JOIN DIYCHATROOM TODAY!

GAWG · 02-07-2010, 11:59 AM

If I decide to paint over wall paper, about 2,000 sqft, would I use a specific type of primer? Oil, shellac, water base?

Thanks in advance gto anyone who can educate me on this.

sdsester · 02-07-2010, 03:05 PM

Tacky and problematical. It will always look like you painted over wallpaper which ranks right up there with painting over cover plates or putting down nylon astroturf stuff instead of carpeting. Do not do it! If you ever want to sell the house, it will send the signal that you compromised on everything!

The wallpaper will come of easier than you think once you get going. Rent a steamer if it is antique stuff. Otherwise buy a scoring tool. Wet thoroughly with a mix of warm water and fabric softener (or pay a fortune for the wallpaper remover stuff) and get under it with a nice wide drywall blade. I grew tired of hand cramps from little spray bottles and bought a 1 gallon garden sprayer for saturating the walls. $10?

When the paper is off, prime with an appropriate primer. Apply two coats of paint store, not box store, paint. You will be very pleased you put in the extra work! You will not like what you end up with if you paint over wallpaper, I promise.

Big Bob · 02-07-2010, 08:11 PM

a smart person learns from their mistakes... a wise person learns from the mistakes of others...

be wise... remove the wall paper... you will be glad you did.

if you insist on just being smart... prime a small wall with the paper on...
after the bubbles appear... you may try cutting them out ..skim lightly with mud... prime again.... then more bubbles appear.... repeat until all wall paper is removed.

It does not matter what you try for a primer... if it is wet..it will cause expansion / contraction problems.

PS. Some folks may have painted over wallpaper without a problem.... most pros will not do it.

chrisn · 02-08-2010, 06:03 AM

Do it right, remove the paper.

http://www.wallpaperinstaller.com/wa...stripping.html

**slickshift** · 02-09-2010, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisn

Do it right, remove the paper.

On sooo many levels, ayup

**slickshift** · 02-09-2010, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Bob

... remove the wall paper... you will be glad you did.

Ayup!

Matthewt1970 · 02-09-2010, 11:07 PM

Remove it at all costs. It will bubble when you paint it and odds are some of the bubbles will stay when the paint dries. It will bring out the seams and even make any imperfections in the drywall underneath stand out where the wallpaper may have hidden. And it will basicly make it impossible to remove once you paint it.

Shamus · 02-10-2010, 05:50 AM

You'll regret it if you don't remove the wallpaper first.

This from years of experience and bad memories from the one time I tried it, 25 years ago.

mazzonetv · 02-10-2010, 06:48 AM

I absolutely agree - remove the wallpaper!!! However, if your mind is made up and you just HAVE to paint over it - use an oil based primer - water based primers tend to reactivate the glue and make an ugly job look even worse! =)

good luck!!