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House Painting in Concord: Can I Paint Over Wallpaper?


House Painting in Concord: Can I Paint Over Wallpaper?

You don’t necessarily have to take down your wallpaper to do house painting in Concord if you would like to have a different color in your room. The rumor that you cannot paint over wallpaper is only true in some situations.

If the wallpaper is having some problems in sticking to the surface, you have a few options. You may have to sand it, or choose for an exhaustive stripping job altogether depending on the extent of the problem. So when you have to sand the wallpaper or strip it, you will want to be careful in doing so as to not damage the walls. But if the wallpaper is in fine condition and has no signs of adhesion problems, then you don’t have a reason to spend a lot of your time and effort in stripping it down.

To confirm, if the wallpaper is adhering well to the surface and has no sign of damage whatsoever, then you’re good to paint! Here are some of the tips to paint over wallpaper.

  1. Repair any flaws as soon as you spot them, like with any other painting job. Use a joint compound to fill any cracks or holes on the wall.
  2. Let the compound to dry completely. Once dried, you can sand the excess compound to smoothen the surface. You want the surface to be as smooth as possible. If the wallpaper has some bumpy areas within the texture, you may need some more time to sand it.
  3. As in most painting jobs, the walls need to be clean before you begin adding paint. Use a good cleaning solution consisting of a half a cup or trisodium phosphate (TSP) in a gallon of water. Dip a sponge into the solution and gently clean the walls. Don’t forget to have your room well-ventilated as well as wear a protective gear, as TSP is quite strong stuff.
  4. In case you spot an area where the wallpaper is just starting to peel or fall away from the surface, the best thing to do is apply a primer directly to the surface to prevent further peeling. Not only can a primer seal that weak surface, it also provides better adhesion for the subsequent topcoat.
     
    Remember to use only an oil-based primer. A latex (water-based) primer can loosen the wallpaper and make it soggy or worse, causing adhesion problems such as peeling and bubbling.
  5. Oil-based primers usually require a longer drying time compared to latex primers. To make sure that the primer is completely dried, you have to wait for 24 hours.

Once the primer is completely dried, you can now proceed to paint. Mask the areas such as crown molding or baseboards that you don’t want painted. Remove any furniture if possible, or cover them with drop cloths if you can’t. You’ll also want to be sure to cover the floor with drop cloths as well.

Only use an oil-based paint for the topcoat. If you need to do a second coat, give the first coat sufficient time to dry. If a second coat is needed, allow it to dry. Once the paint is dried, you may put back all the furniture and remove all the drop cloths. Enjoy your freshly-painted room with no traces of the old wallpaper.

Call Custom Painting, Inc. at 925-294-8062 and let us know your concerns such as painting over wallpaper, so we can give you a quote for the best house painting in Concord that you deserve.

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