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Can I Paint Over Wallpaper?

Can I Paint Over Wallpaper?

Wallpaper is not being installed as often today as it once was, but there is plenty in homes all over our area.  Wallpaper is very expensive to remove.  It can come off in sheets or tiny pieces, and there may be multiple layers.  Then you usually have wall damage underneath, so you have to texture the walls.  So it is not surprising that many people ask about painting over wallpaper.  While the correct way is to remove it before painting, you most certainly can paint over it.  There are a couple things to keep in mind with painting over wallpaper.

Inspect the wallpaper thoroughly for problem areas.  This may be joints or corners peeling, or bubbles in the middle of walls.  These are signs that it is not a good idea to paint over the wallpaper as the glue has already started to release.  If it is small, they can be trimmed and floated out, but if they are numerous, you really need to remove the wallpaper because the added weight of primer and paint could cause many more areas to lift off.

The smooth texture of wallpaper could be different than other walls in your house.  To some this is an issue, others it is fine.  Most wallpaper is smooth, and most wall texture in our Northern California homes is not smooth.  You can texture over wallpaper once it is primed, but you could end up with issues due to the weight of the texture pulling paper off the wall.  So if you decide to texture over wallpaper it is critical to make sure it is 100% sound and the glue is really adhering to the wall.  If the different textures don’t bother you, then prime away.

If you decide to paint over your wallpaper, here are the steps that you want to follow.  Remove all outlet covers, hooks, and items that are on the walls.  Mask and cover the baseboard, and other woodwork areas that you want to protect.  Then you must prime the wallpaper, using an oil base primer.  Once the prime is dry you can see any imperfections, seams, and nail holes.  Caulk all the seams between the sheets of wallpaper with a very thin bead of caulking.  Fill any nail holes with spackle.  Then you are ready to paint.  You want to apply 2 coats of premium grade paint. Keep in mind the more of a sheen you use, the more imperfections could stand out.  So pick a lower sheen finish.  Clean everything up and you can sit back and enjoy your newly painted room.

If this is something you don’t want to tackle on your own, please call Brooks Painting at 530-753-5074 and we can provide you with an estimate.

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Most trusted painting company in the Greater Sacramento & Davis Areas

4.9 rating from 300+ reviews

My house is so beautiful now…great work. Courteous, prompt, awesome work.

Lisa H.

We chose Brooks Painting based on their excellent reputation. It was an excellent choice! We had them do a complete exterior and almost complete interior painting of our two story house. They were done separately, while we were out of town. We are very pleased with the quality of the work. They even fixed up a few mistakes made by a crew that painted a portion of our interior ceilings a month prior (removal of asbestos popcorn ceiling), at no extra charge. Cleanup was great, also. They repaired some dry rot that was uncovered (extra charge, but worth it), and they even moved furniture back into place as well as put back the curtain rods that I had taken down, which wasn't expected. I highly recommend them, and will use them again for any future paint jobs.

Charlie Russell
Google

Chris and Gabriel were amazing. Corey was patient and helpful in answering questions and while I decided on colors. The office was easy to contact and had good follow-through. Thank you so much to Brooks for a job I could not possibly be happier with. Feel free to use me as a reference!

Laura P

This is a business you can trust to do an excellent job and keep all promises. Came on time, completed in time stated, beautiful result!

Sandra & David M.

Consummate professionals! We hired Brooks to repaint the exterior of our house, and they did a fantastic job. The paint looks wonderful, everyone was also on time, friendly, and respectful of our property. Exceptional communication through the entire process. I was worried about damage to the landscaping near the house (bad previous experience with another outfit), but they were all very understanding and the crew was super careful. Did what they said they would do with no weirdness, no smoking, no radio, and they cleaned up after themselves nicely. This picky customer is very happy!

Lisa Goodin
Google

Brooks Painting gets in gets it done and out! Quality job, great price. Touch base daily with a report on progress of job. It's important to have confidence in a company that works for you. Brooks is that company.

Jeff Allbright, Nugget Markets Corp.

The crew is as neat and reliable as the actual painting job and paint used. No boom boxes!! Cordial staff spoke English. The crew got along with each other and worked as a team. The actual finish is / was beautiful. We would like to use Brooks again!

Donna H.

My experience with Brooks Painting has been outstanding, and, if it were an option on Google, I would assign 100 stars to their work. Mark and his crew were exceptional in painting both the inside and outside of my Central Davis home. They were considerate, careful, and respectful of my furnishings and yard. Kristen and her office staff were also responsive to my queries and were timely in scheduling the work. Thank you Brooks Painting for assisting in transforming my house into a beautiful home!

Hollis Skaife
Google

Competent, very thorough, listened to my wishes, very accommodating. Hard workers, friendly, happy, willing to please.

Kay M

Hiring Brooks Painting was an easy and professional process the whole way through, from the estimate to the completion of having my very high walls edged, where I was unable to reach them. Crew Leader Eric was prompt and super capable, which was a relief since he had to maneuver and climb a very tall ladder. He was also in the process of teaching a newer painter and I admired his positive and encouraging manner. In addition, he was willing to respond to my requests with ease. No regrets here! The edging looks amazing and only took 4 hours to complete.

Serenity Now
Google

Mark and the team from Brook’s Painting are exceptional at their jobs. We recently renovated a 5000sqft home and they did all the painting. Their attention to detail and investment in our project is so appreciated, and we knew we were in good hands with them. The value they add by identifying issues, making suggestions and going the extra mile to deliver quality work and make sure we are happy with our home is such a breath of fresh air. I would hire this team and company for any future work in a heartbeat and can’t say enough how amazing they are!

Kirsten Martin
Google

It was fun working with Chris and his crew. I’ve never had a contracted job go so smoothly from start to finish. The office was responsive to my needs, Corey was patient and helpful while I made color choices, and Chris made sure I was happy with the crew’s work every step of the way. Gabriel does amazing work as well. Very much a perfectionist like Chris. I don’t have a bad thing to say. The job is absolutely stunning and I’ve had so many neighbors tell me it’s beautiful. I’m happy to put one of your signs in my front yard if you’d like so people know as they drive by who did the work. Thank you Brooks Painting. I will be recommending you to anybody who asks.

D. White
Google

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COREY SCHMIDT

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