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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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Very professional, I appreciate the time they took to make sure everything was taken care of for my house! I really liked that Jaime stepped up and told me not to paint my front door like the house and then chose a color that worked great. Thank you!

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Very professional, live up to their billing! [The] company was very cooperative, on top of everything. [They] followed through with their commitment.

Marylan T.

Great job in every way- quality of work to customer service.

Debbie M.

Brooks did a fantastic job on our exterior and interior paint jobs. Quality was high, price was reasonable, and the team was extremely professional and detail-oriented. Mark was our crew lead and the team performed a number of exterior wood repairs, a door re-stain, interior and exterior painting. Mark clearly takes a lot of pride in his work and went above and beyond to ensure the work was high-quality, including finding exact matching siding to fix dry rot, and performing minor repairs that weren't even included in the quote. He and the team were all consistently positive and personable, joking with each other throughout the day, while also genuinely complimenting each other on the quality of their work. It was great to see, and that positivity definitely showed through the work they did. We couldn't be happier with the end result.

Ryan Schauland
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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
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What a difference!! We hired Brooks Painting to do both an interior refresh painting and a completely new exterior color. Everything was handled professionally and as promised. The team, from estimator to office to painters on site, was responsive, friendly and skilled. Brooks Painting is the most reliable contractor we have ever hired. Thank you Jeremy, Dan, Israel, and Kristen.

Joie Watson
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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
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Efficient, prompt, dependable, quality, respectful, friendly and caring.

Marilou R., Winters

Brooks Painting painted our home in Sacramento in March of 2022. Tim did a great job power washing our home. Corey, Flint, and Kristen were very helpful in the bid and. planning. process. The painting crew was excellent. Arrived on time each day and the project was finished in 5 days as promised. All worked very hard.

M Hawkins

Brooks Painting is everything you would want. Excellence! Always on time. Great work!

Mary Jane B.

You are an excellent company and I couldn't be any happier with your work. This is your second job for me and both were excellent.

Donald S., Realtor

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