You have had the same wallpaper or wall mural against the wall for years, and you sometimes feel like changing it up. Freshen up the walls with a lick of paint, that sounds good to you. But the only question is: can you just paint over wallpaper? Or do you have to remove the wallpaper completely first? The answer is: in some cases yes, in other cases it is best to remove the wallpaper first. In this blog you will discover which wallpaper to paint over, and how best to do this.
Which wallpaper can you paint over?
Painting over wallpaper seems like a quick and easy solution to give your walls a new look. Still, it is not smart to just take a paint pot and get started. Paint and wallpaper is not always a good combo, especially when it comes to vinyl wallpaper and washable wallpaper. Wall paint consists largely of water. With vinyl wallpaper, which contains a lot of plasticizer, the water will penetrate into the wallpaper. This creates bumps under the wallpaper and the wallpaper can even come off of the wall. With washable wallpaper, the problem lies elsewhere. This type of wallpaper contains a laminate coating, on which paint does not stick well. Which wallpaper can you paint over? That is fiberglass wallpaper, paper wallpaper and non-woven wallpaper, provided that the wallpaper is firmly attached to the wall. We explain below how you can check this.
Also interesting: Wallpaper removal: this is how you get started
Is my wallpaper suitable for painting over? Do the test!
No idea which wallpaper hangs on your wall, whether this wallpaper is properly attached to the wall and whether you can just paint over it? No problem! With a small test you can easily check whether the wallpaper hanging against your wall is suitable for painting. Wet a sponge well with water and press it firmly against a piece of wallpaper, preferably in one of the corners of the wall. Hold the sponge in that same spot for a few minutes. Does the wallpaper just stay in place after a few minutes? Then you can paint over the wallpaper without any problems! Does the wallpaper become soft, sticky or does it come loose from the wall? Then the wallpaper is not suitable for painting over. In that case, you have to remove it from the wall first. You can read how to do that here: Wallpaper removal: this is how you get started
Paint over wallpaper in a few simple steps
Did your old wallpaper pass the water test? Then you don't have to remove the wallpaper, and you can paint over it with confidence. How? Start with the necessary preparations first. Level the wall by filling and sanding holes and tape back loose wallpaper edges. Then make the wall completely clean and dust-free with a damp cloth and a little paint cleaner. The next step is to prepare the space. Tape light switches, sockets, baseboards and the edges of the wall with masking tape and cover the floor and furniture with a plastic sheet. Finally, we recommend to coat the wall with a primer or base coat. This ensures that the paint adheres well to the wallpaper, but you’ll also need fewer layers of paint for a nice result. Is the primer completely dry? Then you can move on to painting! Start with one coat and let it dry. Is it not opaque enough? Then you can apply a second and possibly a third coat of paint.
Paint… or re-wallpaper?
Now that you know how to get started, comes the fun part: choosing which new look to give your walls! This can be done with paint, but also with wallpaper. Painting is a quick and in the short term also cheaper solution than wallpapering. The advantage of wallpapering is that it stays beautiful for a lot longer, in contrast to painting. In the long term, wallpapering is therefore a lot more durable and economical. Especially if you opt for premium non-woven wallmural or wall mural with an extra laminate layer, which you can simply wash off if stains appear. A few more advantages of wallpaper are that it usually looks a lot warmer and cozier than paint and you have a lot more room for creativity. Imagine yourself in a beautiful landscape with nature photo wall murals or go for a real eye-catcher with a wall mural with a Scottish Highlander. Just to name a few of the millions of possibilities! With wallpaper as well, the possibilities are endless: from wallpaper with small flowers to wallpaper with shapes.
Must-read: The biggest wallpaper trends for 2022
Would you rather work with wallpaper or a wall mural instead of paint? A sustainable choice that you will not regret! Moreover, wallpapering with non-woven material, which our wallpaper and wall murals are made of, is not that difficult at all. Certainly not with the simple step-by-step guide that comes standard with your order. Click the button below to view the full collection of custom wallpapers and wall murals and order yours today!
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