Painting Over Wallpaper? When To Strip And When To Stick
With spring warmth not far away, many homeowners are ready to start fresh, including far more than just your typical spring cleaning. If you are one of those homeowners and you're debating painting some of the rooms in your home, there are some important things to consider. For example, if any of those rooms currently have wallpaper, are you going to remove the wallpaper or just paint over it? If you're not sure what is best, there are a few things to think about.
What Condition Is The Wallpaper In?
The biggest thing to consider is the current condition of the wallpaper in the room. If it is still in good condition and adhering well to the wall, you may want to consider just leaving it in place and painting over it. After all, trying to strip wallpaper that is still securely in place can leave you at risk of ultimately damaging the drywall underneath. When it is still staying in place well, there's little reason to put the time and effort into removal that could just create bigger problems.
How Badly Is Any Wallpaper Peeling?
One of the biggest reasons many homeowners decide to paint over wallpaper is because it is no longer in good condition. If your wallpaper has started to peel, you need to consider the severity of the problem when deciding whether to paint over it or remove it.
If it is only peeling at one or two corners, and it's only peeled back a little bit, you can often just fix it with some new wallpaper adhesive. This is quicker and easier than stripping it all away. However, if it is peeling significantly or torn in any areas, that's a key indication that it needs to be removed first. Paint won't adhere well to wallpaper that is gradually coming loose. You may find yourself with cracked, chipped, or lost paint when the wallpaper separates from the wall further.
What Condition Are The Walls In?
If the walls in question have any kind of structural concerns, including recent water damage, you should not try to remove the wallpaper. Doing so could cause further damage to the drywall beneath, costing you far more than just the price for repainting.
One thing many homeowners don't think about until it's too late is how many layers of wallpaper there may be. You might think that your walls are structurally good, but when you remove the wallpaper, you find multiple additional layers of different wallpaper. The wall beneath all of those layers may not be structurally sound, but the damage was hidden by the strength of the accumulated layers of wallpaper.
Your interior painting contractor can help you assess each of the walls to determine if you can or should just paint over the wallpaper, or if you need to remove it completely and start from scratch.