# Painting over wallpaper



## TexnMedic (May 26, 2010)

Good idea or bad idea?

I am remodeling a house I bought and would love to shoot the person who put wallpaper EVERYWHERE! Every frigging room had it. I got everything down except for what's in the kitchen. I gotthe first layer down in the kitchen but there is a layer behind it straight from 1967. The wallpaper with fruit. It's so old it just falls apart and is taking forever. It is stuck to that wall. I'm thinking about just texturing over it and painting. Anyone have any experience with this? I am scoring the paper and using DIF wallpaper remover. Sit for 20-30 mins and scraping. Even using the steamer on tough spots.


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## snappy3923 (Jul 26, 2006)

I have doen it many times an if prepped right, works great. There is a sealer you need to buy to paint on it first which I always get at Sherwin Williams.


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## xtreme (Jan 9, 2010)

if you are keeping the house do it right.


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## benthook1 (Apr 13, 2010)

xtreme said:


> if you are keeping the house do it right.


 -what he said !!! -you can seal it with oil-base kilz ,then texture/ paint over but it has to be sealed or the paper will release and fall off -big mess. good luck -bhook


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## fishyinadishy (Dec 9, 2010)

Personally I would try to get the wallpaper off. You can get some kind of tool, like a rotating cylinder with spikes on, that you roll over the wallpaper, this allows the water/steam to penetrate it much more easily.

If you put texture over it, then as someone above mentioned, the sustained dampness of that will make the original wallpaper come loose. You will end of wasting money instead of adding value to your property.


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## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

fishyinadishy said:


> Personally I would try to get the wallpaper off. You can get some kind of tool, like a rotating cylinder with spikes on, that you roll over the wallpaper, this allows the water/steam to penetrate it much more easily.
> 
> If you put texture over it, then as someone above mentioned, the sustained dampness of that will make the original wallpaper come loose. You will end of wasting money instead of adding value to your property.


The tool is called paper tiger, my wife painted over wall paper in the bathrooms and kitchen, looks good many years later.


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## TexnMedic (May 26, 2010)

I think I am just going to paint over whats left. I got all of the first layer off and pulled up all the seams or loose parts. It is stuck like no other. I have used the steamer and the DIF wallpaper remover after scoring it and its just not coming. I started on one wall(4x10 area) and the dry wall is getting ruined. The wallpaper is just taking the dry wall with it. I did some research and it said to just pull up any loose areas, caulk the seams, and fix any uneven parts. Cover it with the KILZ as stated earlier and paint. 

The only way I see this **** coming off is if I redo all of the drywall in the kitchen.


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## nightgigger (Oct 13, 2008)

I would get some wall mud and float the areas between where the paper is and is not.
texture,(if you are going that way), Kilz, and then paint.


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## Old Whaler (Sep 6, 2005)

Don't use Kilz. I've done it many times. Here's how. Float out the seams and any dents with drywall mud. Re-caulk around trim to keep paper from coming up. Use BIN primer by Zinsser. Not Kilz. Texture if you like, then paint


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## 032490 (Jul 25, 2007)

I have done it on jobs and at my house. If you put a heavy texture on it like a stucco finish it will come out great. Pull off as much as you can and you will be ok.
Ken


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## TexnMedic (May 26, 2010)

Thanks guys. Looks like my Sunday project will include alot of drywall mud. Still gotta finish up installing the rest of the Hardie on the left eve and what's left of the back. All new Hardie soffits and gotta blow in the 45 bags of Atticat insulation. Not to mention I work full time and school just started back up. Be happy if I'm done by the end of March.


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## surfgrinder (May 18, 2008)

do not use the scorer - it just tears up walls that you have to repair later. I have done my fair share of wall paper and all you need is hot water and a sponge to get it off. Have never met a house that this did not work. If you do choose to leave it on do not mud anything until you have oil based primed the walls(Problock - Sherwin Williams). Go to the forum Paint Talk and search it up. You will find quite a bit of info.


