Is it wise to paint over wallpaper?
When my husband and I moved into our second property there were some hideous looking wallpapers. Imagine the opposite of a sight for sore eyes and you’d be close. While we prepared for the ‘big’ renovation later on down the line, we wanted a quick fix, so decided to paint over some of the wallpaper.
Why do people paint over wallpaper?
Most professionals will recommend against painting over wallpaper, however, there are some circumstances when wallpapering over wallpaper is your best solution.
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What happens if you paint on top of wallpaper?
As long as you use an oil-based primer, painting over wallpaper should be as easy as painting straight onto a wall.
To get the best finish, the wallpaper has to be in good condition before you start, otherwise you’re going to see all the flaws through the paint. It can cover retro 90s patterns, but it can’t cover holes and rips. If only, hey.
What kind of paint do you use to paint over wallpaper?
Aka can you use emulsion?
Once you’ve got your oil-based primer on, you can use any kind of paint over the top, even emulsion.
Painting over wallpaper is a little bit of a longer process than painting walls because you need to give each layer enough time to dry – if it’s too wet and soggy, the wallpaper might start to remove itself from the wall.
How do you paint over wallpaper without the seams showing?
Wallpaper seams are going to give the game away when you paint over wallpaper, but you can fill these in using a wall filler – something like Polyfiller or Spackling would do the trick.
The best way to paint over wallpaper:
When painting over wallpaper, you’re going to want to use an oil-based primer before you apply your topcoat (which can be any type of paint). Oil-based primers will keep the wallpaper intact and prevent it from getting slippy and moving around.
Before you apply your primer though, you’ll want to make sure your walls are nice and clean. Again, you don’t want the walls to get too wet so use a barely damp cloth with some mild detergent for greasy walls (like the walls in the kitchen).
After cleaning your walls it will be time to repair any loose or peeling pieces of wallpaper and fill in any seams using Spackling or Polyfilla.
What is the cheapest way to cover old wallpaper?
There are lots of other ways to cover old wallpaper, like using shiplap, wood panelling and material, but painting old wallpaper is more than likely the cheapest way to cover old wallpaper.
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What are the advantages of painting over wallpaper?
NO WALLPAPER STRIPPING!
Of course, the best thing about painting old wallpaper is that you’re saved from wallpaper stripping – one of the worst DIY jobs in the world.
Another advantage is that it could save you from hiring a plasterer; if your house is old and the wallpaper has been up for a long time then the wallpaper might be holding up some of the plaster. If this is the case then you would have to re-plaster. Therefore, keeping the wallpaper up and painting over it is going to be much more cost effective if you’re just looking for a quick DIY fix.
Read more: crumbling plaster behind wallpaper
Does Painting over wallpaper work?
- Painting over wallpaper can work.
- Many people will choose to paint over wallpaper for a quick fix.
- Your wallpaper has to be in good condition to be painted over.
- Removing old wallpaper can cause damage to old walls, so in this instance it might be the best option.
- To paint over wallpaper, make sure you use an oil-based primer first.
- After the primer, you can use any kind of paint.
- To mend old wallpaper you can use a filler.
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