Painting Over Wallpaper

Removing wallpapers without damaging the wall is one of the difficult tasks to achieve. Also, the process is a bit tedious and requires lots of patience. There could be many layers to the wallpapers pasted on a wall. An unpainted wall makes it even more difficult to remove wallpapers, without causing any damage. The process of painting over wallpaper backing is explained in the paragraphs below. The tips for painting over wallpaper presented in the article, should help in carrying out the painting activity in a smooth manner.

Painting Over Wallpaper

The activity of painting over wallpapers is feasible and time saving. It is better to paint over wallpapers instead of going through the cumbersome process of scrapping them off. For painting over a wallpaper, however, one would have to do some preparation. Let us understand how to paint over wallpapers through the points listed below.

• Masking tape should be used to cover the ceiling; it prevents paint from spreading outside the desired area/border.
• The loose paper should first be removed. Loose edges can be pasted back to the wall with seam glue. Primers need to be used for the paint to stick properly to wallpapers.
• The seams have to be applied with drywall mud. Smoothing the dry walled surface followed by applying primer on it, should be the next step.
• Caulking should be done along the trim, baseboard and ceiling.

Painting Work
The hard work put into preparation of surface for painting, shouldn't be spoiled by using cheap/low quality paints. Washable flat paints should be preferred over glossier ones. The latter displays imperfection present in the surface being painted. One should start painting at the edges. Long and horizontal strokes need to be used. It is recommended to apply two coats of paint.

Vinyl Wallpaper Painting
The process of painting over vinyl wallpaper requires altering its surface i.e. preparing it for the paint to bind well. The vinyl surface should be washed with a degreaser. The activity should be followed by cleaning with cotton and letting it dry for 2 hours. Once the surface dries completely, it should be scored in order to break the surface tension. Tools such as ravioli cutter can be used for scoring. One can also think about using products such as 'Paper Tiger'. Sanding the surface is next step in the process.

To paint over wallpapers with a dark shade, 2-3 coats of the primer would be required. The primer to be used should be lighter in shade to the actual paint used. Before applying the paint, primer should be allowed to dry for 24 hours. A semi-gloss or flat washable paint should be applied, preferably with a short nap roller.

Painting over Textured Wallpaper
The process of painting over a textured wallpaper is much easier than on a smooth one. Textured wallpapers hide the creases quite easily and it is one of their major benefits. It won't be much difficult to understand how to paint over a wallpaper, once the basic preparations are made.

For painting over wallpaper in bathrooms, one should see to it that excess moisture is vented out with a fan. One should also keep an eye on mildew problems in case of bathroom wallpapers. Stripping the wallpaper to correct this problem is advisable before carrying out any painting activity. The remaining instructions for painting over wallpapers are the same even for those used in bathrooms.

The information about how to paint over wallpaper and tips about making the work easier are presented in the article. The process of painting over wallpapers if carried out with proper knowledge, becomes simple.