy Gunter Law. Paper tiger is a must. Inexpensive, plastic wallpaper perforating tool. Probably found at paint store. Ask for directions, it's simple to use. After walls are clear of paper, wash to remove paste residue. TSP and hot water, start at bottom, work your way to ceiling, using large wall washing sponge, frequent rinsing. Removing all the paste is key to the finished appearance after primer and paint.
I have been in kind of the same boat as you are now. Taking down the paper leaves to much room for damaging the sheet rock or leaving old glue that makes the paint have different sheens . They make paintable wallpapers that come in great textures and designs. I would just find a smooth linen or wood texture,something you really like and just paper over the old stuff. New walls any color you want. I used it on my kitchen ceilings after a really bad popcorn ceiling removal. They are a tin pattern painted white for easy cleaning. I have also been looking at products I could use for my backsplash. I have found a whole new world of peel and stick items. They can be single tiles all the way to wallpaper and wallmurals. They just require a good wall cleaning and not matching up with the old papers seams. Hope this helps . And I am 62 also. Lots of life experience with wallpapers. It has been in and out several times in my life.
At one point in my life, I painted the wallpaper in my kitchen with enamel paint. Another time, I put up a chair rail and painted the bottom half and left the top half like it was.
I have never seen pro painters paint over wallpaper unless a homeowner asked for it. Never a good idea! Yes, use the scoring tool all over the paper so the glue remover can work well. My go to is DIF wallpaper remover concentrate. Mix with HOT water, only as much as you will use at one time or reheat the mixture. Use hand held garden pump sprayer to apply and wait the appropriate time - test if it's ready by trying to pull some paper off. If it doesn't come off easily/cleanly it's not ready or needs more DIF.
Wash walls of glue using another spray of DIF and rinse with clean sponge. Rinse the sponge often. This way you get a perfect, clean wall to paint.
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Your comment...
Always best to remove the wallpaper. You can paint but always a chance of bubbling, peeling. Would be a pain to remove in the future.
It would be the best to remove the wallpaper. It's not always a fun job but it's a doable job!
Put some downy in a spray bottle fill with hot water 50/50 solution spray it on the wall paper and like magic it lets go and comes right off. I spent a week trying to remove a wallpaper border, my aunt called and told me the trick. It is amazing!
I wouldn't paint over this because I can see a crack in the paper which will be much worse after painting. Here are some more elaborate instructions to remove but similar to Jaz's post. I've used it many times and works better than anything including steamer or fancy solutions.
Peel as much as possible from the walls.
If you can't get to the backing, you may need to score the paper with a tool. Paper Tiger is easy to find. Light pressure because you don't want to damage the wall behind the paper.
Mix 50/50 fabric softener & warm water in a spray bottle or garden sprayer. I've read that vinegar is as effective but I have never used it.
Allow the mixture to sit for 5 - 10 minutes so that it saturates the adhesive on the paper backing.
Scrape with a plastic scraper.
Once it is all removed, wash the walls with warm soapy water (blue Dawn is my go-to) and a microfiber cloth.
if the wallpaper isn't that old, you may be able to peel off the first layer.. then it is easy to remove!! I had this problem and never removed wallpaper before.. and I used a plastic spatula for the scraping..
The 50/50 mix of fabric softener works well, but takes a lot of work to clean the walls so paint can adhere. I had much better success with the 50/50 mix of hot water and vinegar. It was so easy, my 14 yr old daughter took over and did the master bedroom and bathroom in a few hours.
You asked how to cover the wallpaper without having to remove it.....Sheets of bead board sold at Lowes or Home Depot are easy to install and cover wall paper completely. You can find online videos showing you how to apply the bead board. Good luck!!
Professional painters don't remove wallpaper anymore. They use 1 or 2 coats of primer, then texture, then paint. This was done to our "new" house before we bought it.
Professional painters do that? What a travesty! I'm sure your walls look nice, but I wonder why they would go to so much trouble when removing paper is not that difficult--just tedious.
The wallpaper only bubbles if you paint over it with latex primer and paint -- it is water-based and the water in it loosens the wallpaper and creates the bubbles. Prime with an alkyd or oil-based primer, securing any loose places with wallpaper glue and repairing and cracks first. Then you can paint with latex if you want.
Bessie, I just had to laugh when you said the "old" guy at Home Depot gave you the same advice as I did! Because I am "old", too, I guess, at 62! But you know what they say: With Age Comes Wisdom!
And by the way, I grew up being called "Bessie" by my three younger brothers! They couldn't pronounce the "th" sound in my name so they changed it, and sometimes today they still call me that. I love it!
See if this helps:
https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/home-diy/painting/paint-over-wallpaper2.htm
You can paint over it, but you wont be happy with the results. Follow advice given by Cathy Gunter Law. Paper tiger is a must. Inexpensive, plastic wallpaper perforating tool. Probably found at paint store. Ask for directions, it's simple to use. After walls are clear of paper, wash to remove paste residue. TSP and hot water, start at bottom, work your way to ceiling, using large wall washing sponge, frequent rinsing. Removing all the paste is key to the finished appearance after primer and paint.
I have been in kind of the same boat as you are now. Taking down the paper leaves to much room for damaging the sheet rock or leaving old glue that makes the paint have different sheens . They make paintable wallpapers that come in great textures and designs. I would just find a smooth linen or wood texture,something you really like and just paper over the old stuff. New walls any color you want. I used it on my kitchen ceilings after a really bad popcorn ceiling removal. They are a tin pattern painted white for easy cleaning. I have also been looking at products I could use for my backsplash. I have found a whole new world of peel and stick items. They can be single tiles all the way to wallpaper and wallmurals. They just require a good wall cleaning and not matching up with the old papers seams. Hope this helps . And I am 62 also. Lots of life experience with wallpapers. It has been in and out several times in my life.
At one point in my life, I painted the wallpaper in my kitchen with enamel paint. Another time, I put up a chair rail and painted the bottom half and left the top half like it was.
I have never seen pro painters paint over wallpaper unless a homeowner asked for it. Never a good idea! Yes, use the scoring tool all over the paper so the glue remover can work well. My go to is DIF wallpaper remover concentrate. Mix with HOT water, only as much as you will use at one time or reheat the mixture. Use hand held garden pump sprayer to apply and wait the appropriate time - test if it's ready by trying to pull some paper off. If it doesn't come off easily/cleanly it's not ready or needs more DIF.
Wash walls of glue using another spray of DIF and rinse with clean sponge. Rinse the sponge often. This way you get a perfect, clean wall to paint.
If you think your old Beth, I’m 80, photo from 70s...
Yes I painted over bedroom wallpaper... paper soaks up so many layers of paint . It’s just not worth it. Just get it off ..