Painting over wallpaper..can u?
- Thread starter elwyn.d
- Start date
Painting over Wallpaper
I've just painted the whole interior of a house that was wall to wall wallpaper. Any pieces that were sticking up I just used PVA glue to glue it back down. Wallpaper was pretty old, early 70's, oranges, browns yuck.
I used acrylic top coat, one was enough on most rooms. One tip though. If you undercoat with acrylic undercoat and the wallpaper underneath is either dark or has big orange flowers on it the patterns/colour will bleed through even after you've put two to three top coats of acrylic on it.
I sugar soaped all the walls first, the wallpaper wasn't washable, but that's no problem just don't soak it to death. I used a squegee mop and just mopped the walls. You don't need to rinse it off.
Then I used oil based flat white paint as an undercoat. I already had some of this that I was using as a ceiling white. It's really good if the ceilings are yellow from smokers because if they were and even if you clean the ceilings, if you use acrylic ceiling white the stains will bleed through in some places. Also good if your new tenants happen to be smokers, you won't have yellow ceilings when you get new tenants in.
So, use oil based flat white paint over everything. Then paint your acrylic top coats over that the next day. Two coats is probably better, but you should be able to get away with one.
Mine came out really good, some of the old wallpaper was embossed so that gave a really nice effect to the walls.
Good Luck
I've just painted the whole interior of a house that was wall to wall wallpaper. Any pieces that were sticking up I just used PVA glue to glue it back down. Wallpaper was pretty old, early 70's, oranges, browns yuck.
I used acrylic top coat, one was enough on most rooms. One tip though. If you undercoat with acrylic undercoat and the wallpaper underneath is either dark or has big orange flowers on it the patterns/colour will bleed through even after you've put two to three top coats of acrylic on it.
I sugar soaped all the walls first, the wallpaper wasn't washable, but that's no problem just don't soak it to death. I used a squegee mop and just mopped the walls. You don't need to rinse it off.
Then I used oil based flat white paint as an undercoat. I already had some of this that I was using as a ceiling white. It's really good if the ceilings are yellow from smokers because if they were and even if you clean the ceilings, if you use acrylic ceiling white the stains will bleed through in some places. Also good if your new tenants happen to be smokers, you won't have yellow ceilings when you get new tenants in.
So, use oil based flat white paint over everything. Then paint your acrylic top coats over that the next day. Two coats is probably better, but you should be able to get away with one.
Mine came out really good, some of the old wallpaper was embossed so that gave a really nice effect to the walls.
Good Luck
Wallpaper is much bigger in the UK- they do even make wallpaper especially for overpainting.
And yes, it does cover the lumps and bumps- a lot of houses there are a LOT older than houses here.
The big difference between England and Australia.
In England, they think 100km is a long distance.
And in Australia, they think 100 years is a long time.
Strangep...I am welsh. The house I bought was lived in by an old Irish couple and even the undersides of cupboard shelves are wallpapered. Every bit of wood in the place is painted Green and White. But......"its got potental"...
Thanks to Queen Bee. Your a legend. Putting the advice to work today.
Regards El...
Thanks to Queen Bee. Your a legend. Putting the advice to work today.
Regards El...
El,
If the house is solid brick and hence hard plastered then you may find the paper is actually helping to hold the old ( maybe loose) plaster in place. Check for hollow sounds when you tap the plaster all over.
In this case we dont' touch and paint over the paper.
If the house is (more modern) timber frame and plasterboard then you have better choice. Our pick is , as long as it looks OK, still paint over it.
If you choose to have a go at stripping the paper try a steamer ,
and/or hot water plus ammonia ..with the compulsory addition of heaps of patience, time and your choice of liquor applied internally .
LL
If the house is solid brick and hence hard plastered then you may find the paper is actually helping to hold the old ( maybe loose) plaster in place. Check for hollow sounds when you tap the plaster all over.
In this case we dont' touch and paint over the paper.
If the house is (more modern) timber frame and plasterboard then you have better choice. Our pick is , as long as it looks OK, still paint over it.
If you choose to have a go at stripping the paper try a steamer ,
and/or hot water plus ammonia ..with the compulsory addition of heaps of patience, time and your choice of liquor applied internally .
LL
Eat your heart out ......today I found there was wallpaper on the inside the pelmets. Thought of you when I saw it.LOL
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one never knows when someone will hang upside down from the ceiling and report the bare backsides of the pelmets to House Beautiful, best to be on the safe side,
Cheers,
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one never knows when someone will hang upside down from the ceiling and report the bare backsides of the pelmets to House Beautiful, best to be on the safe side,
Cheers,
