Painting over wallpaper ?

[cyberknight]

I have read mixed reviews about doing it and i am after some advice
Mink ck 2 room has embossed butterfly pattern wallpaper which she has outgrown and its very tatty , can i paint over it with textured paint or will the pattern show through?
Its a bit of a major job if i have to strip the room as its the smallest room so any furniture moves mean taking them out of the room

 

[Oldhippy]

Try an area out as a tester see how it covers I would suggest.

 

[PeteXXX]

The pattern will show through, I think. Plus, if you use lots of paint, it could make the wallpaper bubble up.

Strip it... 👍

 

[MichaelW2]

Steam wallpaper strippers are about £25 from screwfix etc and take all the hard work out of removing wallpaper.
In the long run its worth it but in the short term you can just paint. Start with white emusion.

 

[postman]

Are there any dark colours in the paper design,reds especially.It will be a pain to block out with emulsion,so it will be first coat of stinky white undercoat.Then two or three coats of emulsion,right every joint might show plus any bubbles under the paper.But with paper off a load of filling might need doing to get the walls smooth.You takes your chances.

 

[Dirk]

Steam wallpaper strippers are about £25 from screwfix etc and take all the hard work out of removing wallpaper.
In the long run its worth it but in the short term you can just paint. Start with white emusion.

Steam wallpaper strippers will also loosen any dodgy plaster.
I had to have 3 walls replastered last time I used one.

 

[Beebo]

If you are looking for an easy bodge job, could you paper over the paper?
Not ideal but better than painting it.

 

[Cycleops]

Man up and strip out the old wallpaper. Doing something with the existing will just look a mess.

 

[simongt]

If you are looking for an easy bodge job, could you paper over the paper?

One way round the issue, but make sure you don't match the seams. A half overlap will sort it.
When my late aunt moved into a house many years ago, she tackled stripping the wallpaper off the hallway walls - eleven layers - !

 

[presta]

eleven layers

That lot must have been half as thick as the skirting board.

 

[Mark Grant]

If it is an embossed paper you will still see the embossing. Painting over it will be fine but whether it bubbles or not depends on how well it was hung originally, most bubbles will shrink back.
I would not reccomend using a textured paint, that will just look awful. If the embossing has to go you will need to strip the paper off and ideally hang lining paper before painting. If you decide to paint over the existing paper and it has strong colours a first coat of white matt emulsion may be a good idea.
If you paper over the existing there is more chance of the paper underneath coming off as it will stay wet longer than just painting it and you'll almost certainly still see the embossing when the top paper is dry.
Be wary of using a steam stripper if it's an older house, they can easily blow the plaster.

 

[Kingfisher101]

Strip the wallpaper, it will come off easily with hot water and washing up liquid brushed on. The only wallpaper I've had a problem getting off was woodchip that was painted over and that needed and enzyme stripper.
Just move the furniture away from the wall far enough so you can get to the wall o.k. You're not laying flooring the room doesn't need to be emptied.

 

[Fnaar]

Let the embossed pattern show through, and simply call it a tasteful, understated upcycling project

 

[cyberknight]

cheers all , pretty much what i thought

 

[Dave7]

A lot depends on the wallpaper finish ie vinyl etc. Some will just not accept paint and even if it seems to the paint will quickly start to flake/peel etc.
I know this because a couple of weeks ago I asked a pro decorator to paint over ours and it was a BIG NO.