skimcoating and painting over wallpaper: Discuss
I am renovating my brownstone and am now very low on funds (nothing unusual there). My hallway is currently covered by thick wallpaper that is old and in many places some of the old paint that had been applied over the years is chipping off. Origninally I was going to take the wall paper off…
I am renovating my brownstone and am now very low on funds (nothing unusual there). My hallway is currently covered by thick wallpaper that is old and in many places some of the old paint that had been applied over the years is chipping off. Origninally I was going to take the wall paper off and re-paint the halls, then as cost became more of an issue, I was going to sheetrock over the wallpaper, and now I’m at the point where I am going to skimcoat over the wallpaper and paint over that. I know this is not the best solution, but it’s the only one I can afford right now. Has anyone done this or seen this done? What can I expect in the future? My hope is that if the skimcoating is done with care, I may not have any problems for about 10-years or so (except, perhaps the need to re-paint every once in a while). However, I can imagine how the paint over the wallpaper under the skimcoating might also continue to give way, leading to crackling and damage to the skimcoating over the years — ultimately leading me to have to redo the entire job in less than 2-years. Can any one give any constructive commentary based on past experience? Thank you.
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OP here – Yes, I believe the wallpaper probably is Lincrusta as well. What I am seeing my contractor do is put plaster of paris (or something) over the wallpaper in layers. The wallpaper is stuck onto the wall pretty well, it’s just that in some places the paint that was on the walls for many years is pealing/flaking off. I dunno if what he’s doing will work, but it seems to be doing the job. From reading the board over time, I’ve learned that people here know what they’re talking about. So, having said that, I expect that I’ll have to do this again (next time, taking off the wallpaper) in a short amount of time. But by then, I’ll probably have enough money (hopefully) to do it right. For now, what I am interested in, is making the place look presentable for tenants. Thanks.
That wallpaper is probably Lincrusta which for some is very valuble and desirable.
However… I don’t understand how skimcoating is cheaper than sheetrock. The cheapest easiest way is sheet rocking over everything. If you are going to skimcoat you have to strip down as far as possible to get the right adherance (plaster weld)
Think of it this way… Removing wallpaper is free! You and your scraper and elbow grease is all it takes.
And while you chip away at this wallpaper thing, your coffers can get a chance to refill. Good luck!
I’ve removed, wood paneling, tar paper and then to remove three layers of wallpaper from the 40’s and 50’s it is a pain, but it is worth the results of starting fresh. economically, you wouldn’t slap a coat of pain over something that is peeled already-it will cost you more if you do a quiky fix.
I third that. There is a lot of water in plaster, and it is going to get sucked right into the wall, and therefore the wallpaper paste, and your wallpaper will fall right off. There are cheaper and less messy ways to strip wallpaper!
If cost is an issue, this is easy enough to do yourself. Go to HD, Lowe’s or any hardware store and get one of those clawed wallpaper tools. You scrape that on the wall, it cuts through the paint and wallpaper to the paste. Then spray on wallpaper remover in a spray bottle. Sometimes plain water or warm water mixed with dish washing detergent works just as well. Leave on for a couple minutes to soak in, and then scrape off with a plastic scraper. It’s messy, and can take time, but it’s very satisfying to see that stuff come off, usually pretty easily.
You may need to skimcoat after, but this layer will then stay up for years, and you never need to worry. Much cheaper, and much better looking than another layer of sheetrock, which won’t look right when it meets the molding, doorframes, stairs, etc.
Not OP here, but my house has a lot of painted wallpaper too…
What about repainting over fabric wallpaper (old, old stuff)? Does anyone have experience with this? Or is that the same stuff that Bob is talking about? As far as I can tell it feels like linen but I guess it could be silk. Tough stuff.
And, how do you remove old wallpaper (like 1940’s old) from plaster? This stuff just won’t come off. I’ve tried water, vinegar and some chemical removers but the glue won’t budge (the paper disintegrates and makes a gooey mess).
Bob Marvin is correct… big mess painting or skim coating over wallpaper… remove the wallpaper… you will be glad you did.
I painted over some very difficult to remove silk fabric wall covering. It didn’t start to peel for many years (but peel it did). OTOH I tried painting over some wallpaper and it started to come off in large sheets almost immediately.
My suggestion is to remove the wallpaper–a skim coating is heavier than paint and I wouldn’t count on the wallpaper paste continuing to stick to the wall long enough for it to even dry–you’re likely to end up with a real mess.