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paint over wallpaper

djh860djh860 Member Posts: 3,232 ✭✭✭
edited September 2012 in General Discussion
My girlfriend just bought a house and every room has paint over wallpaper on old horsehair plaster. Whats the best way to deal with this. Should I just paper over it? I'm worried that stripping the old wallpaper that has been painted will be hard and will damage the walls.
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  • Waco WaltzWaco Waltz Member Posts: 10,836 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I painted over wall paper in a trailer. Did not care, however I Would not do it in a house. Wal paper stripper a good idea. Lot more work involved to strip then paint but you just bought it.
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  • Mr. PerfectMr. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 66,437 ******
    edited November -1
    Removing it will not be pretty. May as well just start from scratch. Papering over that mess won't work.
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    And fiery auto crashes
    Some will die in hot pursuit
    While sifting through my ashes
    Some will fall in love with life
    And drink it from a fountain
    That is pouring like an avalanche
    Coming down the mountain
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  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    Painting over the old wall paper could be a nightmare. The moisture from the paint could make the paper come lose from the plaster. Removing the paper could be just as big a nightmare. If it was me I would go over the walls with 1/4" sheetrock. Butt up against the existing trim with a nice clean cut in the sheetrock and then caulk that edge against the trim. Then I would just finish the sheetrock as one would normally finish sheetrock. Prime and paint and you have a new room.

    U will have to extend the wall switches and wall plugs out that extra 1/4 " but that isn't a big deal.
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  • reloader44magreloader44mag Member Posts: 18,783 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by djh860
    My girlfriend just bought a house and every room has paint over wallpaper on old horsehair plaster. Whats the best way to deal with this. Should I just paper over it? I'm worried that stripping the old wallpaper that has been painted will be hard and will damage the walls.
    If I may ask..What is horsehair plaster?....I have removed a whole house worth of wallpaper from sheetrocked walls.
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  • timinpatiminpa Member Posts: 2,250 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    you could try to steam it off, you may have to score the paper about every foot or so (to get the steam under the paint) but that will take it down to plaster. Then repaint


    P.S. hope you got a lot of patience cause its going to take awhile, just go room by room.

    good luck and congrats on the house!
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  • beneteaubeneteau Member Posts: 8,552 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Try a steamer to remove old wallpaper. Painted over wallpaper once and, when the moisture soaked the wallpaper, the wallpaper started falling from the walls in strips----leaving strips of wallpaper on the wall. Used a steamer to remove remaining wallpaper.
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  • westernMDhunterwesternMDhunter Member Posts: 2,938 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Funhouse mirrors is the only way to go.
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  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by reloader44mag
    quote:Originally posted by djh860
    My girlfriend just bought a house and every room has paint over wallpaper on old horsehair plaster. Whats the best way to deal with this. Should I just paper over it? I'm worried that stripping the old wallpaper that has been painted will be hard and will damage the walls.
    If I may ask..What is horsehair plaster?....I have removed a whole house worth of wallpaper from sheetrocked walls.



    Plaster reinforced with horse hair. Milled fiberglass fibers are use now but plaster is rarely used. Also certain sheetrock has fiberglass as a reinforcement.
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  • River RatRiver Rat Member Posts: 9,022 ✭
    edited November -1
    Sheetrock sounds like just as much work than stripping the old paper. Does the house have any architectural/historical value? That might swing your decision.
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  • spasmcreekspasmcreek Member Posts: 37,717 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    my house was built around 1905-10....lathe & plaster walls...chopped horse hair was in the plaster as a binder...real craftsmen then...walls were flat and rooms square ...
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  • reloader44magreloader44mag Member Posts: 18,783 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by MMOMEQ-55
    quote:Originally posted by reloader44mag
    quote:Originally posted by djh860
    My girlfriend just bought a house and every room has paint over wallpaper on old horsehair plaster. Whats the best way to deal with this. Should I just paper over it? I'm worried that stripping the old wallpaper that has been painted will be hard and will damage the walls.
    If I may ask..What is horsehair plaster?....I have removed a whole house worth of wallpaper from sheetrocked walls.



    Plaster reinforced with horse hair. Milled fiberglass fibers are use now but plaster is rarely used. Also certain sheetrock has fiberglass as a reinforcement.
    thx for the info...let me ask you if you think this would be a safe way to remove the wallpaper in th OP...score the wallpaper with a "star wheel" designed for wall paper...apply quality wallpaper remover liberaly...and IF needed use a scraper to remove the wall paper...?This is how I do it on sheetrock
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  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by reloader44mag
    quote:Originally posted by MMOMEQ-55
    quote:Originally posted by reloader44mag
    quote:Originally posted by djh860
    My girlfriend just bought a house and every room has paint over wallpaper on old horsehair plaster. Whats the best way to deal with this. Should I just paper over it? I'm worried that stripping the old wallpaper that has been painted will be hard and will damage the walls.
    If I may ask..What is horsehair plaster?....I have removed a whole house worth of wallpaper from sheetrocked walls.



