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Painting over wallpaper - no other option - How to proceed

6K views 15 replies 4 participants last post by  chrisn 
#1 ·
Hello Everybody.

So I am renovating my mom's house. The hallway is covered in painted over wallpaper. I have taken down that painted-over wallpaper (it came down with only pulling + a little scraping), only to find more wallpaper underneath.

I have tried using DIF + paper tiger/scoring to remove the wallpaper, but it is going nowhere. Scraping seems to damage the wall more than it does remove the wallpaper. At least the DIF took off the old layer of glue from the top-wallpaper.

The house is from the 40s, but we bought it in the 84. The wall is drywall, but I am not sure if the wall was primed/painted before it was wallpapered. At this point, I am resigned to painting the wallpaper, but I still want it to come out good. All of the seams are flush, and do not pull up at all.

How should I proceed? Should I do several layers of primer? If so, what kind of primer? Should I Skimcoat? Will that adhere? Are there any products specifically for this? I will not rush the prep, but I don't think it is possible to take down this wallpaper without completely destroying the wall.

Alternately, I thought of sanding the wallpaper, then cleaning, then skim coating. Can I sand through the wallpaper, or will the glue just gum up the sandpaper?

Any feedback is highly appreciated.
 
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#2 ·
You CAN remove the wallpaper. You just don't know how to or you just don't WANT to.

Painted wallpaper looks like what it is - painted wallpaper.

In the end, you are going to put a lot of time/effort/materials to end up with what you started with: painted wallpaper.

Good luck. If you want some advice keep ASKING questions. You will get more responses than telling us what you won't do.
 
#3 ·
Kug, this is a repost from a similar question, here goes, in its entirety:
Not that I agree with painting over wallpaper, but I have done it in the past, and probably will again. If you're good with spackle tools, you shouldn't be able to tell it's painted over paper. I did it for a gc on a flip, where we thought the paper, pretty extensive, was holding the plaster together. The paper was installed well and in great shape. When I got done the gc was amazed at how well it came out, even the investor couldn't believe it was still papered. Saved a ton of money. No different than using huge rolls of paper joint tape. So Lucy, if you want to buck common advice, and the paper is in great shape, I'll answer your question.

Be sure that all seams are tight, spot adhere any loose ones or cut the loose stuff out. Do the same with any blisters or loose areas. The paper has to be well adhered.

Then prime with Zinsser Cover Stain, the full, stinky stuff. If you're going to do it, do it right. Skip the odorless stuff. If it doesn't have an odor, it's missing chemicals, the ones that are important and perform a real task. Just be sure to open all windows and doors. Let that dry overnight.

Now you have to spackle anything you cut out to make it flush. Also spackle out the seams to make them less visible. It's sometimes easier, if the seams are prominent, to run a razor down each side of the seam about a quarter inch out and remove the seams completely. It's far easier to fill a shallow depression than feather out something raised. If you cut the seams out, do it before priming, obviously. We want an oil based barrier between any paper paste and latex prep/finish products.
After the spackle is dry and sanded, spot prime any patches.

Then, you have to caulk around the entire room, caulking any paper edges to that which they meet, ceiling, baseboard, door/window frames, etc. The object is to lock down all the edges of paper to prevent them from curling. Double the specified paint over time of the caulk. (Read the back of the tube)

Now you can paint the top coats with any paint of your choosing. Just be sure to use a good quality roller cover. Good Luck.

Bless me Father, for I have sinned.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I can tell youy (Leah) are very anti-paint over wallpaper. I would much rather not go down that route either.

However, I am not able to take this stuff down via the means I know (dif + scouring + scraping). I cannot get the corners up, so steaming is also not the way to go. Are there other wallpaper removal methods that I do not know of? Perhaps some kind of tool that will "plane" the wall but not a sander that will gum up? Somethine else completely?

Thanks.
 
