How to Paint Over Wallpaper
Ask Danny, Painting & Finishing, Repairs and Installation by Danny Lipford
We want to paint over the wallpaper in our bathroom. What kind of primer should we use? -Dwayne
Hi Dwayne,
As long as the wallpaper has a smooth surface, is firmly glued to the wall, and isn’t made of vinyl, you should be able to paint over it. Start by examining the wallpaper with a bright light held flat against the wall to look for any imperfections. Next, fill any dents and glue any loose seams.
Even though it’s more trouble to use, oil or shellac based primer works best when priming over wallpaper, since it reduces the chance of bleeding through and won’t loosen the glue holding the paper to the wall like a water based primer can. Once the primer has dried, paint over it with two coats of a high quality latex paint.
Good luck with your project,
One Comment on “How to Paint Over Wallpaper”
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February 14th, 2010 at 10:30 am
I have primed over wallpaper border with two coats of Zinnser BIN shellac primer. The first coat only bled a little bit, but with the second coat the bleeding was much worse. What would you recommend for the next step? Should I use another type of primer over it to make sure it is sealed before painting with an acrylic paint? Thank you so much.