Can you paint over wallpaper, or should you remove it?

Short answer: paint over sound wallpaper, strip anything peeling, ripped or mouldy

Sound wallpaper can be painted. Haymes says paper that's peeling, ripped or mouldy is better removed, and Resene's paint-over guide is written only for paper in good condition.

Haymes says painting over wallpaper works with the right prep. It calls it a handy option when pulling the paper off could damage the wall underneath, like unfinished plaster. But Haymes is just as clear the other way. If the paper is peeling, ripped or has mould, it's better to remove it.

Think about the next owner of the wall too. That might be you in ten years. Haymes says painted wallpaper can be hard to remove later and may damage the surface underneath. Resene says the same: once painted, the paper is more difficult to get off. So painting over it is a fair choice for a wall you plan to keep. If you think you'll want bare plasterboard or new paper down the track, strip it now while it's still unpainted.

Four checks before you decide

Walk the room with good light and run your hand over the paper. These four checks tell you which way to go.

If the paper is peeling, ripped or mouldy, plan to strip. If it's stuck down and only stained, painting over it is on the table. The last two checks don't decide it on their own. They tell you which sealer you'll need, or how long stripping will take.

How to remove wallpaper: pull, soak, score, then scrape

Start with the gentlest method and only step up when the paper won't budge. Here are the methods from Resene and Haymes, gentlest first.

1. Try pulling it. Resene says the simplest way is to grab a corner and pull down on an angle. Use a knife to lift a stubborn edge.
2. Protect the floor. Resene says to lay old towels against the skirting so water doesn't get into the carpet.
3. Soak it. Resene says warm water and detergent softens both old papers and newer ones with standard pastes. If the water just slides off, mix in a handful of cellulose paste so it stays on long enough to soak in.
4. Try fabric softener or vinegar. Haymes says to mix fabric softener with warm water, apply it, and scrape off after 15 minutes. Its white vinegar method works the same way, with vinegar and warm water.
5. Score it. Scoring makes small cuts so the mix can get through to the glue. Resene says a scoring tool is best, but a sharp knife or a kitchen fork can work.
6. Use a wallpaper remover. Resene's steps wet about 5 to 6 square metres at a time with a wallpaper remover, working from the bottom up, then scrape the damp paper off with a flat blade.
7. Hire a steamer for big areas. Haymes says a steamer loosens the glue. Resene says steam strippers can be hired and are worth it for large areas.

After stripping, the wall needs sanding, filling and a sealer

A stripped wall isn't ready for paint straight away. Resene says that once the paper is off, the surface will be less than perfect, and holes and gouges from the scrapers will need filling. Plaster patches done over old paper are very hard to get off, so expect some extra work around them.

Resene's steps after stripping run like this. Treat the wall with a mould killer if mould spores are present. Sand with 80 to 100 grit. Fill holes and cracks, then sand those smooth with 220 grit. Then put on a sealer, followed by a surface prep coat, with a second one if the wall is badly dented.

Don't skip the sealer. Resene says some glues, moisture and even the aged plasterboard itself can stain through a water-based topcoat. That's why stripped walls need sealing before any colour goes on. Our primer guide covers how sealers and primers differ, and which surfaces need which.

One reason stripping can go badly: Resene says wallpaper makers recommend sealing plasterboard before paper is hung, so it strips cleanly later. That advice isn't always followed, and Resene adds that paper is often hung over older paper. Either one makes stripping slower and harder.

How to paint over wallpaper: glue, fill, seal, then two coats

Painting over wallpaper is mostly prep. The paint itself goes on like any other wall. Here are the steps from Haymes and Resene.

1. Glue down loose edges. Resene says to put PVA glue on both faces, leave it at least 20 minutes, then press or roll it flat. Haymes lists adhesive for loose sections and caulk for edges and gaps.
2. Fill holes with care. Resene says to press in the paper around a hole with the handle of a putty knife before filling, so you don't get a lump. Then lightly sand with 220 grit and wipe off the dust.
3. Clean it. Haymes says to clean the walls with mild detergent and let them dry.
4. Seal stains. Resene says water stains and pen or crayon marks get a stain sealer first.
5. Prime or seal the whole wall. Haymes recommends a non-water based primer. Resene uses a vinyl wallpaper sealer.
6. Paint two coats. Haymes says to cut in around the edges first, then roll the rest, with two coats for the best coverage.
7. Fix bubbles after coat one. Resene says small bubbles often only show after the first coat. Cross cut them with a sharp blade and glue the edges down.

A tip for the skirting line. Resene says wallpaper often overlaps the top of the skirting, so the edge comes out ragged when you cut in. Painting the skirting and the wall the same colour often gives the most even finish. Our room painting guide has the cutting in and rolling order for the rest of the room.

Vinyl and metallic papers need a sealer, or the paint can stay tacky

Vinyl wallpaper can be painted, but it needs the right first coat. Resene says some vinyl papers let plasticisers move into the paint, which leaves it slightly sticky or tacky. Resene's guide puts its Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer over solid and paper backed vinyl. Haymes takes a different route to the same end. It recommends an oil-based primer on vinyl paper, naming its Ultralock, for better adhesion.

Resene says the tackiness can take three weeks or longer to show up. So a wall that looks fine after a weekend might feel sticky a month later. Resene's quick test is a test pot. Paint a patch during colour choice, and if it doesn't go tacky, the rest of their coatings should be fine too. Give it at least three weeks before you commit.

Metallic printed patterns are the other odd one. Resene says to seal a sound metallic paper with a solventborne sealer or an enamel undercoat before painting.

Mould and stains: strip mouldy paper, seal stained paper

Mould and stains get different treatment. Haymes puts mouldy paper in the strip it pile, along with peeling and ripped paper. That paper comes off first.

Once the paper's off, check the wall behind. Resene's stripping steps include a mould killer if spores are present on the wall, before any sanding or filling. Be careful with it near soft furnishings. Resene warns that spills and drips of its mould killer will bleach towels and carpet.

Stains are a lighter fix. Water marks, crayon and pen on otherwise sound paper don't mean it has to come off. Resene says to seal them with a stain sealer before the paper gets its all-over coat of sealer, and only then does the colour go on.

What wallpaper adds to a painting job

Wallpaper adds prep time to a room, whichever way you go. Stripping means soaking, scraping, sanding, filling and sealing before the first coat of colour. Painting over means gluing, filling and a full coat of sealer or primer first. Paper over paper, or a board that was never sealed, adds more. Our interior painting cost guide shows how wall condition changes the price of a room.

Our interior house painters work across the Sunshine Coast. Check our locations page for the suburbs we cover. We've painted Sunshine Coast homes since 1985 and hold QBCC licence 1281728. Get a guide price from our instant estimate.