Paint over wallpaper?

Discussion in 'Repairs & Maintenance' started by GreenGoblin, 23rd Aug, 2015.

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  1. Esh

    Esh Well-Known Member

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    Sydney NSW
    Lol I've done it, gave up after we spent a whole day trying to remove it in one room. Took so much time. Tenants didn't even know the difference
     
    Esh, 29th Aug, 2015
    #21
  2. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    It is good to have a wallpaper person on the forum, and I agree with all you say, but it is sometimes better to just paint over it rather than spend a week getting it off. I've taken off plenty of wallpaper using soaking and/or steamer, and goodness knows what glue they used "back in the day" but some of it just won't come off.

    When it came to painting over paper stuck fast or taking several days to get it off, I chose to slice down the corner and paint it (again). At $600 a week lost rent, one day was more than enough time wasted.

    But all things being equal, getting the paper off is preferable.

    I wonder if it comes down to maybe the plaster walls never having been sealed first. The houses we had most trouble with had horsehair plaster so they didn't even have paper coating that could maybe have soaked up the glue and stuck the paper fast.

    I do know that over the years we've had trouble with peeling paint on ceilings that clearly had never been sealed initially. There are products to help stick the paint to these badly prepared surfaces, but dealing with these ceilings (mostly ceilings I've found) is a pain.

    Do you think bad preparation is a key to why wallpaper is so hard to get off 40 years later?

    I've sworn and cursed the people who put the paper up, thinking it is so pretty, when all it has caused me is grief and angst when it comes time to get it off :mad:.
     
    wylie, 29th Aug, 2015
    #22
    WattleIdo likes this.
  3. Davothegreat

    Davothegreat Well-Known Member

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    We stripped 2 bedrooms, half a kitchen and an 8 metre wall of wallpaper in our PPOR in 13 hours with a steamer. I struggled to get anywhere with it but my wife was a wallpaper removing champion and made it look easy.

    Why would stripping wallpaper present a concern re: asbestos given that it's done sopping wet and you're not breaking the friable fibres of the wall itself? I get that subsequently sanding the wall if needed could pose an issue but stripping it, surely not?
     
    Davothegreat, 16th Sep, 2015
    #23
  4. GreenGoblin

    GreenGoblin Well-Known Member

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    26th Jun, 2015
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    Location:
    Melbourne
    The property's tenanted now (though we did have to drop the rent $20 p.w. - it's an old house and does need doing up). Given that, we may tackle the wallpaper when the tenants move out, so will leave things as they are for now. Thanks to everyone for their advice and the pros/cons of painting over wallpaper. Hopefully others benefit from this advice too.

    Cheers,
    GG
     
    GreenGoblin, 16th Sep, 2015
    #24
  5. WestOz

    WestOz Well-Known Member

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    WestOz
    +1, as there's no stickies hopefully they learn how to use the search feature otherwise its back to the start.

    Well done on letting without doing any work to it ;)
     
    WestOz, 16th Sep, 2015
    #25
  6. BuyersAgent

    BuyersAgent Well-Known Member Business Member

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    Location:
    Oz
    We need Pa1nter - where is he...
     
    BuyersAgent, 18th Sep, 2015
    #26
  7. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

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    Melbourne
    Seriously. Dont remove wallpaper. Ive done it a few timea. And basically everytime ive stopped halfway or done one room and given up.

    And thats using a hired wallpaper removal unit

    Its hidesouly time consuming

    I was getting used to it and i recall it took maybe 3 to 5 hours per room...... multiply that by 8 to 10 for a while house and it easily takes a week.

    Never ever ever again

    I just painted over it. Yes you can tell its wall paper but as long as the original isnt ripped everywhere it doesnt look too bad. It almost becomes part of the scenery

    Paint paint paint!!!
     
    TMNT, 23rd Sep, 2015
    #27
  8. rhinsor

    rhinsor Well-Known Member

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    Perth
    I just spent about 15-18 hours removing wall paper from 3 bedrooms and 1 lounge room.
    Hired a steamer from bunnings for 2 days.

    Very boring work but I would do it again if it was worth it, especially since the people living there were heavy smokers and it smelt really bad.
     
    rhinsor, 27th Sep, 2015
    #28
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