How to paint your kitchen

Piel Canela
by Piel Canela

I live in a double wide (trailer) and this wall paper is everywhere. Do I paint over or take it off? Help me please!!

  10 answers
  • Msc28699689 Msc28699689 on Sep 23, 2018

    I would get very thin sheets of drywall and cover it. Then paint.

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Sep 23, 2018

    Hi Piel,


    In my opinion it is best to remove the wallpaper because if the paint wets and loosens the wallpaper, you have a compounded problem.

    Striping it off also may reveal an uneven wall texture so be prepared to smooth the surface of the wall after stripping, then prep the wall with a primer, let it dry, and then paint. You never know, it may peel right off!

    Best to you.


  • Linda Sikut Linda Sikut on Sep 23, 2018

    Hi Piel,

    Take it off first because if you paint over it, the wet paint might loosen it and make it worse. Use a scorer (available at hardware type stores) to create mini cuts in the wallpaper then steam it and pull it off. Be sure to clean the walls before you paint to make sure all of the glue is off and use a primer (1 or 2 coats) before painting with your final color. Wishing you the best. -Linda

  • Christine Millership Christine Millership on Sep 23, 2018

    Hi, if you’re considering painting over wallpaper, you should look at three things.....what’s the wallpaper made of, is it in good condition on the wall and what’s the wall like underneath?


    If the wallpaper is in good condition you will have a better chance of achieving a good finish you can be proud of, but if there are holes and bits torn off (as in your picture) I’m afraid no paint will cover that up, and it would be a shame to spend ages painting your trailer to eventually get a horrible result. Only paint if the paper condition is good.


    If it really is paper, the paint will soak into it but depending on how well it was put up, as it dries you may have large blisters of air appearing on the surface. The paint could dry on the blisters giving a peculiar moonlike surface, but if you’re lucky they will deflate as the wall dries. There’s no way of knowing beforehand, really, so are you willing to paint it all and again get a horrible result?


    If the wallpaper is vinyl, paint will not adhere successfully.


    So, I think you can guess where I’m going with this. I understand that you’ve a trailer with a hideous wallpaper that you want to get rid of, but there’s no quick and easy way, if your luck runs like mine! If it was me, I’d remove all the wallpaper and concentrate on preparing the wall underneath for paint.

  • Sherri Sherri on Sep 23, 2018

    Piel, in the picture it looks like you can see raw drywall where the wallpaper is gone. It looks like it would be awfully hard to remove that paper. It is also not a good idea to paint on wallpaper. It sounds as if the best alternative is to put a thin piece of drywall over it. If you go ahead and remove the wallpaper you'd have to refinish your walls. That would certainly be a lot of work. Good luck.

  • I agree that you'll probably rip off drywall if you try to take that wallpaper off. If you don't have the budget for thin drywall over the existing wallpaper, then remove any peeling paper, gently sand rough edges smooth, prime, and paint. I have painted wallpaper in the past, and it's held up well.

  • William William on Sep 23, 2018

    It does not look like wallpaper. It looks like a vinyl paper bonded to panels used in mobile and modular homes. Cut around the damaged part and peel it off. Lightly sand to feather it out. Prime the panels with Kilz primer then paint you color. Did that to my daughters modular home walls. She also had trim covering the seams on the panels. Removed those and filled the seams with no shrink drywall compound.

  • Heje Heje on Oct 12, 2018

    I agree with William as to removing the torn piece, lightly sanding, filling in the seams, priming with Kilz and then painting. Good luck on your project and may all go well.

  • Ben34222268 Ben34222268 on Oct 12, 2018

    Well i know that most of you have never lived in a trailer .first the wallpaper is a thicker type of contact paper that destroying the paneling underneath.best to cover it with thin dry wall and then finish it

  • Sally Alter Sally Alter on Oct 12, 2018

    I have a double wide too and each room was decorated in unsightly wall paper. I just painted over it with Behr paint (2 coats, no primer). I see you have some rips and tears, though, so it might be really great to paint some textured walls wherever the paper is bad. Use the same paint and a trowel and swirl the second coat around making interesting markings.