#6 ·
Kuj, It sounds like they may have put the paper directly over bare drywall, with no priming/sizing. If that's the case, dynamite or a bulldozer are two options. I experienced that once in a model home. WWWWHHHHAAATTT a nightmare, because the customer insisted on removing it, a foyer, two story open stairway, and upstairs hallway. He might have been Leah's brother.:laughing: It was paper paper, not vinyl coated, and it took a palm sander, rough paper, days of hard labor, and one huge dust storm, with the customer peeing and moaning the whole time, about money (T&M) and dust. Don't forget, use Cover Stain oil base primer.:thumbsup:
 
#7 ·
OP - i am anti-painting over paper because I have had to deal with the aftermath. So, maybe I'm just anti bad karma.

JSheridan is right, removing paper on Bare drywall sucks as much removing paper that's been painted over.

I you have a small area to test you could try REALLY REALLY REALLY getting it wet with hot water. And seeing what happens. If you can get it to peel with lots of water with out having to ruin your drywall. For most of my paper removal sufficient amounts of water + peeling with a putty knife has worked.

And I am currently debating papering my dining room. ;)
 
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#8 ·
OP - i am anti-painting over paper because I have had to deal with the aftermath. So, maybe I'm just anti bad karma.

JSheridan is right, removing paper on Bare drywall sucks as much removing paper that's been painted over.

I you have a small area to test you could try REALLY REALLY REALLY getting it wet with hot water. And seeing what happens. If you can get it to peel with lots of water with out having to ruin your drywall. For most of my paper removal sufficient amounts of water + peeling with a putty knife has worked.

And I am currently debating papering my dining room. ;)
Need a hand?:laughing:
 
#9 · (Edited)
Leah, You win. I am taking down the wallpaper. :censored:

Right now, I have taken down roughly 1/16th, and this is what I have learned:

1) The wall was primed, so the paper can be taken down.

2) Taking down wallpaper SUCKS.

3) I had to use the paper tiger/scratcher MUCH more than I thought I should. I have to leave the paper in tatters on the wall before it is ready. My arm was dead after that, let alone the DIF or the scraping.

4) I have to keep the wall SOAKED with DIF (the concentrate works better than the gel, but both work) in order to remove it. Two applications does nothing. 7-12 applications at the recommended concentration (2.5 gal/bottle) is what you need.

But in the end, I have no doubt that it will come out much better than sealing the wallpaper in. Thanks for keeping me from ducking out.
 
#10 ·
It's starting to sound like another job I had. I did almost an entire small house, over time, where the very thin paper paper was put up with clay adhesive, which, if I'm not mistaken, is used to hang commercial vinyl. I basically had to turn the clay to mud, and that required so much water that it was very damaging to the sheetrock. Nightmaaaaare! Kuj, just be sure to give the walls ample time to thoroughly dry out before priming. On a typical removal, I'll prime 24 hours after the final rinse, usually just the next day. I would give 2-3 if you're using that much water. GOOOOOD Luck.
 
#11 ·
It's starting to sound like another job I had. I did almost an entire small house, over time, where the very thin paper paper was put up with clay adhesive, which, if I'm not mistaken, is used to hang commercial vinyl. I basically had to turn the clay to mud, and that required so much water that it was very damaging to the sheetrock. Nightmaaaaare! Kuj, just be sure to give the walls ample time to thoroughly dry out before priming. On a typical removal, I'll prime 24 hours after the final rinse, usually just the next day. I would give 2-3 if you're using that much water. GOOOOOD Luck.

you got it, no reason what so ever to hang real paper with that stuff, in fact it would make for a much tougher hang, stupid hanger, they are out there.:laughing:
 
#15 ·
Update:
after 3 days of scraping, I am roughly 25% done.

I am gouging the hell out of the walls.

How should I deal with the glue residue?
1) Leave it, and then cover it with sealer?
2) Leave it, and then cover it with primer?
3) Leave it, and cover it up with sealer/primer combo?
4) Clean it with DIF, then 1,2 or 3.
5) Clean it with sandpaper, then 1,2 or 3.

How should I deal with the gouge marks?
1) Should I throw joint compound over the gouges/other reapairs?
2) Should I leave the gouge marks in place, and just prime over it?
3) Should I throw joint compound, then put a sealer over it?
 

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