    Plaster reinforced with horse hair. Milled fiberglass fibers are use now but plaster is rarely used. Also certain sheetrock has fiberglass as a reinforcement.
    thx for the info...let me ask you if you think this would be a safe way to remove the wallpaper in th OP...score the wallpaper with a "star wheel" designed for wall paper...apply quality wallpaper remover liberaly...and IF needed use a scraper to remove the wall paper...?This is how I do it on sheetrock



    I would give it a try in one room. You might get lucky. I personally hate removing wallpaper and would re sheetrock but hey, I have been hanging sheetrock for over 40 years and I am very fast at finishing it. Being old wallpaper it might come off easy. You have to be sure you get all the glue too. That usually wipes off with a sponge and water. If you can get off all the wallpaper and glue prime the walls with a good primer such as Zinzer of Kiltz so you don't get any bleed thru from stains. The plaster will be yellowed even with wallpaper over it. That will show thru if not properly primed. Good luck.
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  • SpartacusSpartacus Member Posts: 14,415
    edited November -1
    I've never had luck removing wallpaper, always ended up scarring the walls. nothing some spackling compound wouldn't fix, but time consuming.
    some wallpaper is "paintable", so you might get lucky. try painting a section and see if it bubbles or peels. paint over at least 2 seams cause that's where the problems will show first.
    even if it is paintable, you'll still want to flash the seams with compound so they don't show thru the paint.
    If it's already painted over and in good shape, leave it be. flash all the defects/seams and seal with BIN, or similar, and refinish any way you want.
    jmho
    tom
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  • bpostbpost Member Posts: 32,669 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Barzillia
    Sheetrock over it, if you can.

    Seems drastic, but just wait till you try and remove the old paper.


    plus 100!!!

    Buy box extenders for the receptacles and have 1/2" sheetrock hung over it. You will gain sound attenuation, square walls and flat, smooth surfaces.
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  • SpartacusSpartacus Member Posts: 14,415
    edited November -1
    quote:Sheetrock over it, if you can.

    Seems drastic, but just wait till you try and remove the old paper.


    plus 100!!!

    Buy box extenders for the receptacles and have 1/2" sheetrock hung over it. You will gain sound attenuation, square walls and flat, smooth surfaces.


    sounds great, if he's doing the work himself or with friends. but if he has to hire out....
    last time I took a side job (2006) I was charging 40 bucks per 4x8 to hang and finish, w/o painting. that was onto stud walls. I'm sure it cost more now. could be an expensive proposition.

    just saying

    tom
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  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
    edited November -1
    If they used sizing, it will come right up.

    Start a corner and use a 2 inch scraper.

    If they didn't do it right. Use a steamer.

    Just how I'd do it.
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  • SpartacusSpartacus Member Posts: 14,415
    edited November -1
    quote:f they didn't do it right. Use a steamer.


    forgot about that method, works well, but will it work if the wallpaper's been painted over already?



    tom
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  • slumlord44slumlord44 Member Posts: 3,702 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Part of my decision would be weither or not the underlying plaster is solid and even. I did several rooms in my daughters 1904 house with 1/4 inch drywall. The advantage of 1/4 over 1/2 is that you have less of a problem with outlets and trim.
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  • trc313trc313 Member Posts: 3,475
    edited November -1
    buy oil based kilz primer and prime paper and paint over it......
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  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    Just thought of something else. If the house was built in the 30s that might not be horse hair plaster but asbestos plaster. If it was built in the 30s check out this PDF:

    http://www.maplevalleyfire.org/documents/RandAAsbestos.pdf

    This stuff is bad for you. My Dad died a couple of years ago from asbestos exposure from 50 some odd years of doing heating and air conditioning.
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  • A J ChristA J Christ Member Posts: 7,534 ✭
    edited November -1
    Panel over top of it.

    Faster, cheaper and easier than sheetrock.

    Just be sure to anchor/mount it securely, Hard to get a good grip in plaster.
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  • bigoutsidebigoutside Member Posts: 19,443 ✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Spartacus
    quote:f they didn't do it right. Use a steamer.


    forgot about that method, works well, but will it work if the wallpaper's been painted over already?



    tom


    Should. I've had good success. If you value the historic value, I'd spend a little time. It isn't a lot of heavy lifting.
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