Should I Paint Over Wallpaper or Should I Remove it?

Getting wallpaper hung in a house is a big commitment as it’s costly and the wallpaper you choose can quickly become outdated. As a result people often ask what should they paint over the paper or should they remove it?

The answer unfortunately is not that simple.

Wallpaper should be removed if you know that the walls underneath the wallpaper are in good condition. Otherwise you may need to do extensive wall repairs before you can paint the walls.

If the walls were papered to cover and conceal plasterwork that is of poor quality, we suggest leaveing the paper up, put adhesive onto any section of the wallpaper that is peeling back and paint the wallpaper.

In older houses and in house where the walls have been dry lined we suggest suggest apply lots of water to the wallpaper and using a scraper to remove the paper.

In houses that have well plastered walls a wallpaper stripping machine can be used as this machine will not damage the walls.

If you’re existing wallpaper has a texture and if you choose to paint it once painted the textured finish of the paper will come through and bring character to a room.

If you’re planning a painting project and need to call in the painting and decorating contractors who are expert in this type of work please contact us by emailing admin@lally.ie