Painting over wallpaper is something we are asked to do from time to time. Can you paint over old wallpaper? The answer is yes!
All wallpaper can be removed. It just comes down to how cost effective that removal is. Sometimes the removal is going to be so difficult that the best option is to go over it. There are a few things to check before breaking out the paint however.
The paper should be well adhered to the wall. Any bubbles or tears should be glued back down. All seams will most likely need to be skim coated with drywall mud and sanded smooth.
The most important step is to seal the wallpaper with a penetrating solvent based primed. Failure to do this can cause the paper to begin to lift when the water in the latex paint loosens the glue in the paper. Make sure the primer is not a latex or water based product!
After the prep, it is simply a matter of picking out and applying the color of your choice. One thing to bear in mind is that any texture that there may be on the paper will still show. Depending on the texture, this can be a ice look.
