Wallpaper was once a very popular way to decorate homes, but a lot of it looks dated now. If you have just moved into a home that doesn’t fit your design specifications, or you are looking for an update, you may want to paint over the old wallpaper.
Painting seems like a simple enough way to update a room, but painting over wallpaper is a lot more complicated than painting a bare wall. You can paint over wallpaper, depending on the type of surface that you are working with, but you will need to prep the wallpaper before putting down the coat of paint.
Deciding Whether Painting Is a Good Idea
Depending on the type of wallpaper that is up on the walls, painting may be more trouble than it’s worth. No matter how many coats you put over dark or highly patterned wallpaper, some of the old pattern will still shine through. On the other hand, a light, smooth wallpaper will not peek through paint.
Another factor is how much effort you are willing to invest. Stripping wallpaper and then covering any holes in the wall adds several extra steps to the painting process. However, these steps may be worth it if you want the paint to last longer and look better—the seams of the wallpaper will always peek through when you paint.
Prepare the Surface
Just like with any painting job, you’ll want to prepare the room before painting over wallpaper, so you don’t accidentally make a mess. Put down drop cloths to catch any spills, cover furniture, and tape the trim. Wear protective gear to stop chemicals from getting on your skin and hair.
Clean the wallpaper with a damp rag. Then, fix any errors or peeling edges on the wallpaper. Any visible seams or peels will mar the surface of your paint, so you have to fix those. Use a putty knife to lift the edges away from the wall and cut the flaps. You can use primer and spackling to seal down any peeling edges and cover holes.
Finally, sand the walls to create a smooth surface for your paint.
Primer
You cannot skip primer when painting directly over wallpaper. It is necessary to cover up the paper, so it doesn’t peek through the coats of paint. Use oil-based primer because water-based primer will make the paper come loose.
Before painting the whole wall, test the primer on a small, unobtrusive corner. This will help you see how many coats of primer you will need. Then, apply one coat, let it dry, then sand it smooth. If you see that the wallpaper will still peek through, apply a second coat.
Finally, you are ready to paint over your wallpaper as if it were a regular wall.
Painting over wallpaper seems as if it should be impossible, but it can be done as long as the wallpaper is light enough that it won’t peep through. Just be sure to cover any peeling edges, sand down the wallpaper, and apply plenty of primer.