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franksmom_2010

Paintable wallpaper-love? hate? tips?

franksmom_2010
13 years ago

So, I'm not ready to take the plunge yet on the entryway, but sometime this year, the old wallpaper is coming down, and that wall will be painted.

After several people mentioned Marth Stewart's Ballet Slipper pink, I brought home a chip, and I think it's going to be perfect. Looks great with the rug, the art, and I found some fabric to recover some chairs that looks fabulous with it.

Back to the wall...I was going to remove the old paper, texture the wall, paint, and call it a day, but I've been browsing paintable wallpaper. I found a pattern that I like, and was wondering if anyone had any experience with this.

You prime the wall AND the surface of the paper? Any problems with adhesion, since the paper will get wet from the paint? Can it be painted several times?

I've never hung wallpaper, but my sister has, and I'll bet she'd help me. I'm pretty sure HD and Lowes have classes, too. It's a simple wall- no corners, no windows, no outlets. Just corner to corner, from the wainscoting up.

Comments (6)

  • equest17
    13 years ago

    I've used it several times. It's great in situations where your walls aren't in the best shape. It's very easy to hang, and your wall sounds ideal for a first time experience. I didn't prime the wall but did use sizing. It can be painted over and over, just like drywall. Once it's hung and dry, just treat it like a regular wall.

    You can also do some subtle faux finishing to bring out the pattern or texture of the paper, if you want. I painted with one color, let it dry, then painted a second coat one shade darker and used a squeegee over the surface while still wet to remove the darker coat on the raised areas. It really brought out the damask pattern I used.

  • PRO
    Lori A. Sawaya
    13 years ago

    Use GARDZ before hanging it. GARDZ is the best prep for wallpaper installation -- and removal. GARDZ first and you will be able to get the stuff off when it's time.

    Google for GARDZ and wallpaper for more info.

  • arcy_gw
    13 years ago

    We used it years ago in another home. We did a border and painted it. It was an easy way to get exactly what we wanted, a hint of architectural detail. We moved so I have no idea how difficult the border was to remove. Contrary to common belief just because a wall has been properly sized, it does not mean paper will come off easily or nicely. When the paper you remove takes much of the cardboard covering on the wall board off, textured wall paper is a quick solution. Due to this phenomenon I avoid wall paper at all costs. It is just passing a nightmare to the ones that come behind you!! In this house we got really close in my kitchen then we found a textured paper that gave us the look we were hoping to get and w/o the added expense of the paint. It does hide a world of sins!!

  • franksmom_2010
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks so much!

    I have no idea when the current paper was hung, or by whom, so there's no telling how difficult the old stuff will be to remove. There's a few loose seams, and it looks like I'll be able to just wet it and peel it down, but you know how that goes.

    I'll definitely use the Gardz on the wall. I see there's a ton of wallpaper posts on the paint forum, so I'll read through all of those, too. If the paper is a standard size, then I'll need just a hair over one roll, so I should have a lot of paper to play around with before it actually goes up.

    And about that paint color...when I picked up the chip, I thought "Ew!" It looked like a dark brown/pink in the store, but when I got it home...wow! Really, really pretty! The entry faces east, but also gets a lot of light in the afternoon from across the room, which faces west. I'm going to do a sample board, but so far, the chip looks really nice, all day.

  • amysrq
    13 years ago

    Good advice above....especially the Gardz.

    One thing I would add is that painting the edges, where the paper meets a perpendicular surface like the ceiling, is tricky. Not impossible...it just requires some patience and a small artist's brush.

    Imagine how you would cut in the edge between the wall and the ceiling on a regular wall. You just get up there and pull a straight line of paint. Now, imagine that "straight line" has a whole lot of tiny hills and valleys. Yikes! Just give it a pass with a big brush, then follow up with the tiny brush to get into the little nooks and crannies and you'll be fine.

  • Helena1
    12 years ago

    My inspiration is a little bit funny, but have great HD wallpapers (these are for computers, but if search thorugh gallery can be good for inspiration).

    Here is a link that might be useful: Love Wallpapers