Can I paint over wallpaper?

Dear Markus,

The answer to the common question on whether one can paint over wallpaper can be both yes and no, depending on the circumstances. Technically yes, with the proper prepping it is possible to paint over old wallpaper, but it’s far from ideal. Here’s why:

• The water contained in the paint might cause the old wallpaper to lift off the wall and develop air bubbles.
• Even if the wallpaper seams are flat and invisible to the naked eye, you can be sure that they will show once you have applied a layer of paint.
• The surface coating of the wallpaper will prevent the paint from staying in place (like it would on a stripped wall). It will stick to begin with, but at some point, or as soon as pressure is applied to a particular area, it will begin to peel off.
• You are adding another extra layer of thickness to your wall, increasing the chance that the wallpaper will come off at some point.
• Once you have painted over the wallpaper, it will be extremely difficult to remove later.

There might be reasons why, despite all of the above reasons, you might not want to strip the wallpaper first. If this is the case, here is what you need to do to prepare the wall. There are some caveats that need to be addressed before we get started:

First of all, check the wallpaper for imperfections. If the there are any holes, dents or noticeable scratches in the wallpaper, the paint won’t cover them.

Also check that you are not dealing with a vinyl wallpaper. While technically it is possible to paint over vinyl if an adhesion primer is applied first, the paint will never look good on this type of surface.

Once these checks are done it’s time to get started:

1. Clean the wall surface
   Decades of dust and grime have accumulated on the surface of the wallpaper. Yuck! You need to get rid of it before you can start priming the wall. You will need to apply a cleaning agent, like sugar soap or trisodium phosphate. To avoid the risk of soaking the surface, apply the cleaning product to a sponge and then gently wipe it over the wallpaper. Soak a clean cloth in cold water, squeeze it until barely damp and then remove the cleaning product from the wall.
2. Seal the seams with acrylic
   Apply a thin and transparent line of acrylic along the seams, at the edges of the walls and ceiling and along the skirting board to seal them. This will prevent the paint moisture from getting under the wallpaper, weakening the hold of the adhesive.
3. Prime the wall with an oil-based primer
   It’s now time to apply a primer to the wall. Always use an oil-based primer as it will provide the layer you will need for the paint to stick to. A water-based primer would be absorbed by the surface, with the risk that the wallpaper will come off the wall. To ensure a more uniform result you can apply a second layer of latex primer.
4. Paint the wall
   If you have primed the wall properly, you can use any type of paint. However, we recommend using latex paint on the topcoat for the best results. You will need two coats of paint; the first will soak into the surface of the wallpaper and is not going to be true to the colour. The second coat (to be applied once the first coat is fully dry) will be the correct colour.

Your wallpaper expert

Isabel