Can I Paint Over Wallpaper? | Brooks Painting

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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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A lot of painters do the bare minimum, just to get by and move on. That’s not who we are or how we’ve built our reputation.

2. You can feel comfortable with our team

From the estimator to our office team, field employees to Crew Leader, we want you to know that you’re valued, cared for, and safe.

3. We’ll do the job correctly

You deserve total transparency, accountability, and exceptional work. No skipped steps or opting for the “easy way.”

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Because we know we’re doing it all the right way, we can confidently stand by our work. We’re picky, and we want you to be 100% satisfied.

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Eric and his crew were on time every day and did a very thorough job. I was thrilled that they were willing to paint my outdoor light fixtures which were getting rusty. I was particularly impressed how much time they spent going over their work at the end to catch spots that were missed. I’ll be using them again for interior painting.

C Lewis

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

Kay M

Brooks Painting has be in business a long time in our area. As a native resident we have seen and heard of their professional & quality painting. In looking for bids on painting our house Brooks was referred numerous times. When Jeremy came out to meet us we were sold on using their services and looked no further. Every aspect of this company was very upfront, professional and made us feel safe, valued and comfortable hiring them. The office staff kept good communication with us. The color matching was perfect. The crew showed up on time, were respectful and did a great job from prep to the final end of the project. The warranty offered was a plus and the liability coverage gave us peace of mind also. The price was well worth all that was included in the project so we had little to do but move our stuff away from the house. Thank you Brooks painting, crew and staff for making our home new again :)

Karen Boone

Courteous and well mannered, attentive, discussed complete job and provided good service.

Juan C., C.H.P.

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

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

They are on time! They show up! It was a big job and they were good and fast. Very nice guys.

Tracy W.

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

I wanted to have my kitchen cabinets painted but knew that that was a job that required skill and expertise. I called Brooks Painting and the experience from start to finish was perfect! Everyone I dealt with was personable and good at their jobs. They spent time answering questions, explaining the exact process, and did the work precisely as promised. They even did a few other small jobs (repairing and painting 2 water damaged ceilings) to perfection. And everything was neat and clean when they left! And the cabinets – better than I could have hoped for. Esteban is a master craftsman who was meticulous in every aspect of his work. The finish is smooth as glass with no imperfections. I couldn’t be happier!

Christina Fotenos

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!

Dale S.

They treat their employees in a fair manner resulting in happy workers. Company is well run. I really like the crew that was here, they were very comfortable to have around.

Pat H.

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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Why Work with Brooks Painting

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