Over Wallpaper

Painting Over

Provided wallpaper is in good condition it is possible to paint over it. I prefer to turn a wall white first to ensure the pattern is not visible.

Method:

Step 1.      Paste back any loose or torn wallpaper using either PVA adhesive,
                acrylic filler or wallpaper paste. Pay special attention to joins in the
                paper

Step 2.      When dry, sand any rough edges

Step 3.      Apply Zinsser Allcoat Multi Surface Primer & Finish™. Repeat with a

                second coat

Step 4.      Apply a coat of ceiling emulsion to obliterate any pattern showing
                through

Step 5.      Apply two coats of emulsion as normal

Be aware that if paint is applied over textured paper the finish will look like paint applied over textured wallpaper. If this is not a factor then the approach works just fine.

Stripping

Tools:

·        Steam-Stripper

·        Broad filling/stripping knife

·        Power Sander, Pole Sander, Sanding block

Provided the walls are sound the best and quickest method is to use a steam-stripper and a stripping knife.

Do not hold a steam plate in one spot for a prolonged length of time otherwise you run the risk of damaging the plaster. It is far safer to make several attempts to remove a section; after a short while you wil be able to judge the adhesion and adjust accordingly. Steam can be dangerous. ALWAYS follow the manufacturers instructions.

Step 1.      If the wallpaper is vinyl coated you need to pull off the vinyl outer
                layer otherwise the steam will not penetrate the surface.

                This is
                a) dangerous as the scalding steam is reflected back
                towards you and 

                b) just useless in getting the paper off the wall!

Step 2.      Place a dropcloth at the bottom of the area you are going to strip.
                Wet, sticky wallpaper is messy!

Step 3.      Decide where you’re going to start and in what order you’re going to
                work. Place the steam-plate on the first section, hold there for a
                short time then move the plate to the next section and while holding
                it there begin to prise away the wallpaper from the previous section.
                Try and get into a system that you’re comfortable with.

If you use short stabbing movements with the scraper you run the risk of gouging out bits of the underlying plaster which means more effort to repair. The best approach to steam stripping is to try and remove the paper in one continuous move.

Radiators!

Many wallpaper removal jobs are spoiled by a lack of attention to removing the paper from behind radiators because of the lack of room to work. If you want a professional finish make sure you get down deep behind the radiator and remove as much wallpaper as possible. Some steam strippers come complete with a range of accessories, one of which is generally a nozzle which will force the steam in a jet for a short distance. Combine this with a long-handled radiator-roller - without the roller attached - to prise the paper off. Alternatively find yourself a scraper with a longer handle or one which accommodates a short-pole extension with a screw connection.

ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES WHEN USING THE JET NOZZLE OR MINI STEAM PLATE! THE STEAM IS ABSOLUTELY SCALDING AND CAN CAUSE SERIOUS BURNS.

Sanding

Removing the wallpaper is only the first step! The walls must be completely smooth if you want a professional looking finish and the only way to do this is to sand them.  There are two approaches:-

1.      Power-Sander

·        Pro’s – Fast, not as safe as a pole-sander since high areas to be sanded can only be reached using a ladder

·        Con’s – even with a dust attachment there is a huge amount of dust which will get everywhere

2.      Pole-Sander

·        Pro’s – fast, far less dust, safer

·        Con’s –more effort required

If you are using a power-sander it is advisable to seal any gaps in wardrobes with masking-tape to avoid clothes getting dust all over them! My advice is to use a pole-sander instead!

               In either case wear appropriate safety protection!

Borders

There may be an occasion where you are going to paint over existing wallpaper which has a border either low-down or high-up. These need to be removed as they will spoil the finished appearance completely.Some borders will be relatively easily removed but vinyl ones are not so easy. The vinyl needs to be removed in order to reveal the backing paper which can then be scraped-off using either a steam-stripper or solution.

To get the best finish possible make sure that the adhesive is cleaned-off completely – use Oops!™, white-spirit or nail-varnish remover if necessary.

·        Removing a border high-up on a wall

Sometimes you may need to remove a border around the top of a wall. In the picture below a vinyl border was removed but the backing-paper left behind. This was repaired as follows:-

Step 1.      The border area was sanded – particularly the join to make it as
                smooth as possible

Step 2.      A solution of PVA Adhesive was applied to seal the backing

Step 3.      Two coats of Zinsser Allcoat Multisurface Primer and Finish were
                applied

Step 4.      A coat of white ceiling emulsion was then painted on

Step 5.      Two coats of finishing emulsion finished the job perfectly

Oh No!

Everything is going nicely with your stripping but then… a section of plaster comes away with the paper and leaves you with a large area to be repaired. The damaged area will either be fairly shallow or may be quite deep. Either way the repair is the same except that deep damage will require two, or even three, separate fills.

Method:

Step 6.      Prime the damaged area with a suitable primer

Step 7.      Paint as normal.