Cleaning or Painting Over Wallpaper

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David_Dublin

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Hi All. Her indoors is at me to freshen up our bedroom. We moved into the house recently, it needs complete redocaration - brown flowery carpets, dated striped wallpaper etc. But the hatches a firmly battened down, so we need an interim, cheaper option than redecoration.

The wallpaper in our bedroom is slightly vinyl, white patterned, with a slight texture (i.e. vinyle/rough to the touch). Its very dowdy but well stuck down except in a few places where it meets the ceiling. To freshen it up I was thinking either of painting over it, or else trying to clean it.

If I want to clean it by washing it down can anyone suggest something that might be better than warm soapy water and a sponge? I recently painted the ceiling. While wiping drips I realised how well it could actually come up, the difference between the newly wiped white and the dowdy colour is stark. The paper colour is largely white with some coloured flowery pattern. I know, lovely.

The alternative is to paint over it. I'm going to get out some emulsion over the next few days and do a little test to see how it settles on the paper. I'm not sure if the texture in the paper will come through one or two light coats. Last thing I want is to have to put a load of coats on, might end up pulling down the paper.

Anyhow, if anyone has advice re either painting over it or cleaning it as is I would appreciate their feedback. Thanks as always.
 
My mother has successfully painted over all sorts of wallpaper in her house. If the pattern isn't too strong, then 2 coats should be plenty. If you do decide to clean it instead, I would try a test in an inconspicuous spot - not all wallpapers are washable.
 
We've painted over wallpaper before - it looked OK.

Will work a lot better with 'matt' type paper - vinyl doesn't sound like a runner TBH.
 
I've painted over vinyls & it's been fine....I've always been lucky enough to have some spares bits to check on first. Sometimes the pattern helps make the wall look more interesting & can hide a host of problems that could be underneath. Washing is a waste of time 'cos if you don't like the papper dirty, you probably won't like it that much more after spending hours scrubing with sugar soap.
 
If there is plasterboard underneath which is in good nick I'd recommend stripping the wallpaper and painting, its a longer job but imo worth it, as the immediate look is better and its less hassle a few years down the line where you want to redecorate again. When I moved in my walls were all in rag order and it was a time you couldn't get a Plasterer for love nor money so we stripped and put on lining paper and painted, but I'd love to have smooth plaster walls.
 
Don't try washing as the paper will probably bubble up and come off in places. If you want to strip the paper then do go ahead with warm soapy water and scraper.

I've painted over lots of paper and it has worked every time. A good tip is to paint once with any cheap white paint to dull out any pattern - then 2 coats of the paint you want to use. However, if the pattern does come through it does not always look so bad!
 
Thanks BarneyMc, I think that is what we will do so. Now to try to convince the wife the there is colour beyond magnolia!!
 
I have successfully painted over Vinyl type wallpaper in the past. I would very carefully wipe over the wall paper with a minimum strenghth sugar soap solution, using a very tightly wrung out good quality cleaning cloth. NB. Test patch in a suitable area first! I suggest this because you may not get a good result painting over grime on the wallpaper. I would not really advise stripping the wallpaper and also have done this in the past, and wished I had never started the job, as soon realised that the walls were full of lumps and bumps beneath the wallpaper in the first place. I had to then use lining paper on the walls in order to get attempt smooth paint result. What a pain.
 
I wouldn't paint over vinyl paper - trying to get it off in the future could be a nightmare. I put off stripping the paper in my own bedroom because I thought it would be very difficult - couldn't have been more wrong. I took the advice of a decorator & went over it with a fluffy roller which had been dipped in a bowl of warm soapy water - go over a couple of panel 2 or 3 times & the paper litterally peeled off. (Don't soak it just enough to get it damp) I did the whole bedroom in less than 2 hours not problem at all.
 
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