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## TexnMedic (May 26, 2010)

I put a few hours in the kitchen taking down wallpaper today. Say i do get most if not all off, do I still need to use an oil based primer? Do I repair the wall and texture before or after the primer? Or both?


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## surfgrinder (May 18, 2008)

i would oil base prime it(to take care of any glue residue), float it out so it is super smooth, texture, prime and paint.
If you have to sand the wall after skimcoating make sure you wipe them down or you will have issues with the texure - it will crater. Same thing if you mix your mud too much


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

Water base KILZ primer on all wallpaper and paneling.


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## Speck Tackler (May 28, 2004)

The best way is to remove the wallpaper.Then I would sand the walls and wash the walls to remove the existing glue. I would then prime with a latex primer like Sherwin Williams equivalent to pro block. Oil base primers are pretty much obsolete now days. Now that you've primed the walls you can float all the bad areas out. The reason you prime it is to seal all the existing glues, otherwise it will reactivate the glue. It will gum up and ruin your float job.Now you can sand and wash your walls, spot prime if it is a small amount of floating. Now you are ready for paint. This has been my experience as a paperhanger.


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## surfgrinder (May 18, 2008)

use the oil base primer - trust me. They are anything but obsolete - per the sherwin williams rep.


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## TexnMedic (May 26, 2010)

Any of you guys contractors? I got the rest of the wallpaper off but parts of my sheetrock are damaged and need repair. I would like someone to come in and repair my sheetrock where needed, prep, and texture the walls. I will do all of the painting. It be a descent size job(kitchen, 50' hallway, dining room, and family room. I also need my walls textured in two bathrooms. May consider getting the whole house textured minus one room so that everything matches(2200 sq ft home). I just want it done right. Let me know. Located in the Clear Lake area.


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## Speck Tackler (May 28, 2004)

surfgrinder said:


> use the oil base primer - trust me. They are anything but obsolete - per the sherwin williams rep.


 Latex primer is preferred for most interior surfaces because it is easier to apply, less messy and lacks the offensive odor that emanates from oil-based paints. In addition, latex primer offers greater compatibility with interior paints. 
Latex primers like draws tite are made for this application.They suck down all the loose torn paper and seal it tight for the floating that will need to be done. at one time oil base primer were one of the few we had to work with,but now the latex primers have improved so much that the oil base are just a headache to use.


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## ProjectDrift (Nov 9, 2010)

*A Little Paper Never Hurt a Thing*

I agree with many of the post here, If the existing layer of paper is "is stuck like no other" then go ahead and do your floating and sanding. It may take a couple floats unless your a pro at this. Like someone said, caulk your trim and corners then go ahead and texture. When we texture a home with a spray texture machine, we mix a gallon of primer in with it. This saves a little time in the long run. If you like, you can re-prime...though it may not be necessary if you are using a quality interior paint. I use all Sherwin Williams but that is just our choice, there are many others out there to choose from.

While removing all paper may be what most say would be "Best" it can still be done correctly with a little left on.


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## Speck Tackler (May 28, 2004)

its unfortunate that wall prep was not practiced properly in the 70s and 80s leading to people not preparing walls properly with primers which helps make striping possible. Nowadays the latex primers have come around which make striping way easier. Striping wallpaper on unprimed walls can be very difficult,but its always best to strip. When you decide to leave the paper on the best proceedure is to cut all your loose spots out, sand the seam areas, and seal with a latex primer like Draws Tite. Then float your seams and bad spots, spot prime it and now your ready to shoot your texture. The reason you prime the paper first is because if you shoot texture on the paper there is so much moisture penetrating the paper that it can reactivate the glue making it come loose on taping joints , inside corners or anywhere there is taping mudd. It doesn't happen often but if it does you have a major problem once you shoot texture and that is why is important to seal it in first.As time goes on you still will have the chance of the seams puckering up as the paper gets older because wallpaper is two pieces of paper glued together.One is the substraight and the other is the finish.They start to delaminate.So it is all ways best to strip:rotfl:


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